Aptly named because it looks like a stirrup on the end of a stick, the stirrup, or Dutch hoe is by far and away, my favorite garden tool. It can slip between rows and pull weeds right out of the ground. And those it doesn't pull out, it cuts off at ground level, leaving the growing parts of the plant venerable to the elements.
My technique for using it lately has been to weed early in the morning on a day that promises to be warm (hot is better) and then leave the weeds until evening. Then I go back out, and simply rake the shriveled greenery up and stick it in the compost! Easy!
It is wonderful for getting between rows of veggies too. Here, my basil had some little fluffy intruders, and I decided to try to get them out without leaning over the beds (a smart choice considering my neck isn't all the way up to par yet). I dug them up with the stirrup hoe and pulled them all out at once, dropping them with my pile from the pathways.
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Thanks!