If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated potting shed, you may notice interlopers encroaching on your hobby space. Kid toys creep in, and grilling accessories crowd the space. When you’re ready to tidy up and reclaim your potting shed, make sure to include these eleven essential items.

Composting Supplies

Your composting supplies may consist of nothing more than a pitchfork for turning your pile. As you get into composting, you may decide to include compost starters, a compost thermometer, or a sieve for removing clumps.

Fertilizer

An organic or inorganic flower fertilizer will keep your garden from fizzling out early in the season. You can choose from soluble fertilizers for an instant nutrient boost, or granular products for a slow release effect.

Hand Tools

It seems like garden supply companies come out with new garden gadgets every week, but in the beginning it’s most important to invest in a hand cultivator and a sturdy garden trowel. Bright colors are desirable in small hand tools, as they tend to get left and lost in the yard easily.

Pots and Containers

Keep a variety of containers on hand for potting up transplants, volunteers, and divisions in your flower garden. If you use ceramic pottery or terra cotta pots in your garden, you may need to dedicate a permanent storage area in the shed to protect the pots from freezing and cracking in the winter.

Potting Soil

This is the one flower garden element I can never have too much of. It’s depressing to halt work on a fabulous container garden because you ran out of soil, or worse yet, you may resort to harvesting soil from the garden out of desperation.

There are a variety of specialty soils fortified with fertilizer or water releasing crystals, but an all-purpose soilless mix is fine for most tasks. Store the soil in a lidded container if you don’t plan to use it all immediately to exclude pests.

Pruning Implements

The Felco #2 is a classic, and is my favorite garden pruner. Your clippers, loppers, and shears are some of the more expensive tools in your potting shed, so you want to care for them accordingly. Wipe them after each use, and store them in a bucket of sand moistened with motor oil to prevent rust.

Seed Starting Materials

Cell packs and domes, supplementary lights, and plant labels are helpful supplies for your seed starting endeavors. If you’re starting tropicals, you may need a heated soil cable or heated grow mat to encourage germination.

Table

A work table shouldn’t become a depository for junk; rather, it should be a clean work space you can use at any moment to repot orchids, transplant seedlings, or work on your flower drying projects. You can purchase a table with shelves and drawers designed for the potting shed, or you can re-purpose an old dresser or buffet for your potting shed table.

Trellises

Keep one or more small portable trellises in your shed to support small vines like morning glories, black-eyed Susan vine, or cardinal vine in container gardens. You might also invest in a garden tuteur, which can support flowering plants or just act as a landscape focal point.

Twine

If you plan to grow any vines or tall flowers in your garden, twine is handy to attach stems to supports. Common garden twine is usually made of biodegradable jute, so you can compost it when you’re done using it. Buy twine in a dispensing can to prevent tangles.

Watering Cans

Wait, I need more than one watering can? Maybe. Everyone needs a basic two-gallon watering can with a rose (the attachment that creates the sprinkling effect) to provide a gentle shower for flowering plants. You can choose metal or plastic, based on your budget and aesthetic desires. You might also add a can with an elongated, curved spout to reach hanging baskets. Get a small novelty watering can for children, as this is one of their favorite garden tasks.