“If the only tool you have is a hammer, it’s hard to eat spaghetti,” says David Allen, a productivity consultant and writer. Could this analogy apply to using the right garden tool to effectively complete outdoor tasks?

No doubt, and taking it further: It is time to get tools in their best working condition for the new season.

Take a good hard look at your garden tool kit and then make some decisions. Are your bypass pruners making sharp cuts or are they doing harm by crushing the branch? If your trowel handle bends like a paper drinking straw when digging, then a new, hardworking one will change your garden life for the better. Maybe your tools just need a bit of spit and polish and a good sharpening session. And after your decisions are made, how about spaghetti for dinner?

Clean and disinfect

The list of gardening tools to clean each season includes shovels, rakes, pitchforks, plant trellises, cages, stakes, accessories and containers. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Improve tool performance with a good cleaning. Just like washing our hands to remove germs and bacteria, we need to do the same for our garden tools. No need to spread any harmful pathogens from last year to established plants in the garden and new ones that will be planted soon. And when referring to tools, the list includes plant trellises, cages, stakes, accessories and containers (they’ll need cleaning and disinfecting, too). Some trellises and containers may not be easy to clean because of location and size, so do the best you can. Generally, wooden containers naturally repel fungi and bacteria. Where possible, wash with soap and water, rinse well and let dry.

Clean each tool well before disinfecting. Begin by giving each a strong blast of water to remove caked-on dirt and debris. Pruners can easily be dissembled by removing the nut or screws that hold the blades together, then the spring coil will slip off. (Keep track of the pieces.) Soaking in warm, liquid dish soap is all you need; use a stiff brush for hard-to-reach places. If there’s dried-on residue or sap, soak longer in soapy water or try a commercial product like Scrubbing Bubbles, which also disinfects. Read and follow label cautions associated with commercial products. Rinse well with water after cleaning and dry.

Lysol — or similar, store-brand versions — works well as a disinfectant for possible fungi, bacteria and viruses on tools. Simply place the tool in a bucket or box and spray all sides, or opt for the easy-to-use wipes. When finished, let the tools air dry.

Avoid using bleach products to disinfect pruners and other sharp-edged cutting tools. Bleach is very corrosive and can make pits in some metal tools. However, diluted bleach (one part bleach, nine parts water) can be used on rakes, shovels, spades, trellises, tomato cages and containers.

Undiluted 70% or higher concentration rubbing alcohol works well on small hand tools and pruners, although when used on tools to prune out fire blight, it might not be as effective.

All clean: Soaking garden tools in warm, liquid dish soap is typically all you need; use a stiff brush for hard-to-reach places. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Rust can be removed a couple of ways: Soak exceptionally rusty tools in a jar or can of white vinegar for several hours or overnight. For shovels, soak a large rag with vinegar, wrap it around the shovel blade, cover with plastic and let it sit overnight. Use a wire brush after soaking to remove any residual rust. After soaking any tool, wash with soapy water, rinse and dry.

Also try using some elbow grease with sandpaper or steel wool for rust.

Sharpening

Want superior experiences preparing a meal and maintaining a garden? Assuming your answer is yes, both disciplines require sharp tools.

The easiest way to sharpen is to take your clean and sanitized tools to a reputable garden center, hardware store, small business or friend who specializes in sharpening gardening tools. Prices should be reasonable.

For DIY, a carbide file is great for smaller tools like pruners, loppers and small snipper shears. A mill file works well on shovel blades.

Once all your tools are cleaned, disinfected, and sharpened, give them a wipe down with some vegetable oil, which will help prevent rust through the season. Bypass pruners will benefit from a drop or two of hardware lubricant (like 3-In-One oil).

Tool tips

During the outdoor gardening season, some smart gardeners brightly paint the handle of their trowels, making them easier to spot in the garden.
A pocketed apron is handy for holding and carrying tools around while gardening. Plastic tubs decked out with a saddle bag to hold all sorts of tools (and perhaps an adult beverage for later in the day) are also popular.
Take advantage of these warm late winter days into spring and do the work outside while soaking up some healthy vitamin D. Clean tools, sharpened pruners? Life is good.

Resources

How to Clean and Sharpen Tools: bit.ly/3VaXQkh

Laura, The Garden Answer: bit.ly/3VbK0OO

Betty and Alan Rollinger, Keeping Garden Tools Cleaned and Cared For: bit.ly/4a7db9F

Betty Cahill is a freelance writer who speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is determined to launch a ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town, a plan that has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to the hundreds of thousands of civilians sheltering there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel can’t achieve its goal of “total victory” against Hamas without tackling Rafah.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Israel has approved military plans for its offensive. But with 1.4 million Palestinians jammed into the town, Israel’s allies, including the U.S., have demanded greater care for civilians in its anticipated incursion.

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Netanyahu agrees to send Israeli officials to Washington to discuss prospective Rafah operation

Most of those Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in other parts of Gaza and are living in densely packed tent camps or crammed into apartments.

Netanyahu is sending a delegation to Washington to present the administration with its plans.

WHY RAFAH IS SO CRITICAL

Since Israel declared war in response to Hamas’ deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7, Netanyahu has said a central goal is to destroy the Islamic group’s military capabilities.

Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, after operations elsewhere dismantled 18 out of the group’s 24 battalions, according to the military.

Israel says Hamas has four battalions in Rafah and that it must send ground forces to topple them. Some senior combatants could also be hiding in the town.

WHY THERE IS SO MUCH OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL’S PLAN

The U.S. has urged Israel not to carry out the operation without a “credible” plan to evacuate civilians. Egypt, a strategic partner of Israel’s, has said that any move to push Palestinians into Egypt would threaten its four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel.

In a phone call with Netanyahu this week, President Joe Biden told the Israeli leader not to carry out a Rafah operation, said the White House’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. He said the U.S. was seeking “an alternative approach” that did not involve a ground invasion.

ISRAEL DOESN’T APPEAR CLOSE TO SENDING IN TROOPS

Netanyahu said he was sending a delegation to Washington “out of respect” for Biden. But in a statement Wednesday, he said he had told Biden that Israel “cannot complete the victory” without entering Rafah.

Despite the tough talk, Israel doesn’t appear close to sending troops into Rafah. This may be connected to ongoing attempts to broker a temporary cease-fire. Qatari mediators say those talks would be set back by a Rafah invasion.

There are also logistical concerns.

Israel’s military says it plans to direct the civilians to “humanitarian islands” in central Gaza ahead of the planned offensive. Netanyahu said Wednesday evacuation plans had not yet been approved.

The flavor combination behind this springtime dessert — a sweet, lemony cake featuring a hint of rosemary — may sound surprising, but food writer Lidey Heuck, who learned to develop recipes from working with Ina Garten for more than six years, asks for your trust.

“If I’m making this for a special occasion, I dress it up with a pile of segmented oranges on top. But for an everyday treat, I skip the citrus and let the cake sit on the counter, watching it disappear — sliver by sliver —until there’s nothing left. How you serve it is up to you!” Heuck writes in her new cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day.”

Lemon, Rosemary & Olive Oil Cake

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (230 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

2 (4-inch) fresh rosemary sprigs

Nonstick cooking spray and flour for the pan

1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup (160 grams) sour cream

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1/3 cup (80 grams) freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lightly sweetened whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, for serving

3 small oranges — Cara Cara, blood oranges or the variety of your choice — for serving (optional; see tips below)

DIRECTIONS

In a small skillet or saucepan, combine the oil and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the rosemary begins to sizzle, then turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then discard the rosemary sprigs and pour the oil into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep with cooking spray (see tips below), line the bottom with parchment paper, then flour the sides.

Add the sugar to the bowl with the rosemary oil and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk vigorously until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla, sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.

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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk gently until only small lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the edges of the cake are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve the cake at room temperature, with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a sprinkle of confectioners sugar and the orange segments, if using. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tips: It’s important that your cake pan be at least 2 inches deep. This is a tall cake and will overflow in shallow cake pans. A springform pan works, too. To segment oranges, peel the oranges with a small, sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut carefully between the membranes to remove the orange sections.

— Excerpted from COOKING IN REAL LIFE: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day. Copyright @ 2024 by Lidey Heuck. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Dane Tashima. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

For a special occasion dinner this spring, consider cooking up a batch of citrusy slow-roasted salmon with leeks and asparagus. This recipe comes from food writer Lidey Heuck‘s new cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day.”

“This salmon would be delicious as part of a Mother’s Day or Easter spread, but it’s also simple and fast enough for a weeknight,” she writes. “The fish comes out incredibly tender, and because the oven never gets super hot, it’s a lot harder to overcook.”

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Lemony Leeks and Asparagus

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 medium leeks, dark green leaves trimmed

1 lemon, very thinly sliced

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-pound salmon fillet (see tip below), skin removed

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Flaky sea salt, for serving

Fresh dill, for serving

Grated lemon zest, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Thinly slice the leek crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the leeks in a large bowl of water, swish them around to loosen any grit, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain. Pat the leeks dry with a clean kitchen towel and spread them out on a sheet pan.

Add the lemon slices to the sheet pan. Drizzle the leeks and lemon with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Transfer to the oven and roast until the leeks are tender and lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes, tossing twice throughout.

Meanwhile, pat the salmon dry and set aside at room temperature.

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Add the asparagus to the sheet pan along with another 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well, then push the vegetables to the edges of the pan to create space for the salmon. Place the salmon on the pan, rub all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Return to the oven and roast until the salmon registers 120 to 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. (Because the salmon is cooked so gently in this method, it may still look slightly translucent on top — that’s okay!)

Transfer the salmon and vegetables to a platter, arranging the vegetables around the fish. Sprinkle the salmon with flaky salt, dill and lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: If you use a center-cut piece of salmon, it will be cooked evenly the whole way through. If you use a more tapered piece, the ends will be slightly more well done than the center. Both work great, but I often ask for a tapered piece if I know some people prefer their salmon on the well-done side.

— Excerpted from COOKING IN REAL LIFE: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day. Copyright @ 2024 by Lidey Heuck. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Dane Tashima. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.