Outdoor Storage
A beautiful yard or garden makes life so much better but, the better it looks the more work it is. Those of us who take full advantage of the great outdoors in Northeast Florida need many different tools and supplies. If you are not careful, you can quickly have a garage and patio filled with clippers, shovels, buckets, pots and many other things. This week’s #ProTipTuesday is all about how to keep the clutter at bay in and around your yard.
- A Shed
This is the most obvious item on the list, there are very few substitutes when you need to store large objects like mowers, trimmers or bikes. You can go a few different ways with the materials and appearance with your shed. Some choose to go purely utilitarian while others build a statement piece. The basic essence of the shed is a place to keep things out of the elements and out of your garage. Some choose to blend the structure into the surroundings with neutral colors and materials, others have large structures used as functional work space. You could paint it to look just like your home, or to be an artistic feature of your yard.
- Shelves
You no doubt use shelving inside your house and maybe in your garage, you can also make use of outdoor shelving to keep things organized and easily accessible. What you are planning to store on the shelves is probably the most important piece of information you’ll need. Materials used is another critical piece to the puzzle. There are pre-constructed kits and units available at most hardware stores, but you can also make one yourself. Depending on the contents and location, materials could be fairly simple. Wood, treated with a weather resistant stain, is probably the cheapest and readily available option. If the area is relatively dry or covered, metal shelving or old file cabinets can be retrofitted for this use as well. Pintrest is a great place to find ideas ranging from simple and cheap to impressive and ambitious plans.
- Cushion storage
There are all sorts of options to store your patio cushions when not in use. Deck boxes are effective and are available in just about any size and shape. For a more attractive and functional storage option, there are tables that double as storage bins. When the mosquitos and yellow-flies drive you from your patio or deck, your cushions and pillows are safe from the weather and sun. When you are enjoying your outdoor space, you have a great looking table you can use for outdoor dining or entertaining.
- Storage Bench
Along the same lines as the above-mentioned tables, benches can be used as decorative storage. Some can hold as much as 1,000 lbs., are lockable, and many are secure enough to keep squirrels out of your bird seed reserves. Following the theme of DIY you can make your own, just keep in mind that it might not hold as much weight nor be as weather tight as store-bought options.
In the Sunshine State we have a great opportunity to use our yards for much of the year as long as you have a cold drink, some shade and plenty of bug spray. These outdoor storage ideas will help you keep things well cared for and tidy. A tarp tied off to a tree will keep things out of the rain, but the options presented above do that as well as adding great looking features to your space. If you really want to step up your game, you can build shelves on the side of your shed that has a storage bench and table out front of it. The better your yard looks, the more you will enjoy it. If you have any ideas that we might have missed, please comment on our social media pages.
