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8 best shed accessories

Often a cobwebby repository for tools, gardeners can make more of these humble structures

Thursday 04 October 2018 11:32 BST

Maximise the potential of your shed

(Getty)

A shed should be more than a just a place in which to dump garden paraphernalia.

We wouldn’t expect everyone to convert their humble back-garden storage into a cabin that has more comforts than most living rooms but keeping it clean, tidy and secure can make all the difference for the quality of your gardening life.

Adding a few choice accessories to your wooden abode can transform the dustiest shed into somewhere pleasant to plant, pot-up and plan.

Here are eight great additions to maximise your shed’s potential.

Agriframes tool rack: £18.50 for a two-tier tool rack, £16.25 for a long single rack

Most gardeners will accrue an arsenal of tools with which to tackle their plot. Housing such a collection needs organisation to keep a shed from descending into a chaotic jumble of metal and wood.

These shelves will see you right. Constructed from coated steel, they are a cinch to install and provide a sturdy hanging space for tools, big and small. They are available in two sizes: a long 99cm x 9cm single tier rack or a 66cm x 33cm double decker.

Both racks come with a 10-year guarantee, with an option of six colours. You can also give Agriframes a call, tell them your colour preference and they’ll rustle up something bespoke.

Solar shed light: £20, Festive Lighting

Cast light onto shed-bound activities and install one of these retro-looking lights.

There are stacks of similar solar lights on the market, but this one shines out brightly from the rest of the pack. It’ll comfortably illuminate the dark recesses of a medium-sized shed thanks to the impressive 70-lumens bulb and shallow metal shade.

The solar panel is easy enough to install – just fit the holding screws to keep it in place and you’ll be up and running in no time. This light features a pull cord switch and is available in black or white.

Kelly Scout kettle: £45.95, Amazon

This solid, stainless steel storm kettle is designed for use while outdoor adventuring and is just the job for rustling up a cuppa when working down the allotment. Feed dry kindling into the vented base burner of this kettle, spark it up with a match and off it goes.

We used tree bark and dried twigs to fire up our kettle and were wrapping our lips around a hot cup of tea less than five minutes later. For safety's sake, you’ll want to light your kettle outside your shed – imperative if your shed is where you store any petrol-driven tools.

The generous 1.2-litre capacity of this kettle allows for four decent-sized cuppas to be served. Invite round your allotment pals and the kettle’s shrill whistle will alert them of their impending brew.

Ventilated plastic shelving units: £37, Filplastic

This sturdy, five-shelf unit will keep your shed gear shipshape and safely stowed.

Assembly of the unit is straightforward – it took around 15 minutes to knock together, although we found that there’s a knack to getting the supporting legs to couple with the shelf sections – a gentle tap or two with a rubber-headed mallet helped coax them through the holes.

Once up and in position, the legs of this unit can be adjusted so your shelves sit level on wonky surfaces. Each shelf layer will support weights of up to 70kg – making them strong enough to shoulder a pair of petrol mowers if that is your wish.

Roberts Blutune T2 Radio: £99, John Lewis

Every shed needs a radio, and this compact DAB from Roberts is just the ticket. Featuring 60 station presets, it can receive DAB and DAB+ channels and also gives the option of going old school with FM.

It also offers USB playback, will charge USB devices and affords Bluetooth connection so you can sow along to your favourite playlists via Spotify, Deezer or similar streaming service.

The sound is clean and crisp; bass-wise it won’t shake your shed rafters, but crank up the volume using the large, gardening-glove friendly knob and it’ll hold its own against the sound of your neighbour’s mower. Perch it on your potting shed shelf and twerk while you work.

Floureon 10,000mAh (amp hour) waterproof solar power bank: £38, Amazon

The modern, social-media savvy gardener will find themselves poking their smartphones just as often as poking seeds into plant pots. Instagramming and tweeting proud pictures of produce eats up valuable smartphone battery, so you’ll want to bring along a power backup should you inadvertently run out of juice.

Charge this power bank via the USB cable before leaving the house and its solar panel will keep it topped up throughout the day. When placed on a sunny shed window, this palm-sized power pack will charge up two USB-driven devices. It also has the bonus of built-in LED torch bright enough to light the way during late-night shed shenanigans.

Response shed and garage alarm: £11, ToolStation

The average shed is not the most impregnable of structures, so if you plan to house expensive gardening equipment within, you’ll want to maximise your security.

This shed alarm from Response is a bargain. It’s easy to assemble – just screw the unit to the wall, attach the contact breaker to your door via the 2.5-metre cable and you are ready to go.

Once set, you’ve got 20 seconds on entry to punch in your four-digit security code before the piercing alarm sings out loud and proud. The unit also doubles up as a panic alarm – handy for summoning help should a fearsome shed spider make an unwelcome appearance.

Kryptonite KryptoFlex 30ft cable lock: £35, Wiggle

Combine this with a shed alarm (above) to double up on your shed defences. This braided steel cable stretches to 30ft, enabling you to weave it through power tool handles, wheelbarrow stays and lawnmower parts to create a giant pinch-proof tool collective to foil the most tenacious thief.

The cable is coated with tough vinyl so it won’t chaff your precious tools, and coils away easily when not in use. The loops at each end will host most padlocks and disc locks but pair it with a suitably robust D-lock for maximum security.

The Verdict

Treat your tools to a princely spot on which to rest and fix them up the Agriframes tool rack.

Treat yourself to a Roberts radio – Gardeners’ Question Time will never have sounded so good.