One of my favourite TV shows airs on Sunday mornings called Inventions form the Shed. It showcases some of Australia’s ingenious backyard inventors who aspire to create that one invention capable of turning their fortunes around and making the world a better place.
Well, it seems that gardeners are no slouches either when it comes to inventing ‘stuff’ – stuff that might save you money, make a gardening task seem more enjoyable, or turn unwanted resources into a masterpiece.
The level of genius required is not mensa-like but it does seem that these individuals have the ability to see outside the box.
- How To Make An “Aerogarden” Counter Top Garden For Under $10
Hanna pulls a gardening ‘MacGyver’ using a large coffee can, margarine tub, LED night lights, a roll of duct tape and a couple of batteries to create a cheap, but basic, counter-top herb garden. - How to Make a Planting Square to Uniformly Space Your Seeds
Do you ever wonder how you are supposed to uniformly space your seeds so many inches apart, as described in the planting instructions? - Build yourself a Self-Watering Container [Blog since removed]
Looking for a cheap way to make a self-watering plant container? This solution uses a couple of 5 gallon drums and a length of poly-pipe. - How to string onions[Blog since removed]
Got bucketloads of onions that you didn’t know how to store properly. Here’s a quick tutorial to get them looking neat and stored out of the way. - How to make a Mosaic
Being a creative genius in the garden can sometimes be limited by your artistic flair. Here Melanie shows you how to be an artist in your garden without studying Picasso. - How to build a Propagation Station
The ultimate cold-frame for those on a budget. This invention will help you propagate your cuttings throughout the winter ready for spring planting. - How to make Seed-balls
If you’re a budding Guerilla Gardener then this tutorial making seed bombs is for you. Compact, full of seeds and ready to throw in a drive-by gardening hit you will see your roadside verge come to life a few weeks later. - How to make a Pond Bio-filter
If you’re wanting to replace your submersible pump for a bio-filter, here’s a cheap way to make your own. - How to Build an Inexpensive Hoop-Style Greenhouse
Building your own greenhouse never got easier, or cheaper. This hoop-style alternative utilises pvc pipe to create the frame and structure of the building. - Making a Garden Wheelbarrow
If you have ever wanted to make one of those cute flower wheelbarrows that look incredibly quaint in cottage gardens, Tina’s hubby has all the answers.
So, while the garden shed is primarily a place to propagate and store gardening tools, many gardeners are now using it to invent wonderful tools for us all.