When it comes to staying safe and healthy in the garden, correct storage of your garden equipment is crucial. Not only will storing your garden equipment properly ensure your safety but it can also make gardening more pleasurable, productive and cost-efficient.
Whether you have a large garden or just a small outdoor area, if you are a keen gardener, chances are you’ve built up a collection of tools and accessories to help you complete jobs around the garden. From spades and rakes to watering cans and bags of compost, the number of garden items you own can quickly build up. Leave it lying around and you’re asking for accidents to happen. Tripping over equipment or cutting yourself on a sharp tool is a real hazard and, with hard surfaces and garden dirt all around, an accident in the garden can often be more serious than one indoors.
In addition, if you leave garden equipment lying around, it’s likely to wear out or get lost more quickly. Having to replace tools that have gone rusty or constantly restocking seedlings that you’ve lost to weather damage can become expensive, so it’s important to store everything correctly. Here are our top tips for storing your garden equipment safely and effectively:
Invest in a shed
A well-designed shed is a must-have for all keen gardeners. Choose one with plenty of space for all the essentials and then add shelving and interior storage to tailor the shed to your own needs. Not only will the shed keep your tools and gardening essentials clean and dry but it will also help prevent theft.
Store seeds in a tin
Quite often, when sowing seeds, you’ll have more than you need. But store them properly and you may be able to use them again next season. It’s best to keep seeds in a metal tin to protect them from the elements and help deter pests and rodents from helping themselves. Just remember to check the shelf life if your seed packet includes a ‘best before’ date.
Add security to prevent theft
If you’re worried about garden break-ins, you might want to invest in additional security to keep your equipment away from potential thieves. As we saw above, a good shed is the first step but you can also invest in security lighting that will illuminate the garden at night if someone enters your space.
Deter pests and rodents
Keep pests and rodents away by always storing food products, animal feed and seeds carefully. Rats can access sheds through tiny holes, can climb shelves and will gnaw through plastic containers so store anything that might tempt them in metal containers.
Keep dangerous products away from animals and children
Check the labels of all gardening products as many can be harmful to humans if ingested or splashed on the skin. Keep gloves and facemasks alongside the products that need extra care while being used; and always store dangerous products out of the reach of pets and children.
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