TOOL CHECK

I’m looking to buy a garden shed. I have been pricing them up recently and think that it would be a good idea to invest in one. The main reason is that it can house all the tools that I have that are lying around in my new garden.

I moved house over the past couple of weeks and I no longer have the luxury of a 30-foot polythene tunnel to dump everything in. The vegetable patch that I have worked hard to create is having to fend for itself as well. My new garden is the size of an average living room and as I speak is under three inches of water. The garden has very little grass, absolutely no topsoil and gets about two minutes worth of sunshine first thing in the morning as the sun comes up. It is a true challenge and I am looking forward to doing something with it - at the moment I favour concrete slabs!

TOOL CHECK
Now that the autumn is moving into winter, it is the time to give the garden tools the once over. Firstly, check your stock. Count up your tools and make sure that none of them are left out over the winter. Bring them in and check on their condition. There may be tools that need new handles or a bit sticking back on that have dropped off. Throw away any tools that are damaged or broken, these are dangerous and are just accidents waiting to happen. Scrub the tools clean with soapy water, dry them thoroughly and wipe them down with an oily rag. Another good idea for spades, forks and trowels is to have a bucket filled with sand and some old engine oil poured into it. Push the tool in a few times, the sand acts as an abrasive cleaner and the oil stops the metal from rusting. You can use it in summer too in between using the equipment.

Make sure that the tools are hung up properly. Tools stacked in corners or hanging from the ceiling are also very dangerous, especially when you are rooting around the shed in the middle of the night looking for the lost Christmas decorations. If you have outside taps make sure that the pipes are insulated against the frost. Disconnect the hosepipe and drain the water out of it. When storing the pipe try to roll it around an old car wheel (minus the tyre!) or invest in a proper drum from the garden supply shops. Don’t hang them on a nail, as the sharp edge will damage the pipe and more than likely split it too.


Horticultural.