What is a Secateur?
A secateur, commonly known as pruning shears or garden scissors, is a must-have tool for anyone who loves gardening. The word ‘secateur’ comes from the French term ‘secateur, which means to cut or prune. These handy tools help you trim and shape your plants, shrubs, and small trees, keeping your garden looking its best. Willow Crossley swears by her garden secateurs for maintaining the beauty and health of her floral arrangements and garden designs.
The Different Types of Secateurs
Secateurs come in a variety of styles, each suited for different gardening tasks. Let's explore the primary types: anvil secateurs, bypass secateurs, and ratchet secateurs.
Anvil Secateurs: These have a single straight blade that closes onto a flat surface, or ‘anvil’. Perfect for cutting dead wood, though they might crush more delicate stems. Willow finds these particularly useful when clearing out the tougher, woody stems in her garden.
Bypass Secateurs: Featuring two curved blades that slide past each other like scissors, these are ideal for precise cuts on live plants and green wood. Willow uses her bypass secateurs for most of her pruning needs, ensuring clean cuts on her delicate flowers and shrubs.
Ratchet Secateurs: Similar to anvil secateurs, but with a mechanism allowing incremental cutting, making it easier to cut through tougher branches. For those stubborn branches, Willow reaches for her ratchet secateurs.
Which Secateurs are Anvil or Bypass or Ratchet?
Choosing between anvil and bypass secateurs depends on what you’re pruning. For live plants, bypass secateurs are generally the best choice due to their clean cuts. Anvil secateurs, on the other hand, are better for pruning hard, dead wood. Willow’s personal favourite for her floral work is the bypass secateurs, which she finds perfect for her meticulous pruning tasks and cutting away surplus stems and leaves below the water line in vase arrangements.
Pro Secateurs: Tools of the Trade
Professional gardeners often turn to high-quality, durable secateurs. Brands like Sakagen, Okatsune and Burgon are favourites among the pros, offering sharp blades made from carbon steel for precise and clean cuts. Willow trusts these brands for their reliability and sharpness, which are crucial for her detailed flower and garden work.
Garden Secateurs and Pruning Shears: Must-Haves for Every Gardener
Garden secateurs are available in various designs to suit different needs:
Heavy Duty Secateurs: Perfect for thick branches and tough stems. Willow uses these when she needs extra power for cutting through her denser plants.
Handed Secateurs: Ergonomically designed for comfort, available for both left and right-handed users. Willow appreciates the comfort and ease of use these provide during long gardening sessions.
Flower Pruners: Made for delicate flower stems, ensuring a clean cut without damaging the plant. Willow’s flower pruners are essential for her beautiful floral arrangements.
Caring for Your Secateurs
To keep your secateurs in top condition, it’s essential to maintain them properly:
Sharpen Secateurs: Regularly sharpen the blades using a sharpening stone or dedicated tool sharpener. Willow makes sure to keep her secateurs sharp to ensure clean cuts every time.
Clean Blades: Wipe the blades clean after each use to remove sap and dirt, preventing rust and ensuring smooth operation. Willow always cleans her blades to maintain their longevity and efficiency.
Holster Set: A holster set not only protects your secateurs but also keeps them handy while you work in the garden. Willow’s holster set keeps her tools organised and easily accessible especially working at events.
Choosing the Right Secateurs for Your Garden
Consider the type of flowers and plants you’ll be pruning and the size of their stems when choosing secateurs. Japanese secateurs are known for their precision and are perfect for delicate bonsai and flower pruning. Willow often reaches for her Japanese secateurs for the most delicate pruning tasks in her garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a secateur? A: Known as pruning sheers or garden scissors, secateurs are used to prune in a home garden and create floral installations from cut flowers
Q: What is the difference between a pruner and a secateur? A: Pruner is a broad term that includes various cutting tools used in gardening, while secateur specifically refers to hand-held pruning shears. Willow uses the term secateurs to describe her trusted hand-held pruning and flower arranging tools.
Q: What are the three types of secateurs? A: The three primary types are anvil, bypass, and ratchet secateurs.Willow features the bypass secateurs on her website for their ease of use on small and large flower creations.
Q. What is the best secateur for my use? Willow loves the bypass secateur featured on her website, however you must decide which is the best use for you - bypass are probably the most common as they can work on smaller detailed floral work as well as tougher garden needs. If you are using them mainly for pruning your garden shrubs and need something stronger, consider the anvil or ratchet types.
Order Your Secateurs Today
Explore carefully selected secateurs on Willow Crossley's website. Our secateurs are made by Sakagen, a Japanese specialist brand of bypass secateurs. Willow personally recommends these for their excellent craftsmanship, precision and durability. Made in Japan, they have very sharp Teflon coated carbon steel blades with no resistance, ideal for floral work. The thermoplastic elastomer handles help make these scissors the most comfortable to use on the market. We love the canary yellow colour created especially for us by Sakagen, which means you hopefully won't lose them either!
Secateurs are an indispensable tool for any florist or gardener. By understanding the different types and their uses, you can select the best secateurs for your gardening needs. Proper care will ensure they last and perform at their best. Discover your ideal pair of secateurs today and transform your gardening experience, just like Willow does with her beautiful garden and floral creations.
