Organising your garden tools in the garage is essential to keep them off the ground and out of sight.
While it may seem easier to toss yard tools (think your rake, a shovel, or a garden cultivator) into the garage or even onto the grass between uses, that can get pretty sloppy—and disrespectful to your equipment.
Yard and garden tools should be stored outdoors, where they are most likely to be needed, but be kept out of the way safely and neatly.
The good news is that a more brilliant yard tool or gardening tool storage won’t require buying a new piece of equipment to organise your other gear.
Many outdoor storage solutions involve items probably already hanging around at home or in the yard.
Organising tools is helpful in that it helps you keep a handle on what you have and where it is, so you don’t end up buying tools you don’t need.
Take good care of your tools, and they’ll continue to take good care of you and their purposes for years to come.
Sometimes, gardening tools are dropped where they were last used, not to be seen again for a long time.
Organising garden tools will give you a place to store them, making it easier to locate them while preventing rust or damage from harsh elements.
There are many ways to organise your garden tools, from purchased storage to DIY garden tool organisation projects. The following article contains some ideas about how to organise garden tools. Garage Storage Solutions has a range of easy-to-install storage options to help transform your garage from a dull storage room to an organised space that’s there to be utilised!
Why Organise Your Garden Tools?
Sometimes the errant tool is not found until the next season of gardening, by which time, having laid out in the snow and rain, the poor agency is looking pretty beat up.
Organising your garden tools will help you keep track of them and keep them in tip-top shape.
Plus, having a designated garden tool organisation area will keep you from tripping over tools that are stacked or leaning every which way.
Ways To Organise Garden Tools
There are so many ways to organise your garden tools. For example, you can purchase a potting bench with shelves and drawers or even make one yourself if you are handy.
There are plenty of options for organising garden tools from different types of wall-mounted hooks to corner tool keepers or, again, you can get your DIY on and create something to organise your garden tools out of repurposed or low-cost items.
The internet and hardware stores are filled with garden tool organising options, but if you feel creative or want to save some money, then a DIY project is for you.
You may not even have to be creative to create a DIY garden tool organisation area. Some things you have lying around the home make excellent storage options for garden tools.
For instance, if you have a spice holder complete with jars that you never use, try repurposing it for small items like nails, screws, twist ties, or seeds.
If you have a belt or pants hanger that isn’t used anymore, repurpose it along with some trim clips as a hanging area for open seed packets or to dry herbs and flowers on.
Storing Long Handled Garden Tools
Long-handled tools (like rakes and shovels) are the worst to organise, so we’ll start with those. Then, depending on your space, you have a couple of options.
A small standing rack would be perfect for your garage or shed if you have the floor space. However, if that’s too large, then get one that fits in a corner. You can also store long-handled gardening tools by hanging them on the wall.
Organising Garden Hand Tools
Though not as awkward as their long-handled counterparts, hand tools can also be tricky to keep nicely organised.
But the good news is that there are several options for storing them.
Repurposed Pocket Organiser
Do you have a hanging pocket organiser that’s just collecting dust? Use it for your hand tools or other small items.
Hang it over a door or on the wall, then fill the pockets. It’s incredible how much you can fit in there.
Storage Bins
If you would rather store them on a shelf, get some heavy-duty bins. You can either put it all into clear storage bins or use a piece of tape to mark what’s in each one, so you’d know where everything is at a glance.
Hanging Pegboard
Use a regular pegboard to hang your garden tools on the wall to organise them. You can get a complete kit, buy various pegs, or use pegboard cups to hold all of your small items and accessories.
But, because of their odd shapes and often bulky sizes, it can be hard to figure out how to organise garden tools and supplies.
If you’re tired of a messy garage or shed crammed full of disorganised garden equipment and supplies, then this is for you!
Storing Bags Of Soil & Fertiliser
Half used bags of gardening supplies, like fertiliser and potting soil, are always so awkward to store.
You can use buckets to keep them tidy rather than piling the open bags in a corner somewhere. Not only will they fit better on the shelf, but they are also stackable.
Buckets with tight-fitting lids will also prevent bug problems and keep any dust or odours contained. Plus, it’s easier to use them without spilling or making a mess.
Organising Garden Pots
Another significant space waster is empty pots and planters. Again, it’s nice to have extras on hand when you need them, but they can clutter up space.
To store extra pots and containers, first stack them as neatly as you can. Be sure to nest smaller sizes into the larger banks, making the stacks as short as possible. Then, put them on a shelf.
You can organise yours in storage crates because it’s easy to see what’s inside, and they sit nicely on the shelf.
Plus, you can put small pots and drip trays in the crates, too, without worrying about them crashing to the floor when things get shifted around.
Keeping Garden Gloves Tidy
Just like socks, garden gloves tend to disappear, leaving you with a bunch of mismatched oddballs.
But, it’s incredible how easy they are to keep track of when you get into the habit of storing them properly after use.
You can organise your gloves by rolling them in pairs, just like you would your socks. Then toss them into a stackable bin.
That way, they’re easy to find, and I never have to waste time digging for a matching pair.
Storing Power Equipment
Small power equipment (like leaf blowers, edgers, hedge trimmers, etc.) takes up a ton of space when strewn about on the floor. So, try hanging them instead.
Install a wire shelf, and then get some large S hooks to hang your garden power equipment.
The shelf gives us extra storage space on top, makes it easy to find what we need, and keeps the equipment out of the way when not in use.
Additional Garden Tool Organization Ideas
If you have an old recipe box, repurpose it for seed packets. Have a broken rake? Hang the rake handle from the wall of a garage or garden shed and then use the tines to hang other garden tools or dry flowers, herbs, and even onions.
Hang a bucket from the wall to hang your hose from; the inside of the bucket makes a handy place to store hose attachments.
Use a mailbox to store smaller garden utensils, cut the legs off an old pair of jeans, and then secure around a regular 5-gallon bucket. Voila, you have lots of pockets in which to store smaller garden gadgets, plus the inside of the bucket can be used when weeding or dividing plants.
Small garden tools can be stored in a shower caddy or old milk carrier. Use a bucket or pot filled with sand to store small garden tools.
This will keep them available, sharp, and rust-free.
Lastly, there are plenty of options to purchase out there when it comes to hanging larger garden utensils such as various shovels and rakes from the garage or garden shed.
That said, you can create your own with a bit of wood and some PVC pipe or dozens of other methods.
Repurpose An Old Mailbox
If you have an old-fashioned mailbox you are no longer using, this can be an effective place to store your gardening tools (or other tools), so they are accessible but also out of the way.
Create A Makeshift Tool Bucket
Most households have old paint cans or large buckets from plaster or other household products—those can also be used to store tools!
Those handy 5-gallon buckets even have a built-in lid, which helps protect any tools stored outdoors from weather elements that may cause them to rust or leave them muddied.
Build A Shed
The best part of an outdoor shed is that it protects everything inside from the elements, but it is still outside and an easily accessible mid-home improvement project.
Sheds are a great way to store all your yard and gardening tools in one place. While some heavy or sharp tools can be dangerous elsewhere by posing a risk of falling onto equipment (or pets or people!), they are safely out of the way and enclosed in a shed.
Utilise A Wood Pallet
An old wood pallet can be used for many organisational purposes, but one straightforward use is gardening or yard tool storage.
The tools will stay enclosed and contained in one organised position, keeping everyone who passes by safe from items falling, but they’re still easy to grab when needed.
Perhaps best of all, this yard tool storage idea requires minimal pallet refinishing, painting, or prep, so setting up your storage is easy.
Hang Some Hooks
Hooks have endless possibilities for storage and organisation.
Whether you’re hanging tools or even a hose, a hook can be attached to any surface that has space—from fences to the house’s exterior walls to the garage.
Hooks are easy to find in most hardware stores and can be used to keep everything from hoses to cables to gardening tools out of the way and off the ground. Garage Storage Solutions features an innovative wall storage system with heavy-duty sliding wall components such as hooks, garage shelving and stylish, durable steel cabinets designed to hold your gear securely and neatly in place.
Build Racks Into The Fence
Tool racks are an excellent way to keep those rakes and shovels safe, secure, and off the ground, where someone can easily trip over them and hurt themselves.
These racks are slim, take up minimal space, and can hold tons of tools.
Even if you lack a garage, shed, or other structure, you can try a handy tool rack on a fence or the back of the house.
Create A Pegboard
A pegboard can hold and carry everything from gardening shears to a yard rake, and it’s so versatile, too—it can be customised to suit whatever storage or organisational need you have.
A pegboard is ideal for hanging extensive tools vertically but is also excellent for smaller devices and accessories.
Grab That Scrap Wood
Scrap wood is just hanging around the garage or the attic, taking up space. So perfect use for it is to build a shelf and turn some of that vertical space into storage.
(This storage idea is so helpful, it may even be worth picking up new building supplies to corral your cluttered garage.)
This works for heftier equipment, like the lawnmower or snowblower. You may not need the tool until next season, but it’ll be there waiting when the time comes.
Get A Garden Storage Bench
When space is at a premium, the best option is always to find items that can do several jobs at once.
A garden storage bench can store small tools right in the bench’s seat, and the centre offers a place to rest or even put small potted plants or other items.
Pvc Tool Holder
Build this rack to store your tools on the wall. Use a jigsaw to cut a 1-1/4-in.-wide notch the length of a 2-in.-diameter PVC pipe. Cut several 3-1/2-in.-long, 1/8-in.-wide holes behind the notch. Use 1-1/4-in. Drywall screws to attach these pieces to a 2×4 screwed to the wall.
Save Your Lawn Products
Leave a bag of fertiliser or weed killer open for long, and it’ll soak up moisture from the air and won’t go through a spreader. Even grass seed could use an extra layer of protection from a moisture-wicking concrete floor. The place opened bags of lawn products in large resealable plastic bags. The products will be free of clumps or pests when you need them.
Garage Storage
Cardboard concrete-forming tubes are inexpensive ($10 at any home centre) and provide a great place to store baseball bats, long-handled tools and rolls of just about anything. First, rest the tubes on a piece of 2×4 to keep them high and dry. Then, secure each box to a garage stud with a plumbing strap.
Garden Gear Caddy
An old golf bag, especially one on a cart, is perfect for storing and hauling garden tools. Get them all to the garden in one trip and park them in the caddy shack when you’re done. Fore!
Simple Spiral Hose Storage
Here’s a handy tip for storing your spiral hoses, so they don’t end up tangled. Just wrap them around the handle of a rake or shovel. The long-handled tool does double duty!
Storage Hooks
Get ladders, tree pruners, kids’ bikes and other unwieldy items off your garage floor with these inexpensive PVC hooks. For heavy items, you could make the hook out of a steel pipe.
Yard Tool Organiser
Create a simple long-handled tool hanger out of two 1x4s. On the first one, drill a series of 2-in. holes along the edge of the board.
The trick is to centre each hole about 1 in. from the edge. That leaves a 1-1/2-in—slot in the front that you can slip the handles through.
Space the holes to accommodate whatever it is you’re hanging. Then, screw that board to another 1×4 for the back and add 45-degree brackets to keep it from sagging.
If you wish, pound nails into the vertical board to hang even more stuff. Then, you are no more tripping over the shovels to get to the rakes!
Tips For Keeping Your Garden Tools Organised
Taking the time to organise your garden tools is one thing. But keeping them that way? Well, that’s a whole different story.
Take the time to organise your garden tools and equipment in the fall before storing them for winter.
That way, everything will look clean and be right where it belongs come spring when the busy growing season starts.
It’s best to have a designated space for storing garden equipment and supplies. That way, they don’t get lost in the clutter of everything else in your shed or garage.
Keep everything in a place that is on your way to and from the garden. That way, you’ll be more likely to put them away when you’re done.
If you live in a cold climate, you may find it easier to store garden tools in an attic or other out-of-the-way spot during the winter.
Or better yet, swap them out for your winter equipment to keep a cleaner look. Can I find garage storage cabinets to match my style? Absolutely! Even the cabinets in the garage should reflect your unique tastes and style. Garage Storage Solutions offers stylish storage in a variety of materials and finishes.