Garden tools are essential to any garden, and taking proper care of them can be challenging but equally important. In addition to cleaning and routine maintenance, choosing an appropriate storage space is crucial to extending your garden tools’ lives. So even if you don’t have a roofed garage, there are still several places where you can store garden tools.
You can store your garden tools in a potting shed, your home’s storage cabinet, a broom box, or a makeshift toolbox disguised as a bench on your balcony. Whatever storage area you choose, remember that it has to be safe from moisture and intense sunlight to protect your tools from rust.
In the rest of the article, we’ll discuss these storage spaces in more detail. I will also share how to modify them to make them more suitable for your garden tools. Read on to learn more!
1. Potting Shed
Potting sheds are the best spots to store your garden tools because you can quickly reach them whenever you need them. Your tools are also safe from moisture and direct sunlight, which can lead to rust.
The only downside is that if you have large tools, they can take up much space that should otherwise be intended for more plants you want to keep in the potting shed.
So if you want to keep your garden tools in a potting shed, you may refer to the following tips below:
- Drive nails or hooks along the wall to hang various tools and keep them organized.
- Keep your garden tools in only one area of the potting shed for accessibility and to avoid accidents.
- Choose a storage space away from the door or windows to prevent sunlight and rain from reaching your tools.
2. Storage Shed
Some houses have storage sheds for broken appliances, garden tools, woodworking tools, or random house clutter. If you have such a space, you can use it to store your garden tools.
However, depending on the design of your storage shed, you may need to make modifications to make it suitable for garden tools. Choose a dark and slightly elevated part of your shed to place your garden tools. You can also apply the tips for potting sheds to your storage shed.
3. Storage Cabinet
If you have spare storage cabinets in your house, they can make a safe space for your garden tools. Although it’s generally recommended to clean your garden tools before storage, be sure to assign a separate cabinet for them to prevent risks of contaminating other household items.
If you’re using sand and oil to clean and store your gardening tools, be sure that there’s enough space for them in the storage cabinet.
Moreover, your storage cabinet should have a door bolt to secure the tools inside and prevent them from accidentally falling out.
4. Broom Box
Broom boxes are also good alternatives to garages as a storage space for your garden tools. They’re usually long enough to accommodate your long-handled tools like shovels, spades, and weeding hoes.
However, you must take extra precautions when storing your garden tools with other household cleaning items like brooms and mops. They may contain harmful microbes that can contaminate your tools and, eventually, your plants.
The best solution is to have a separate box for your garden tools. If it’s made from waterproof and leakproof materials, you can even keep the box outdoors to make it more convenient to access your garden tools.
5. Balcony Bench With Storage
More people are now searching for minimalist and multi-purpose home furniture that offers multiple functions while saving space. One such example is a bench with secret storage. If you have one, you can use it as a suitable storage place for your garden tools.
Outdoor benches can be conveniently placed on your balcony or patio, providing accessibility to your tools whenever you need them. Most are also made with weatherproof materials that can protect your tools from the elements all year round.
Choose or build a bench that is long enough to accommodate the length of standard garden tools. Building a bench can be challenging, but if you have the tools and skills to do so, it’s the better option, as you can customize the dimensions of the storage space.
If you want to purchase one, I recommend the Keter Solana Storage Bench (available on Amazon.com). The product is 54.6 inches (128.7 cm) long, making it suitable for most long-handled garden tools. Although it resembles a wooden bench, it’s actually made with weather-resistant materials, ideal for keeping your tool safe from the rain.
6. Basement
Your basement is the least ideal space to store your garden tools during the spring or growing season because it can be difficult to carry them in and out. However, your basement can be the best storage place when you don’t have to do much gardening during winter.
Basements are usually the least busy areas in the house, making them safe storage spaces for garden tools, which can be sharp and dangerous. It’s also especially true when you have children at home who might accidentally open cabinets or boxes and risk getting injured.
When storing your garden tools in the basement, it’s best to keep them together in a box or a single area. This is to avoid potential injuries in case any family member enters the room. It also helps make it easier to find your tools when you need them.
7. Kitchen Drawers and Cabinets
If you have empty drawers in your kitchen, they’d also make an excellent place to store your small, handy garden tools like pruning shears and weeding knives. The space is secure enough to prevent access to curious pets and kids and safe enough from moisture.
On the other hand, larger tools like shovels and weeding hoes can go inside the larger cabinets. Choose the drawers and cabinets farthest from the kitchen sink to avoid the risks of water leaking into the storage space.
Ensure that your garden tools are separated from your regular kitchenware to prevent contamination. You can label the drawers or attach a color-coded marking to remember which drawers or cabinets contain which tools.
8. Small Nooks Behind the Stairs
If you have unused nooks behind your stairs, you can convert them into a snug storage space for your garden tools or other things that need to be safely tucked away until they’re needed. The space is often ignored, making it a convenient storage area for garden tools or clutter.
Be sure to organize the storage space to ensure easy access to the tools when necessary without having to empty the whole room just to look for your spade. It also helps to install hooks or nails on the wall to hang your tools.
Alternatively, you can assign a separate compartment for garden tools to keep them isolated from random house clutter.
Install a door with a bolt to keep the area closed and your family safe. It can also preserve the aesthetic of your home by keeping the contents out of plain sight.
9. Outdoor Storage Cabinet
If you don’t have enough space at home, you can use an outdoor storage box or cabinet that you can conveniently move around in your garden. There are many lightweight and weatherproof products available in the market.
Alternatively, you can build your own to customize the size and compartments. However, be sure to choose rustproof and rotproof materials.
Remember that your storage cabinet must be in a slightly elevated area in your garden to protect it from flooding or runoff in case there is a puncture or crack at the bottom of the container.
10. North-Facing Wall
If you don’t have any of the options mentioned above, you can store your garden tools against or directly on the north-facing wall of your house. In the US and regions in the northern hemisphere, such a wall receives the least amount of sunlight during the day.
In that case, you can place hooks along the wall to hang your garden tools. Ensure the roof’s eaves are wide enough to shield your garden tools from the rain. Otherwise, you must move them to a safer space during the rainy season.
