Posted on 8th Jul 2011 @ 3:08 PM

Gardening is often touted as a relaxing activity, but all that digging and kneeling can wreak havoc on your wrist, knees, neck and back. Unfortunately, these repetitive stress injuries can't be cured with an ergonomic chair. (Although that is a hilarious mental picture: A woman in a big straw hat, gardening clothes, and gloves, dead-heading roses from her Herman Miller.)

Want to garden without pain? Try one of these ergonomic garden tools.

Must-Haves

Radius Garden Trowel

http://photos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2011/06/gardening_tools.html

Radius makes a variety of ergonomic tools. This trowel boasts a "patented 'O' ergonomic grip" that should make digging easier on even the most tender wrists.

Bahco Ergonomic Pruner

http://www.amazon.com/Bahco-Ergonomic-Pruner-Rotating-PXR-S2/dp/B000288W9Q/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1309664009&sr=1-8

One of the five-star Amazon.com reviews of these pruners is from the owner of a 45-acre blueberry farm. If they're good enough for actual farm work, you can probably feel safe using them around the yard. It comes with extra springs, in case the pruners wear out before your wrists do.

OK

Ergonomic Gardening Stool

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/gardening-stool.html

This stool looks like a good alternative to kneeling on sore knees, but reviews are mixed. One user called it a "terrific product ... a real knee saver!" Another told a horror story about the stool exploding after three years of use and cutting her leg. Our best advice: Store indoors, away from the plastic-weakening elements.

Duds

Hounddog Cultivator Green

http://www.amazon.com/Hounddog-Cultivator-Green-Part-HDP15-6/dp/B000FJQK4G/ref=sr_1_82?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1309664472&sr=1-82

We give this garden tool full marks for having an awesome name, but since two of the three Amazon reviewers mentioned a blade snapping off on the first day of use, we'd recommend looking into some other cultivator. Also curious: the product description claims that it "specializes in killing mosquitoes which may transmit the West Nile virus." We're assuming that's a misprint, but if it isn't, we'd love to see how a soil aerator could possibly kill mosquitoes.

Ergonomic Bench

http://www.amazon.com/2x4basics-AnySize-Chair-Bench-Ends/dp/B000BDH8RE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1309663788&sr=8-10

Don't get us wrong: This is an adorable bench, and we think it would be just smashing in your garden. However, we're uncertain that a garden bench can really be ergonomic. What exactly would you be doing on that bench that would involve repetitive motion? Never mind…