The Minimalist Gardener: What Gear Should Be In Your Shed?

6 minute read

The gear you keep in your shed says a lot about you. Some people like to dump everything they don’t want in their outhouses, while others are more organized and purposeful. It really depends on how you want to run your home. 

Minimalists have a very special relationship with their sheds. It’s often the front line or battleground in their lives, determining how successful they ultimately are in their approach. 

But what does this mean in practice? What does a minimalist shed look like? 

The answer to this question is more complex than you might think. Shed minimalists have to keep the right gear but also reduce mess and clutter to continue living in a way that aligns with their philosophy. It’s a tricky balance and not one that many people get right. 

Fortunately, this post is here to help. We look at some multi-function items you could keep in your shed to reduce clutter and ensure you adopt the most minimalist approach possible. 

Hori Hori Knife

You want to start with something simple like a hori hori knife. These can do various things in the garden, including harvesting root crops, measuring depths, and weeding. 

Most people haven’t heard of a hori hori knife, but this multi-tool has been used in some indigenous gardens and vegetable plots for centuries. It’s an ideal addition to your shed because it replaces trowels, weeders, and measuring sticks for planting. In other words, you can sometimes replace more than half of the items in your hand tool kit with just one tool.

Electric Oscillating Tool

An oscillating tool is another must-have item in a minimalist shed. This piece of equipment can function as a sander, grinder, cutter, and scraper (and more). 

These tools work on the principle of rotation. Any tool that can spin can attach to them. 

Yes, there are safety concerns. But once you have one of these in your collection, there are so many things you can do quickly that simply weren’t possible before. 

Oscillating tools work best for people who love DIY but also want to keep their tools relatively contained. These systems tend to have the most compact profile of any and prevent you from having to buy multiple tools and somehow fit them into existing shed storage. 

Collapsible Rain Barrel

What about a collapsible rain barrel for a minimalist shed? Again, these can be highly functional and set your shed apart. 

Usually, rain barrels are a way to collect water from your shed roof. But most PVC varieties aren’t collapsible at all. If you tried, you’d break them. 

Because of this, they often become a permanent feature of your shed. They sit next to it, even during seasons when it doesn’t rain much. 

That’s where a collapsible rain barrel could help. These clever devices are ideal for people who want to remove their barrels during dry seasons or store them away when they want their gardens to look their best.

Of course, where you put your rain barrel once it collapses is another problem. However, reducing its size makes it easier to hide. 

Cordless Multi-Tool

Another option for reducing clutter in your shed and embracing minimalist philosophies is to use a cordless multi-tool. These fit into the palm of the hand and can do all sorts of things, including weeding, edging, and trimming. 

Many of these tools have interchangeable heads, so you usually need a box with adaptors and the main tool (containing the battery and any moving parts). 

Cordless multitools are the ultimate option for simplifying tool setups. They can adapt to many situations, making them invaluable for DIY projects. 

With that said, you should ensure you’re buying from a high-quality brand. You don’t want to get into a situation where the main tool breaks and everything else goes to waste.

Adjustable Rake And Hoe

Buying an adjustable rake and hoe is also a good idea for a minimalist shed. These tools can adapt to different conditions throughout the year, helping you deal with everything from errant leaves in the fall to weeds in the spring. 

Adjustable rakes and hoes can expand and contract for various jobs. For example, you could expand it to rake up leaves in the autumn or narrow it for tilling the soil and preparing it for bulbs in the early spring. What’s great about these tools is how simple and effective they are. Instead of buying multiple tools with different attachments, these fold down neatly and gain intrinsic strength from their unique designs. 

While turning two pieces of equipment into one might not sound like much, it can make a substantial difference to the space usage in your shed. You could keep these items over and above your head in your shed on hooks that run parallel to the roof, allowing you to reduce clutter at ground level, and making it easier to access your tools. 

Folding Wheelbarrow

Another option is to invest in a folding wheelbarrow. Again, these allow you to pack down items into your shed, preventing bulky objects from taking up too much space and creating a cluttered environment. 

Folding wheelbarrows are especially useful in smaller sheds. These pack away neatly. 

What’s more, they may be more reliable. Many manufacturers make them from vinyl or certain types of plastics and silicones that often have a longer life than metal equivalents that can rust. You just need to be careful and avoid placing anything sharp in them. 

Multi-Pruners

Finally, you might want to invest in multi-pruning tools. While these might sound odd, they come in handy when you want to reduce the number of tools you have to hand at any given time. 

These tools are useful for anything that requires cutting and often have heads you can change out when you need to. For example, say you’re working on an electronics project and you need wire cutters. Well, multi-pruners can help with that. The same goes for when you want to cut back trees. You just swap out the blades for something more suitable.