I hope you enjoyed my last post about winter landscaping ideas. It’s getting much colder now in the UK and my garden is just about shut down for the winter. There are a few more jobs to consider before shutting down completely.

If you live in a mild climate, you may only need to do some cleaning and sharpening tools, making sure all your plants have adequate drainage, spent flowers are pruned, etc. If you live in a colder area, you will have a bit more work to do. Purchasing or building a storage shed may also be helpful, especially if your garage is as crowed as mine!

Tools

Before storing your tools for the winter:

• Give them a good clean. Soaking in warm, soapy water first will help.
• Dry thoroughly.
• Sand wooden handles lightly if needed.
• Sharpen blades. A whetstone can help provide a clean, sharp edge.
• Rub them down with oil, such as linseed, so that in the spring you will find your tools it the ship-shape condition you left them.

Other winterizing chores include:

Drain garden hoses, check for leaks and allow them to dry completely. Repair as necessary with a rubber repair kit.

If you use fertilizer, herbicides or pesticides, clean the applicators. Allow these to dry completely before storing. Collect unused and partially used containers and seal. As always store in a locked cabinet out of the reach of children and pets.

Fuel powered tools such as tillers and lawn mowers that won’t be used for the winter should be drained of fuel. Engines should also be cleaned. You may wish to take professional support for this task.

Sharpen blades on mowers and tillers.

Shut down or drain your irrigation system, if you have one.

Giving your Tools a Room of their Own

A tool shed is a handy place to store large tools, like the mower and tiller, as well as pruning shears, trowels, shovels, hoes, rakes and all the other tools you may have accumulated. If you don’t have a tool shed yet and your garage is running out of room for what it’s meant to store – your vehicles, then this may be the perfect time to get a shed.

Garden sheds can be found, in varying degrees of assembly from semi-assembled to turnkey and come in a variety of materials. Many building supply stores carry them. Prefab sheds can be easily set up in an afternoon. You can even order one online and have it delivered. Make sure that your tools are secured by adding a solid lock. If you’re rather build your shed from scratch, a search online will bring up sites with building plans, many for free.