The 2020 Home & Garden Guide is sponsored by Weather Tight. You can read the entire guide here.
Spring fever might have you aching to hit the garden, but those dreams may be dashed due to a messy shed or garage. Why not start the season right by organizing your workspace? While sheds featuring pegboard walls, slanted wire shelving and decorative touches might be all-stars in backyard battles, there are plenty of fast, easy and affordable ways to organize your shed.
Start with a clean slate. Empty the shed, sweep it out and clear the cobwebs. Take inventory of what you have. Do you have one rake too many? Are there old paint cans that need to go to the dump? Pitch whatever you don’t need, and you’ll truly see what sort of space you have to work with.
If you have a workbench or a planting bench, start by working around that, hanging shelves and assembling open shelving units. Consider repurposing an old dresser or chest of drawers, setting that in the shed early in your reorganization. Use the drawers to house extension cords and strings of holiday lights. Drawer dividers make it simple to organize everything from packets of seeds to boxes of nails.
Remember to take advantage of storage containers. They come in a variety of sizes and are ideal for storing similar items. For example, set cans of spray paint, rust inhibitors, primers and varnishes in one bin; put weed killers, plant food and bloom boosters in another. Label the boxes and put them on the shelves, setting containers you use often on lower and middle shelves and those you use less on upper shelves. Light items, such as gardening gloves and kneeling pads, can go into baskets you can take into the yard with you.
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Next, find a spot for large, clumsy items such as rakes, spades, shovels and hoes by creating a vertical storage space. You can purchase a tool tower for these items but since the goal is to avoid piling them up in a corner, you can save money by simply hanging them on the wall (you only need a few nails for each), on the back of the shed’s door or even on the outside of the shed.
Find a Home for Your Tools
This is a good time to make a permanent home for your garden tools. After a day of gardening, it’s easy to set the tools anywhere, making it hard to find those same tools the next time you need them. Instead, fill a large planter with sand mixed with a bit of motor oil. When you’re done gardening, wipe the gardening tools clean and stick them in the sand. Not only will they stay sharp and rust-free, but you’ll always know where they are.
Once you roll the lawnmower, wheelbarrow and other large items into the shed, you’ll have no choice but to make the most of whatever space remains...such as the ceiling. Sturdy hooks secured from ceiling beams are great for hanging garden hoses, watering cans and buckets. Similarly, make good use of wall space with a magnetic knife holder. Hung above a workbench, these little gems are ideal for holding light items such as pruning saws, screwdrivers and even paint brushes. Look for these magnetic strips the next time you’re at a secondhand store.
A little ingenuity can save big bucks when it comes to storage, so streamline your shed or garage today. You’ll be better prepared when the mercury rises and your green thumb starts itching to head out and hit the garden.
The 2020 Home & Garden Guide is sponsored by Weather Tight. You can read the entire guide here.
