No, I am not a gardener. Whew, it just feels good to
say that. Here in the Northern Hemisphere it is time to plant gardens
and mow the lawns. We wait until after Mother's Day which was on May
11th this year to plant tomatoes and other warm loving veggies. Any
earlier than this and they can get frozen. But this year the day after
Mother's Day it was almost freezing at 36 F.
It takes the guilt
away for me to say I am not a gardener. Don't get me wrong, I have done
my share. I love the taste of veggies fresh from the garden. When our
five girls were at home I would wake them up on Saturday morning before
the sun was up (what was I thinking) so they could help weed the garden
because I thought that would teach them how to work. Let's be honest
here, it would have been easier to just have done it ourselves but we
wanted them to have the experience. They all grew up with a fantastic
work ethic, but none of them have gardens.
Organizing gardening
tools can make gardening more enjoyable. Anytime you have to hunt for
the tools, or other things it takes some of the fun out of it. Make a
place in your garage or shed just for your gardening tools. Some people
refer to zones in the garage and one of these zones would be for the
gardening gear. Justin Cave, host of HGTV's "Ground Breakers" said,
"When it comes to gardening, we seem to be unorganized, myself
included. Getting organized makes you feel better and makes you want to
garden." Personally I am not so sure it makes me want to garden, but
the same concepts that apply to inside my home applies to outside my
home. Organization just makes me feel better about my home and about
myself.
Prioritize your needs and take the time to declutter. Get
rid of those tools that have cracked handles or you avoid using because
you aren't comfortable with. The saying 'you get what you pay for' is
true. The cheap tool may look good at the store but the cheap ones
generally are the ones that break the quickest and the easiest. It pays
to pay for quality.
Susan Appleget Hurst, Better Homes &
Gardens senior associate garden editor, recommends three essential
tools. A leaf rake, spade and garden fork. She also recommends brightly
colored handles that are easy to spot in the yard. Have you noticed how
many handles are either green or brown? Maybe we could spray another
color on the handle.
Hang tools on garage walls to save space and
avoid accidentally driving over those that may have been leaned against
the wall and have fallen. When hung they are easy to find and it looks
organized. Hurst recommends a five-gallon bucket with a liner for
tools. (She uses the Bucket Boss). The tools fit around the outside of
the bucket and lawn clippings or weeds go in the bucket.
Hoses
fit nicely on a hose reel. There are many different kinds of holders
for the garden hose and when not in use they look better rolled up
rather than lying out on the lawn. And they are better protected from
the blaring hot sun.
If you have a container in the garage with
drawers' smaller tools can be stored there. Label the drawer so you
will know where to put the tool back after use to help you stay
organized. Also keep the tools sharpened and clean. Wipe off dirt or
mud with a cloth and at the end of the season wipe the metal tools with
linseed oil. Even if you don't like to garden, when your tools are
organized it will look like you do. Then you can always find them to
loan to your neighbor
Marilyn
is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She
is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and
is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer.
Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for two years.
She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five
daughters and currently lives in Utah.