It's sad when a high-quality hand tool goes missing in the garden, especially if it means that tool sits outside and gets rusted. And it's no fun rummaging around in the yard waste bin, trying to find a misplaced tool. Products that organize the garden tools (and other miscellaneous things used while gardening) and keep them close at hand can help prevent such problems.

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The Bloomin' Smart Tool Belt has many features to recommend it. Each of the four pockets is a bit different, so the gardener can find the right pocket for each item. Pockets can be removed if they aren't all needed—and they can be pushed to the back when the wearer is bending or crouching to work. The pockets are 5.25" wide and 7" to 8" deep, which seems to be a good size for many items. 

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But that pocket size won't work for everyone, and other designs use different dimensions. In this garden tool belt from Esschert Design, the pocket sizes vary. The large rear pocket is 10" wide and 8.5" deep; the medium pocket is 7.5" wide and 6.5" deep; the small pocket is 4.5" wide and 6.5" deep. The belt adjusts from 32" to 52".

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For some gardeners, this belt will be a convenient way to carry all their tools and miscellany, but others will find this design is too big and bulky for them. 

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The gardener who just wants to carry a few tools could use a design like the custom-made leather garden belt from Wheeler Munroe. The belt can be made to be worn on the left or the right; it's not reversible. But having that left-vs.-right option is something many left-handed gardeners will appreciate. 

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I have mixed feelings about this gardening apron from Great Useful Stuff. For the gardener who uses the specific tools pictured, and tends to be forgetful, it could be a great reminder system. (Do I have the trowel? The clippers?) But for someone who carries other things into the garden, the labeled pockets will be irrelevant at best and confusing at worst. 

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Garden tool belts and aprons are perfect for gardeners who want to keep their hands free while walking around, and who want to make sure their tools are as close at hand as possible. But another practical alternative for organizing the garden tools is a garden bucket caddy such as this one from Fiskars. 

The caddy fits around a 5-gallon bucket, although from the customer reviews it seems not every 5-gallon bucket will do. Offering an option to buy the bucket along with the caddy would have been a thoughtful touch. The bucket itself can hold tools with handles too long for the caddy, weeds that get pulled, a sweatshirt or a light jacket, etc.

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To avoid the problem with finding a bucket that works with the bucket caddy (and the problem with the caddy slipping off the bucket, which a few purchasers reported), the gardener could use a garden tool bag such as this one from Esscher Design. It has the added advantage of folding up when not in use—and the disadvantage of not standing up well by itself.

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The Picnic Time Garden Caddy is an interesting variation; it would stand up on its own just fine, and it folds up quite compactly, with the tools in place. However, it doesn't have anywhere near as many pockets, and some gardeners have lots of tools and other garden paraphernalia and prefer pockets to store them. Also, the caddy is designed to work with its own tools, and some gardeners would prefer to use their own.

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Gardeners who prefer to work using a kneeler or a seat could use something like these kneeler tool pouches. They're designed for a specific kneeler, so they fit that kneeler well. The major drawback: Some gardeners complain that the pouches aren't deep enough. 

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This gardener's tool seat would work for many gardeners who need a seat but not a kneeler. The tool bag, which has 21 pockets plus a large central storage space, detaches from the seat.  The seat was redesigned in March 2013 to be stronger; it now holds up to 250 pounds. However, for some people this seat is just too low to the ground—it's 11.5" tall. Someone who needs an ADA-compliant toilet seat isn't going to be happy with a seat that low.

And some gardeners will be concerned when they read this: "Due to the nature of the materials used, we are providing the following warning, as required by law: WARNING: This product may contain one or more chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm."

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The Picnic Time Gardener Seat and Tools is either 16.5" or 17.5" tall, depending on which source you believe. Either height would make it comfortable for most people, but perhaps not those who are quite short.  (I'm 5'2", and that height is fine for me.) The seat holds up to 200 pounds. 

The detachable tool bag  comes with five tools, which ensures they fit the bag perfectly, but may annoy those who have their own tools. The extra restraint to keep the tools in the pouches is an interesting design feature.

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The Garden and Tool Caddy takes a different approach to organizing the tools. It assumes the gardener is going to have a round trash can, a rectangular yard waste bin or a wheelbarrow close at hand, and it attaches to that can, bin or wheelbarrow. The video below demonstrates how it works.