Gardening has been around since who knows when. Folks have always worked in their yards. It's a relaxing pasttime and very satisfying when you step back and view the results. Apparently gardening items are now the rage in antiques.

According to a recent newspaper article, the mid-1800s saw the introduction of lawn mowers and various garden statuary. Many gardeners owned wheelbarrows and sprinklers as well as shovels and shears. Gardening was in such fashion that flowers such as bleeding heart were introduced and pictured on dinner plates and rugs.

Well, here's your antiques update for the day. Trowels and small tools more than 25 years old are now collectible. I don't know about you, but I still have many of my gardening tools that just happen to be older than that. Of course like the TV ad I'm only 29 but somehow I got my hands on those old diggers and the like. So the question is, do I treat these things like antiques and squirrel them away somewhere for display? Or do I pretty much go about my business and enjoy gardening secure in the knowledge that my tools may be worth zillions some day? Happy Gardening and be sure to take a second look at those old rusty hand shovels sitting around in the garage. You might be sitting on a gold mine!