The worst thing about gardening in my opinion is not my weedy garden, or a bed that needs replanting, but rather the fear I have about entering my cluttered dingy garden shed. What makes it worse is the last minute fall pile-in of tools, pots, extra bags of dirt, muddy hoses, etc. If a well ordered garden shed is conducive to efficient weeding, then I have to admit to less than perfect gardening efficiency.

For me, the thought of trying to find a dry pair of gloves and a rusty pair of clippers is enough to make me stay in and watch re-runs of Ellen all day. The only solution to my perpetual horticultural procrastination due to garden implement disorganization, is quite simply a garden shed organization.

But how do you go about organizing your gardening stuff? Well, it may be hard to do, but the first thing you need to do to get things orderly and organized is to totally unpack your shed. Take out the rolls of wire would only be useful for fencing in a horse and a few cows (unless you have livestock, then it’s alright), remove the 12 cans of designer stain that have long ago separated because you left them in the shed all winter and they froze. Throw out everything that can’t be used, give away anything that you haven’t used in a year.

Now that you have gotten everything out of the shed, it’s time for a thorough cleaning. Maybe even a fresh coat of paint on the inside will brighten things up and keep the spiders from weaving webs in every eave and corner. You can also use this time that your tools are out to fix up any problems, tighten the wheels on your lawnmower, and oil up any gears and hinges.

Before putting items back into your shed take the time to add shelves and or hooks. Although an assortment of three inch nails hung your father’s gardening tools, times have changed. In my opinion, those nails are an invitation for spiders to create string art in your shed. Go to your local hardware store and purchase some proper hooks. The hooks are inexpensive and sturdy and plastic coated. Proper hooks and shelving are a worthwhile investment.

Now you can put everything back into a better organized shiny clean garden shed. Knowing that everything has a place, and that you’ve gotten rid of the stock pile of broken tools and cracked pots, will make gardening such a easy chore now. Although it might seem like a lot of work to reorganize and fix everything up, it will be well worth it in the end.

Have you ever considered growing your own hydroponic strawberries? You really should do because they are delicious and you could sell them for money!

Below is a list of the benefits of growing hydroponic strawberries as opposed to traditional soil grown strawberries.

1. No matter where you live you can grow hydroponic strawberries. There is no need to have a garden! So even if you live in a crowded city centre apartment block then you can still grow them.

2. As you’re not using soil, no soil borne diseases can be passed onto your strawberries. This will solve a huge problem that many gardeners face.

3. There will be no need to use any expensive and controversial pesticides on your strawberries as there will be no soil loving pests! Your strawberries will remain organic as a result!

4. Once the setup costs are complete, running costs are estimated to be at least 20% lower than with traditional soil based gardening.

5. You can grow more hydroponic strawberries in a smaller area! This is due to the decreased size of the roots as they don’t have to spread out to find nutrients. So you will be able to grow more in your growing trays.

6. Once set up, maintenance time is reduced. There is no watering involved as they have access to their growing nutrients, there is no soil so no weeding. In fact all you really need to do is pick your strawberries as and when you want them.

7. The strawberry yield will be year round. You control their environment and you will have everything set to their optimum growing conditions so they will continue to produce 365 days a year.

8. You can grow hydroponic strawberries anywhere; rooftop, window ledge, cellar, corridor, greenhouse, conservatory or living room.

9. Hydroponic strawberries grow on average 40% larger than their soil born brothers. This is because you have created their ideal growing environment and they have full access to all the nutrients they need. Money in the bank!

photo credit: Paul A Hernandez

Size is a good place to start. Do you want a small playhouse that can be used indoors? Or would you prefer a larger one that can only be used outdoors? How many children need to fit in the house? It should be large enough for your own children plus at least one friend each.

You may choose to either build your playhouse from the ground up, or purchase one that you only need assemble. This will partly depend on how comfortable you are with a hammer and saw. If you are not really handy, you will have far more options with a prefabricated house. If you are handy, then you are far less limited by building your own.

If you are buying a prefab playhouse, think about what type of materials you prefer. They generally come in either plastic or wood. Wooden houses will tend to be more durable and last longer. They are also easier to modify, if you want to add your own touches. Even if you think you want to build your own, it is not a bad idea to take a look at what is available to buy. If nothing else, it may give you some good ideas.

Your biggest decision is going to be the design of the house, particularly if you have more than one child to consider as they may have different tastes, especially if different sexes.

Girls often want a place that is perfect for a tea party while boys may be thinking more along the lines of a command post.

In the case of boys and girls both using the playhouse, you can try to come up with something that both enjoy, like a pirate den or a ranch.

Try to get everyone to take part in the project. Although it can open you up to all kinds of impractical ideas, actually ask the children what kind of playhouse they would like. You will get points for listening if you at least try to use some of their concepts.

Speaking of getting them involved, if you decide to build the house yourself, this is a great opportunity for a family project. Get the kids involved in picking the paint colours and in actually painting the walls. They will feel that much more pride in their playhouse, which may also result in them taking care of it better.

When you have the playhouse itself the way you want it, you can then stock it with furniture and accessories that fit with the theme. Accessories can be added both inside and outside. After all, no pirate den would be complete without a Jolly Roger flying over it.

Whether you buy your children’s play house or build it, your kids are sure to be thrilled. They will have a place they can really call their own. A place where they can use their imaginations and have all sorts of fun whether alone or with a group of friends

There are almost as many selections for a childrens play house as there is for your family home. They can vary according to material, size and style. If you are stuck for options why not check out cheap garden sheds first.

photo credit: slideshow bob

So, here are five easy garden landscaping ideas that you can try without a lot of work or money:

Idea #1: Fountains are a great way to spice it up – No matter who you are, a nice little fountain is always something relaxing in a garden. And, these great little garden landscaping ideas offer you a sweet way to get a small, cheap fountain and place it in your garden to liven up any space. It doesn’t matter what size fountain you choose, the sound of the water and the birds and butterflies it will attract will help you relax and enjoy your space.

Idea #2: Potted plants are always beautiful – While they don’t have to be in massive planters, you can easily create and move your potted plants all over your garden then the need strikes you to change garden landscaping ideas. One week it can be spread out and peaceful, the next week they can mark your paths. It’s easy to pick up some beautiful, inexpensive pots and plant some of your favorite flowers.

Idea #3: You don’t need thousands of colors at once – One of the most common mistakes that people make in their garden landscaping ideas is to just grab every color of the rainbow and go to town. Yet there are certain colors that will clash and cause a war on your eyes. You want to make sure that you choose and place like colors together, or one cool and one warm color in a specific area. This way, you have a beautiful garden without chaos.

Idea #4: Climbing plants are awesome – Climbing plants are a super way to create new garden landscaping ideas that will offer you beautiful greenery and color where you want it. You can even place these plants into pots that can be moved if you prefer, so that you can always have beautiful green leaves or flowers any time, any place.

Idea #5: Artwork is your friend – And you should be afraid to use the garden artwork that you already have in new and unique garden landscaping ideas. After all, if you don’t like where you put it, you can always move it back. But, just a few switches here and there can make a big difference if you don’t want to spend money on new stuff.

With these five easy to use garden landscaping ideas, it’s easy to change up your garden’s look and feel with just a simple move or placement of an item. Take your time and see which ideas strike you and have your garden transformed into a whole new world for you to enjoy.

April Kerr writes for Finer Living which has information on low price driveway alarm systems and cheap solar motion security lighting.

When you start to work on your garden there are a few things you need to be aware of. Garden landscaping is one of them and with a little knowledge on this subject you are sure to be happy with the garden you create.
photo credit: Lentini

To start with, garden landscaping is all about the work you put into making your garden look as beautiful as possible.

It doesn’t really matter whether you are working with the landscaping already in place or you are going to design a garden of your own from scratch, the whole thing about garden landscaping is the way in which the flowers, plants and whatever else you have in your garden look and act.

First of all you have to decide which kind of garden you would like to have.

Do you prefer the wild looking garden affording you the luxury of fewer limitations or would you rather go for a simple flower garden with a separated area of land put to one side for growing vegetables?
photo credit: abbybatchelder

There are several different kinds of garden landscaping that you may consider. Some garden landscaping is very severe and cut and dried. Such gardens are likely to contain plantings far away from each other with either clean soil or a selection of rocks separating them.

These kinds of gardens need a keen eye to ensure plants do not grow where they are not supposed to. However, in less strictly set out gardens plants are often encouraged to run a little wild and stray from their boundaries.

Therefore, the first thing that you want to do when you start with your own garden landscaping is to take a look at your garden area and decide what you want.

If you want to have neat rows of vegetables and flowers, you can easily section out the areas where things grow, and make sure that it happens.

If you want to have a garden that is more wild and exciting, you can do so by planting many perennials and keeping track of where things come up.
photo credit: Martina Rathgens

There are other parts of garden landscaping that you should think about too. The use of rocks and stones will keep the garden looking tidy and fences will contain the things growing and help to maintain the appearance of the garden.

By making sure that everything has its place and using the right tools for the job in hand, a beautiful garden with super landscaping can be achieved and enjoyed with only a little hard work on your part.