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Screening project could ease gardeners' storage woes
Everyone with a hobby accumulates "stuff." Gardeners, however, can collect such a volume and range that storing it in the garage through winter is embarrassing—even hazardous. Yard or patio piles of overflow can look like a landfill. After all, gardeners really do need pots, flats, saucers and seeds, rubber shoes, gloves and a wide-brimmed hat, hand and power tools with short and long handles. And, that's not counting the buckets, jars, sacks, cart, hose, sprayers and stretchy green tape. "The only problem is keeping it out of sight when not in use. Often, home storage space is limited. Neighborhood regulations or the family budget may rule out a shed. Gardeners can end up acting defensive and feeling frustrated at the same time," said Dennis Patton, K-State Research and Extension horticulturist. One answer is to use screening to create a new storage area, Patton said. The outdoor space will be for items that can withstand moisture, heat and freezing. A tarp or shipping pallets might expand the possibilities. "Screening can be plant material, salvaged doors—anything that will block the view, preferably year-round," he said. "A row of dense evergreens could do the job, as can two panels of pre-made fencing from your favorite lumberyard." Successful screens often tie into an existing landscape feature, Patton said. They may section off a corner of the back yard's privacy fence. They might form an "evergreen room," surrounding a large oak. They could serve as a "curtain" several feet out from the property line, thus creating storage space behind and the backdrop for new plantings in front. "If you're worried, remember screens don't have to take much money or time. Then site your project where it will have the least impact, particularly when seen from the house," Patton said.
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