This time of year, gardeners can be found doing battle with weeds and tending (or replacing, depending on their expertise and luck) growing plants. Here are three sturdy tools to give your midsummer gardening a boost:

Weapon of choice

The Hori Hori knife says you're a serious gardener. This all-purpose tool easily routs the nastiest of weeds, cuts through roots and makes a perfect planting tool for seedlings and bulbs, with a handy ruler that measures the depth of your hole. $22, www.gemplers.com

Dig it!

The Soil Scoop by Garden Works is a pointy, deep-dished trowel that doubles as a scoop, and its serrated edge is useful for opening bags of potting soil and sawing through roots. $18, www.seedandgarden.com

Goodbye, weeds

You need a good hoe to get the job done. The swivel hoe, aka the Hula Hoe, improves on the traditional hoe by quickly and easily slicing the tops off young weeds before they get established. $15, homedepot.com