Oscillating Hoe

Eyren, regarding garden tools having short handles, I have a memory somewhere in the back of my mind that our garden spades and shovels were adapted implements from miners tools (miners borrowing their work tools to tend the garden I imagine) and miners tools have short handles as they're designed to be used kneeling.
Now I am a tall man but I have been known to use my modern spades while kneeling and it works for me in some circumstances.