Get Clutter Free in 30-Days
With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day. It's NEVER to late to start! How are you feeling? Getting organized can be a BIG job but so satisfying.
Day Twenty Four: Gardening Bliss
Are you an avid gardener? Well, I am so envious. My mother had a ‘green thumb’; actually, I think she had a green arm! The African Violet (above) was one of her all time favorites. She was the most accomplished gardener – our home resembled a magazine photo shoot with all the beautiful colors and variations of botanicals. Me, on the other hand… well, let’s just say that when I walk in a store – the silk plants shiver in fear that I might take them home to ‘kill’ them!
But… if you ARE a gardener (whether it be a small flower garden or a full blown manicured lawn), you are quite aware that just like your kitchen and your office are a happier place when they're organized, so is your garden workspace. This area needs to be clutter-free; clean with pristine material and at the ready when you can steal away a few moments of escape. If you need a little help with organizing your Garden Workshop or if you don’t have an area already set up for gardening and at a loss as to where to start, here’s a plan to follow to create the Perfect Gardening Center for your home – and all of this can be done in one leisurely afternoon. (It's time to start thinking about Spring!)
Doesn't this look like the perfect little spot to steal away for a while? A Garden Spot
Materials you will need:
• Pegboard
• Spray paint
• Various hooks for pegboard
• Acoustic ceiling tiles
• Roll of Burlap
• Scissors
Take two sheets of pegboard, cover them with graphite-colored spray paint, and add hooks. For added room, make a bulletin board with a sheet of acoustic ceiling tile covered in burlap.
Clean Clay Pots
Materials you will need:
Materials you will need:
• White vinegar
• Rubbing alcohol
• Spray bottle
• Stiff wire brush
• Large bucket or wheelbarrow
• Household bleach
• 1/4-, 1/2-, 1-inch wooden dowels
• 1-inch wood screws
Disinfect and store clay pots. First, combine equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water in a spray bottle. Apply the mixture to pots, and scrub with a wire brush to remove salt deposits (white rings).
Next, stack pots in a bucket or wheelbarrow, adding 1 cup bleach per gallon of water; soak overnight. Use the wire brush to scrub off remaining dirt. Let pots dry completely. Line the inside of each pot with burlap, and stack. (You can snip holes in the burlap and store on wooden dowels screwed to a board.)
Gardening Tools
Materials you will need:
• Toolbox or 5-gallon paint bucket
• Bag of play sand
• Bottle of motor oil
Keep hand tools ready. Other than your trusty pruners, no garden goods get more of a workout than your hand tools. First, give them a thorough cleaning, removing all the build-up crud over the past few months. Dry well. (Yes, you should go through these steps after every use, but don't beat yourself up over it -- we're all guilty.)
In a covered container (a toolbox or a 5-gallon paint bucket), mix a bag of play sand with one bottle of any motor oil, and then plunge in cleaned tools. Stored out of the elements in this gritty, lubricated mix, your tools should stay rust free until spring.
Care for Gardening Tools
Materials you will need:
• Sandpaper
• Metal File
• Rag
• Linseed oil
Treat the wooden handles of your tools with TLC. Dab a rag with rich, penetrating linseed oil, which helps keep wood from drying out and breaking. Rub until all wood is covered
Sharpen Gardening Tools
Clean and sharpen garden tools. Your shovels, spades, forks, and hoes take a beating and need extra care to get them ready for use next spring. A stiff wire brush should remove the worst of the dirt, but keep a piece of sandpaper handy for the really tough stuff. Next, draw a file down the end of the tool until a clean shiny edge is exposed–do not saw up and down. via
There you have it – and what a treat for any gardener (even a wannabe like me!)
Your Assignment for Day Twenty Four:
Consider all of the above tips that can be applied to your gardening workshop, and get started organizing
