Whether you’re planting a tree, spreading mulch, or creating a new landscaping bed, a trusty shovel gets the job done. When shopping for one of these vital gardening tools, there’s a lot to consider.

There are few things as useful as a shovel. It digs and moves a variety of materials, dirt, gravel, sand, snow and ice, debris, asphalt, and concrete. It scrapes, levers, chisels its way through roots ...