Snips

I saw these snips (these are called Herbies) around for a long time but wasn't inclined to fork out good money for them when I, armed with secateurs, had been doing the dead-heading job very well for years.  Bored and with nothing to spend my 'pocket money' on I bought a pair last year from a National Trust shop somewhere for £4.50.  I can do no better than let the NT describe them:

The spring action handles on this small pair of snips make them easier to use than scissors for a variety of jobs around the garden.  Sitting neatly between finger and thumb they use a simple pinching action.  The carbon steel blades retain their sharp cutting edge and give a clean cut that means no ragged edges, helping to prevent pests and diseases.  The compact size of these snips means you can easily reach the centre of plants and they can be easily stored in a pocket. 

The ideal tool for dead-heading, pinching back annuals and cutting herbs.

Mini snips measure approx: 10.5cm L x 2.5cm W

Treat yourself - they are a little gem.  I keep mine with the back door key so almost every time I go out I drop them in my pocket and do a bit of 'nipping' while I am out there.  Serious dead heading of anything with substance will require your trusty aforesaid secateurs but these are great for nipping off flower heads and saves you having a permanent brown/green thumb nail.

Handy tip - if you tackle anything too large the blades can cross over wrongly - right over left instead of left over right.  You may not notice its happened, but if you come to use them and they won't cut anything and seem hard to use and even make your fingers sore - just check the blade is in the correct place.

You can buy them in a load of places and the price varies widely - just checking today I could get them from EBay for £2.99 and from Marshalls for £6.99 and all shades in between.

PS:  Don't do what I did with them a couple of days ago..... I was dead-heading the geraniums in the corner chimney pot by the summerhouse and throwing the dead heads in the jungle behind the pot (naughty I know).  Bet you know what's coming... yup I threw the snips as well!  I said my farewell to them and reported my stupidity to my husband saying, "There is no way to retrieve them without deconstructing the whole corner full of huge pots and plants and by the time I can get to them (in the winter) they will be past rescuing".  Two minutes later he was back with them. He's a keeper.