The Garden Shedde

Three years ago I bent down to pick up a towel and my life has never been the same since.  It took a little more than two years to get back to where I can do most of what I did before in the garden but it is different and I do some preventative things to keep it that way.

I was an athlete in my younger years and as I got older I just assumed I would always be able to do certain things.  I was wrong.  What they say about assuming is true.  I now warm up before I do any kind of bending, lifting or moving things outside or in.  One of the main things I do is stretch and I stretch very well.

I watch what I lift and how I lift it.  I also know my limit and when to get some help and, I ask for it.  A back injury is a great equalizer in having a prideful attitude of I am stronger than…  It’s just not worth it.

If possible I avoid bending over a whole bunch while gardening, and when I do, I am careful to watch how I bend over.  One of the things that got me in trouble in the first place was years of compensating for an old knee injury and bending with my back and not my legs.  That was a mistake.

You may think this can never happen to you.  I understand that.  However, unless you need to be on your back for days at a time, go through painful physical therapy and be on medication that makes you sleep through half your days to learn how to treat your body, please take my word for it.  You only have one back, and if hurt; it hurts.

Having a separate garden shed is a great idea if you have the space.  Mixing all of your garden supplies and tools, with all of your other stuff, in a large storage building can lead to annual “hunts” to find everything you need for the spring and summer months.

It doesn’t matter how hard you try to keep it all separate, you end up hunting for something you know is in there!  Have you ever given up, gone and bought a replacement tool, only to find the original tool digging out Christmas supplies?  If this happens several years in a row, you could almost pay for a small garden shed with what it cost to replace the misplaced tools!

Sheds that are built especially for the garden are normally a little taller to accommodate the handles on rakes, hoes, shovels, etc.  Many of them have accessories available to hang those awkward items such as trimmers and clippers.  If you need a potting area, look for the potting sheds that have some garden storage as well.

There are many different shapes and styles to fit your every need and if you can’t seem to find what you want, there are some custom shops that will build to your specification.  For those of you who would rather do-it-yourself, there is some great garden shed plans available as well.

If you go this route, make sure the shed plans come with good illustrated pictures, a material list, a cut list and good customer service to help you if you have any issues during building.  You may pay a little more, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Looking out the back door; what do you see?  Are you one of those people who rewrap your old greenhouse frames with plastic every year?  You keep thinking; next year you’ll look into a more durable, sustainable, efficient covering for that frame that may last more than one season at a time.  If so, this is the time to start thinking about what’s going to happen to that old greenhouse once it has a new skin.

There are a lot of different coverings you can use to replace the old skin, from different plastics to glass.  They come in all shapes and sizes and are shipped from UPS to freight.  You can get one layer or double walled, custom to one size fits all and all you have to do is find the one that fit’s your frame and your budget.

If that sounds too hard, you can cover it again with cheap plastic and replaced it again next year.  It will tear, sweat, leak and mildew just like it always does.  You most likely pay more to cover that frame every year than it would be for a long term solution.  Some guaranteed up to 8 years.  Of course, you may like covering that thing every year.

I have recently been introduced to the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act that was enacted during the Clinton administration.  This act protects any donor, food bank, soup kitchen, food pantry or other group helping feed those in need, from liability.  This includes any food that is donated or distributed in “good faith” by anyone.

The reason you should be excited about knowing about this act is it enables you to give your garden overflow to those in need.  In fact, fresh produce is the most difficult and most needed items for food pantries and food banks to get their hands on and to stock.

If you have ever thought you wanted to be a part of the solution and didn’t know how, here is your chance.  Contact your local food bank and find out when and where they are collecting and take and donate your surplus produce.  If you don’t have a local food bank contact Second Harvest Food Bank as it is one of the largest food banks in the US.  Happy donating!