Garden shed clearing - out with the old, in with the new.

Every gardener knows that the garden shed is worth it's weight in crops as long as it is kept tidy and ordered. There is nothing worse than not being able to find your trowel, spend 15 minutes digging around for the hormone rooting powder or stumbling over the mound of unwashed plastic pots that litter the floor. Unfortunately we are as guilty as many for not keeping this precious work space as pristine as it could be. The potting table on the side of the shed was deteriorating fast and the whole shed beckoned for a little tender loving care.

The garden shed was one of the first things we built when we bought La Pasera as it was a key component in our plan to grow as much as our own fruit, vegetables and salad crops as possible. We have treated it well structurally with regular coats of water repellent stain and regular tightening of battens that protect it from the strong Costa Verde winds. It is sealed around the base regularly and the roof felt is good quality which when put all together, helps us to keep it water tight and in sound condition. However, this past two years we have been a bit neglectful and it was not long before we noticed that the wood was beginning to suffer in places and the seals were letting in small amounts of water, so time to spring into action and get it sorted.

We completely emptied it, washed the pots, threw the rubbish, sorted out lots that could be recycled, cleaned all the tools, swept it for cobwebs, painted it on the inside, repaired a couple of pieces near the base that were beginning to rot, painted it outside, re-sealed it and put everything back it. Suddenly it's enormous!

Re-painted and re-sealed

Waste not want not...

Never one to throw re-usable things away (hence the clutter in the first place), today Luis' brother Oscar, who is visiting from El Salvador, and I used the wood we cleared out to build two new planters. With a bit more sanding and a couple of treatments of preservative they will make a great addition to the garden for spring bulbs.

Clearing out and tidying the shed makes you realise how important it is to keep up with those jobs that you think will wait another season. As the seasons come and go, it is easy to let standards slip but keeping up with these sorts of chores really does make life easier in the long run.