A Conversation about the Gardener’s Junk Drawer

By Jean Thomas

We all have them. Junk drawers, that is. The kitchen is the most common one. We keep bits of string, tape, zip ties, etc. ,which we can never find when we want them. I must confess, the only things I can ever find when I want them are duct tape and Allen wrenches.

But if you have a garden, you have others, too. It isn’t always a drawer, because there are so many other options in the great out of doors. I have a shed. And a garage. And a porch storage chest. Let’s start small, with the storage chest. The idea is always harmless. It never ends there. The original objects are suddenly on top of the unit, jostled out by other important stuff. That’s if you have only a porch or patio.

Once you have real storage space, you’re doomed. And a garage with storage space intentionally arranged is such a great idea. All those you tube videos and face book posts are meant to lead you into the trap of (gasp) crafts. There is room for pallets and those reels the phone guys will let you have off the back of their trucks. It’s better for the environment to keep them out of the land fill, anyway. And that thought grows more expansive. Broken garden stakes or, heaven forfend, broken TOOLS, can always be tucked into a corner for future inspiration. Never forget the most ubiquitous… shards from broken pots, terra cotta and ceramic alike. Everyone knows they are necessary when repotting things.( I am so successful at this that the mound of shards has grown to line the length of the garage.) I am prepared for several lifetimes of repotting and crafts.

All of this grows exponentially according to the space allocated. I have an old outhouse (a two-seater, BTW) converted to a shed for the explicit storage of garden ornaments and oversized containers. I had to install shelves last season for the overflow.

The garage is build with two stalls, one for the car and the other, with a lockable door, for storage. What’s a frugal gardener to do? Yup, I installed shelves and hooks, and ran poles across the ceiling. Seasonal items all have their place, as do the tools. Small containers and potting supplies, along with hand tools and electrical stuff like cords and lighting supplies and. the tarp collection all have a place. Being a garage, it is inevitable that the mechanic’s junk drawer section resides there, too. Nuts and bolts and hammers and cans of oil and other automotive (and lawnmower) exotica are arranged for me to admire.

Here is where the terrible truth rears its head. I am as undisciplined with the shed and the garage as I am with the kitchen junk drawer. But I have found the solution at last.

Once a year I call a friend who declares that her OCD (her diagnosis, not mine) kicks in whenever she comes to my house. I pay her for her time, even though I suspect she’d pay me. I go away, returning only when she phones me with the all clear. Then the two of us stand there admiring the beauty of an organized storage area, both in tears from gratitude. Sometimes there is photography involved.

She still refuses to tackle the kitchen. Go figure. There is hope, though. YouTube and Facebook have lots of posts to get you organized. Or you could make friends with a neat freak.