Both inspiration and desperation tend to hit us hard. And for some of us, that means a trip to the backyard shed. I am a victim of both. When hit by a sudden jolt of inspiration, I can lose myself for days covered in sawdust, swinging a giant knife, looking scraggy, and feasting on leftover meat and salad. At other times, you may find me more acceptable nurturing my garden and tending my orchids, stroking the Lilies, and whispering to the roses.
Doing or creating something with your hands, whether gardening or doing DIY is liberating. Many tend to advocate these as two of the healthiest hobbies for success. Gardening is calming and can greatly help reduce stress and anxiety. Whereas DIY turns boys into men.
Both gardening and DIY usually share a common home - the backyard shed or the toolshed. For many, it's just a storage shed to shove away the lawnmower or shelve some tactical fixed blade knives. But let's see how to turn your backyard shed into a workhorse workshop with the right equipment.
Essential Gardening Tools For Your Backyard Shed
Whether tending to your garden, trying to fix a leaky pipe, or making a coffee table, you're going to need the right tools. You don't have to break the bank unless you're thinking of going pro with power tools. But you're still going to need to invest a bit to get the essential tools.
Shovel
Arguably the handiest and most popular tool in the shed. They come in all shapes and sizes. The one you pick depends on your size and the job. Choose a sturdy one that's not too heavy. Round-point shovels are good for digging jobs whereas you want a flathead one for moving.Fixed Blade Gardening Knife
As with most things in life, a knife will often come to the rescue, especially when you're trimming, pruning, and cutting off branches. Most gardeners have an arsenal of knives from small pocket knives and switchblades to full-blown fixed blade knives.Rakes
You'll find two types of rakes - the garden rake for grooming and the leaf rake. The more popular leaf rake does what it says on the tin - rakes leaves. This is a must-have.Hand Trowel
A hand trowel is the handiest gardening tool in my opinion. You can get a simple one for a few bucks on Amazon or spend a bit more and pair it up with a hand rake. Either way, you'll be using this the most when working in your garden.Hand Pruners
Even at the most basic level, you'll need a pair of hand pruners. There are many types and makes. The saying 'you get what you pay for' stands true for these babies. For most of our readers, a bypass pruner (with blades like scissors) is preferred over an anvil-type pruner.Carts & Wheelbarrow
Many cheap out on these but don't. You'll save a lot of sweat and time with a good-quality wheelbarrow. Stay clear of the cheap plastic ones or ones with wood handles as they will break. Remember large tires cruise better and smoother. Also, it's best to get a cart with puncture-proof tires.This is pretty much what you need to get started in your garden. Make sure these are stored in your backyard shed. Next week, we continue from here and talk about the badass big boys - DIY tools. So don't miss out, stay tuned.
