Gardening is a fairly accessible pastime. You don’t need much to get started: a container or three, some potting soil, and a few plants or seeds you want to grow. That having been said gardening is one of those hobbies that tends to expand, and good gardening tools can make the experience even more enjoyable and convenient. And all of that garden gear has to go somewhere, which is why so many of us love our garden sheds. These spaces can fill a variety of roles beyond just storing garden stuff, and there are a few tips and tricks we can offer to get the most out of your garden storage space. So let’s dig in and learn all about garden sheds!
What’s In Your Shed?
The first and most important piece of advice we have about garden sheds is one that we don’t always follow: keep it organized! Sheds tend to be enclosed space, and it’s very easy for “stuff” to just pile up “out of sight, out of mind”. Again, we’re guilty of this: by the end of the summer the shed at our Gardzen Test Garden is a bit of a mess. What’s helpful for us is setting a seasonal cleaning schedule—we tidy up at the beginning and end of each gardening season to keep things reasonable.
It’s also helpful to have good storage options. Hanging racks or hooks for garden tools keep important garden items from piling up in corners, drawers, or shelves. By keeping things visible, you can both stay organized and make it easy to find the tool or supply you need when you need it. This saves both your time and your sanity when things are busy in spring and summer!
(A quick note: those of you with smaller storage spaces can still benefit from hanging storage. Maybe you don’t have a whole shed for your garden, but a small piece of pegboard in a closet or even inside of a storage container can make things a lot easier by pre-staging your most used tools. Gardens come in all shapes and sizes and so do storage solutions.)
Potting Shed and Potting Tables
You’ve probably heard the term “potting shed” at some point. These useful spaces are not just for storage, but they contain benches and work surfaces that can be used to plant seeds, re-pot larger plants, and do other garden tasks, hence the name. These are useful spaces, but most of us don’t have the room or resources for a dedicated potting shed. There’s good news, however—it’s pretty easy to create a work surface inside your garden storage space.
This can be as simple as putting a small folding table in your storage space so that you can set it up as a work surface when needed. Make sure you have a stable, sturdy table; there’s not much more upsetting than a wobbly table leg spilling the tray of seeds you just worked so hard to start! If you have a bit more room, a dedicated shelf mounted low enough to serve as a counter-top is another option. For those of us who are a bit more handy—or know someone who is—you could even mount it on folding brackets to save space when not in use.
Maybe all you have is a large storage tote for your garden supplies, but that’s OK! The top of that tote or container can serve as a work space, too. In some cases it might help to add a stury piece of plywood or sheet plastic to keep things steady, but it’s enough room to do basic task and make cleanup a bit easier. Again, we can find ways to scale gardening ideas and solutions to meet our needs, no matter the size or type of garden space in question.
The Right Garden Shed for You
No matter what size garden shed or storage space you use, it does need to be sturdy and safe. If your shed is a separate building, make sure that it’s in good condition and meets all local codes and ordinances. If it’s just a smaller space or storage solution, make sure that it’s weather-proof and rugged enough for regular use. Gardening tends to involve getting wet and dirty, and your storage solution must be able to handle it. It should also be secure enough to keep bugs and rodents from taking up residence. Trust us, these critters LOVE to inhabit a garden shed or other outbuilding.
In the end, your garden shed or garden storage solution is your own. Just like your garden space, you can choose the options that’s right for you and set it up in whatever way works best. The tips and advice we offer here are mostly just ideas and suggestions to get you started. We’d love to see what you come up with so please feel free to share photos with us either in the comments or via email. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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