A tidy and well-organised shed space is without a doubt the ultimate symbol of garden pride. With that in mind, we’ve got our resident shed heads together to come up with 6 easy tips to help you to maximise your shed space and keep your shed tidy all year round.
Set aside an afternoon, make yourself a cuppa, take an inventory of every item you have in your shed and make a note of where you keep it. Knowing where it is will save you a lot of time in the future.
Whilst taking your inventory with pinpoint accuracy, think about what you use regularly (and more importantly, what you don’t). Get rid of old or surplus tools and maximise that space.
During the winter, wet weather can harm your tools. The best way to protect them from damage is to keep them away from walls and in durable boxes. Airtight boxes will prevent rust build-up.
Most shed-based tools have some form of metal on them. Use this to your advantage by having magnetic strips across your shed walls, holding your kit in place. Having your paintbrushes, hammers, saws or trowels all within easy reach and ready to go at any moment will not only save you time but a lot of space.
“The shelf in the room has been so true” according to the 1997 hit from ‘Days of the New’. If you fancy making your shelving solution even more effective, try out adjustable shelving. These handy shelves mean you can customise your layout from day to day.
Most shed doors have enough surface area to be used as an entire wall. You can attach hooks or shelving to the door to hold anything you would not normally have the space for.
Storage space can be found in the most unusual places. We hope our advice helps you on your way to storage serendipity.
See challengefencing.com and find out more about our shed range – or pop into your local branch and ask our experts any questions.
If you have a super tidy shed, please share your pictures with us on Facebook or Twitter
If you would like to contact our team by telephone, please call your local branch.
If you would like to contact our team online, you can do so by filling in our contact form.
Did you watch the beautiful summer green leaves slowly turn yellow, orange and red, only to now lie on the floor waiting to be collected? It’s that hibernation time of year where even nature is trying to protect itself from the harsh winter weather!
Garden wildlife are also making plans for winter by storing food and making a nice burrow to hibernate in until springtime. This method usually varies between each species, but there are plenty of things a gardener can do to help them out a little extra, check out our tips:
How many weekends have you spent tidying your garden in the past few weeks? The urge to sweep away leaves and other debris from those windy days is almost impossible to resist! What you might not realise is that the ugly mess in that nook or cranny is the perfect hibernation spot for a little garden critter!
If possible, leave the task of tidying your garden until early spring – this includes hedges, shrubs, borders and compost heaps. If the compulsion to tidy is too strong, sweep away the leaves from the main part of your garden but try to leave the nooks alone.
Not all species will hibernate over winter; this includes squirrels, birds and foxes. Unfortunately it is very difficult for these animals to find food and they often struggle to stay alive. By putting out some food and water throughout winter you can make a few new wildlife friends and also help them survive.
Squirrels: hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, chopped carrots, grapes, broccoli and cucumber are a few foods that you can leave out for your garden squirrels. You could also set up a squirrel feeder to ensure that other animals or birds can’t get to the food.
Birds: unsalted peanuts, seeds, some small blocks of cheese, apple and pear will go down a tweet!
Foxes: chicken carcasses, boiled potatoes, bread, crackers, and cheese – try to stick to a regular feeding pattern to ensure all of the food is eaten and doesn’t attract rats.
Any food you put out this year will help!
Many fishes and frogs will hibernate at the bottom of a pond, so if you find that your pond freezes over this winter; make sure you make a hole in the ice to release any toxic gases which have become trapped. It’s important that you do NOT smash the ice or pour boiling water into your pond as this can harm or kill the fish living in it. When making a hole in the ice, place a saucepan of hot water onto the ice until it has melted through.
You should also start to feed your fish less; as the water temperature cools, their metabolism slows down. Over feeding your fish during the winter months is very dangerous for them! To help out any newts or frogs, stack some logs near your pond to provide them some shelter which is warm, damp and most importantly, above 0°C.
Whilst creepy crawlies might give you the shudders, they are incredibly important for the eco-system and provide many important functions. Keeping bugs safe over winter is fairly easy, simply avoid cleaning up your flower beds or cutting down any ivy which is growing in your garden, this will provide any flying insects with some much needed pollen.
For those who are up for a DIY project before the frosty weather really sets in, we’re really wild about this bug mansion! Made from wooden pallets (which you can get for FREE from your local Challenge Fencing branch) recycled materials, straw, hay, dry leaves, bark and other bits you can find around your garden, you can create an incredible home for bugs AND wildlife all year long.
We hope you’ve found this guide useful! Let us know what steps you’ve taken to help your garden wildlife this year in the comments below.
See challengefencing.com to find out more about our railway sleepers – or pop into your local branch or ask our experts any questions.
Have you already made use of your railway sleepers in your garden? Share your pictures with us on twitter at @Chall_Fencing!
If you would like to contact our team by telephone, please call your local branch.
If you would like to contact our team online, you can do so by filling in our contact form.
Posted on November 5th, 2017 Posted In: Seasonal
Tags: autumn, birds, cold, garden, gardening, hedgehogs, pond, squirrels, wildlife, winter
Did you know that railway sleepers have been in use since the 1550’s? Initially used for making easier and faster routes for wagons in Germany, they are now popularly used as (really cool) garden features. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to use railway sleepers in your garden, you’ve come to the right blog because we’ve got a few ideas…
We’re not sure about you, but swings were the best part of a playground when we were younger (and they still are!). What could be better than having this beautiful giant swing in your garden, gentling rocking you in the breeze while you sit relaxed with a book and a glass of wine!
This looks quite technical, but the basic structure is made of upright railway sleepers (which you can get from any one of our branches) add some rope, a curved seat and you’re done!
For a more kid-friendly swing, try your hand at this traditional swing to become the parent of the century 😉
Source: Pinterest
TOP TIP: Always choose to work with railway sleepers, new untreated or tanalised sleepers when using them for DIY projects – Do NOT use creosoted old reclaimed sleepers!!
Bored of regular seating? So are we. Create a contemporary look for your garden with a floating bench. These are definitely the next new popular garden trend.
Create a simple, stylish and timeless look in your garden with a strong and sturdy floating sleeper. This will no doubt be a talking point at any of your future garden parties!
Source: Pinterest
Want to start growing some seasonal vegetables? What you need is a raised vegetable plot! Not only will it be much better for your knees and back, but your plants will flourish with the extra space for their roots and also from the better drainage. If you have a snail and slug problem, this will make it more difficult for them to slime all over your precious veg!
Source: Pinterest
We’re a massive fan of not only a staggered garden, but also of these beautiful sleeper steps! Creating dimensions in your garden will help to make it look larger, it can also help to split your garden up, e.g. If you wanted one part of your garden for your plants and another for hosting.
Have you got sleeper steps in your garden? Please share your pictures with us on our Facebook page.
Source: Pinterest
Always fancied a pond in your garden? Water features add a whole other dimension to a garden, plus you can finally get your hands on some aquatic plants! Not only will it create a relaxing and calming atmosphere, but you’ll soon see new wildlife and insects frequenting your garden!
Source: Pinterest
If you have any questions about our sleepers, pop into your local branch to consult one of our experts! All of our team members are here to help.
See challengefencing.com to find out more about our railway sleepers – or pop into your local branch and ask our experts any questions.
Have you already made use of your railway sleepers in your garden?
If you would like to contact our team by telephone, please call your local branch.
If you would like to contact our team online, you can do so by filling in our contact form.
Posted on September 27th, 2017 Posted In: Advice
Tags: creativity, garden, ideas, railway sleeper, railway sleepers, relaxation, steps, swing
