There are many posts extolling the virtues of organising your garden tools but they predominantly focus around a central storage point – the garden shed. And they usually discuss storage containers like these that hold all your garden tools in the one location.
For the OCD’s of this world, this makes perfect sense. Every tool has its place and if one is missing you can easily recognise its absence. But, is this the preferred way to work in your garden?
My garden is not huge by anybody’s standards but I detest having to traipse to and from the garden shed when I need, or forgot to grab, one of my gardening tools. In many cases my laziness dictates whether I will use a tool readily on hand as an alternative or trot off to the shed to get the one I need.
So, I’ve started organising my tools a little more strategically. Rather than return and collect them from the shed I now leave them in situ where they are most likely to be utilised For example;
- The Compost Heap – previously I would lug my garden shredder from the shed to the compost piles and back. The distance is less than 40m(130ft) but the journey contains navigating a set of steps, uneven lawn and maneouvering between two trees. So, I leave it where it is and cover it up to protect it against the elements.
The same goes for the garden fork which sports a plastic handle and fibreglass shaft and a cheap old spade. Even my compost screen now resides in the same spot. - The Home Study – my gardening practise usually sees me blogging early in the mornings and then, on weekends and holidays, I head outside to enjoy the garden. As I’m trying to avoid the garden shed I leave my secateurs and gardening gloves in my office. I know where they are whenever I need them and it’s a very convenient location based on how I operate.
- The Deciduous Trees – are mainly found in the one spot so what better place to store the leaf rake (it only cost $8 anyway) than leaning up against them. The wheelbarrow< is normally resting against the fence so both are very accessible for the tasks that require them and in the location where they’re most needed.
- Propagation Area – while this gardening zone isn’t in full swing at the moment it still does have some of my garden tools close at hand. Spare pots are kept in a storage drum to the left and I have a garden trowel, scissors and labels hanging from the wall.
As you can see, many of the tools that I use in my garden are best kept where they’re used rather than cluttering the shed. We often use our sheds to store these tools without giving much thought to how we operate within the garden. And while some garden tools need a weather-proof storage option, many can survive the climatic extremes provided we keep them covered if stored in situ.
Are you the same with storing your tools, or do they all head back to the shed after use?
