How to Effectively Organize Your Garden Supplies
Garage storage solutions aren’t just for tools and sports equipment, they’re also for your garden supplies. You probably don’t think much about them from October through the last bits of winter, but now that spring has officially arrived, it’s time to clean up your gardening act. Give your tools, bags of peat moss, clay pots and everything else a tidy spot that’s handy.
Here are a few organizational tips to get you started.
1. Keep an eye on what is missing from the tool wall.
2. Make twine easy to use between cupboards
3. Keep garden metal tools rust free
4. Raise everything off of the floor
1. Keep an Eye on What’s Missing From the Tool Wall
A tool wall lets you hang garden tools so they don’t use unnecessary shelf space. It’s a smart way to organize, and Martha Stewart says you can take it up a notch by outlining each tool using a marker or carpenter’s pencil. When someone borrows a garden trowel or extension cord and forgets to put it back, the outline on the wall shows what’s missing.
A tool wall might be traditional pegboard, polished aluminum pegboard, or molded plastic. It’s an old-fashioned method for storing small items such as rose pruners, and bigger ones such as baskets that hold seed packets and your garden gloves. Sometimes old-fashioned is a great thing.
2. Make Twine Easy to Use Inside Cupboards
Who hasn’t rummaged through a drawer to find a ball of garden twine or lawn trimmer line tangled up in a mess? There’s hardly a way to prevent this from happening unless you keep them from rolling around in the first place. Thread a tension rod through the center of twine and monofilament spools and mount the rod inside a cupboard, and you get a two-for-one organization deal. The rod keeps spools in one easy-to-find spot, and it also acts as a handy dispenser.
Cupboards are a garden supply godsend. With the fully customizable components from the Closet Works, you can create a cupboard system with tall cabinets, short ones, drawers and even a combination work/potting bench. Add door and drawer locks to keep all of your equipment safe.
3. Keep Metal Garden Tools Rust-Free
Rust happens, no matter how careful you are with your garden tools. Maybe you scratch through the protective coating on a shovel, maybe the garage stays humid and damp, or maybe you forget to clean up tools and leave mud to work its corrosive magic. Whatever the reason for the problem, plain charcoal is the answer. This is another Martha Stewart idea. Put the charcoal into cotton bags to minimize dust, and tuck them inside wherever you store metal tools to help control moisture.
4. Raise Everything Off The Floor
Floor space is precious in a garage. The more you can spare, the better your chances of fitting your car inside — along with the mower and everything else. One way to maximize floor space is by taking advantage of wall space. Wall-mount components such as track systems with hooks make storing long-handle tools easier. They’re also perfect for hanging up your sun hat and gloves.
Another benefit of keeping the floor clear is easier cleanup. In this busy season, freshly mowed grass and garden dirt get tracked in. With no garden supplies on the floor, you can sweep and hose out the garage without moving shovels, rakes or anything else.
Garden season is brimming with activity, from mowing and planting to pruning and fertilizing. One thing that it doesn’t have to be is rife with the stress of lost or damaged tools and supplies. With a great organization system, you’ll know where everything is at a glance.
Garage storage solutions also work in the garden shed, if you’re fortunate enough to have one. That’s because our designers measure each space precisely and work with you to design storage that fits. The same cupboards, wall organization and potting bench that you could have in a garage work just as well elsewhere. Schedule a free in-home design consultation the Closet Works and learn more about smart, attractive and functional storage for all of your garden supplies — no matter where you keep them.
