"There is a lovable quality about the actual tools. One feels so kindly to the thing that enables the hand to obey the brain. Moreover, one feels a good deal of respect for it; without it the brain and the hand would be helpless"

Gertrude Jekyll draws attention to the deep connection between a creator and their tools, attributing both affection and reverence to the implements of one's craft. Beyond their physical function, tools become companions on the journey of creation, inviting warmth and gratitude from the user. Jekyll highlights the unique role tools play in bridging the gap between concept and reality, serving as the essential means by which the mind’s vision is realized through the hands’ action.

The “lovable quality” of actual tools speaks to a tactile and emotional attachment that develops over time through repeated use. As a gardener, artist, or artisan becomes intimately familiar with a particular spade, brush, or chisel, each tool accrues a history and personality of its own. This familiarity fosters not just utility, but genuine fondness, as the working relationship between person and tool deepens with each project completed together.

Jekyll also emphasizes the profound respect owed to tools because of the pivotal role they play. The brain, home to imagination and design, and the hand, capable of nuanced and precise movement, both depend on the tool to enact their will on the material world. The absence of tools would render the creative intellect and physical dexterity powerless, severing the essential link that brings ideas to life. Through this lens, tools are not mere objects, but partners in the dance of creation, enablers of possibility.

The affection and respect for tools that Jekyll describes point to a broader appreciation for the often-overlooked implements that make art, work, and invention possible. They become symbols of human ingenuity and collaboration across mind, body, and matter. In honoring their role, Jekyll calls us to remember the quiet ways in which humble objects shape our world and our achievements.