May Newsletter Article....Garden Supplies Organized

It's time to get out the gardening supplies again. Did you take the time last fall put them away in an orderly fashion? Does your gardening storage space need a tune-up? Just follow my easy five-step STUFF System™ to help you get it all organized and ready to go for the season.

Sort
Give yourself lots of working space to sort like items together; use you garage floor, driveway, or yard. This first step gives you a good idea of what you actually have. Be sure to check the forecast for rain if you are doing this outside.

Take Out
Next, take out, recycle, throw, or give away anything that is broken, you don't use, or just don't need. Maybe you have extra flower pots that a friend could use. Do you really need six rakes? Keep only what you need and use.

Utilize Your Space and a System
Now that you know what you will be keeping, you need to figure out how to best organize your space. Do you need shelves? Can you hang up some of the lawn tools? Keep like items together or near each other.

Fill Containers
Use boxes, buckets or baskets to contain like items. For example, I like to keep my hand tools, gloves and kneeling pad in bucket with a handle. When I work in the yard, I take my bucket with me wherever I go. Everything I need is right there.

Follow-up
When you are finished working, return your tools and supplies to their home. This will help keep them nice and you'll know exactly where to look for them the next time you need them.