5 Fresh Ideas for Organizing Gardening Supplies

Expert tips for organizing and labeling outdoors

Spring has sprung, and that means we all want more time in the garden. Spend more time cultivating and less time combating clutter. Specifically with tips that make it easy to organize your gardening supplies (and keep them that way).

We’ve got new organizing tips, updates that improve on classics, and how to make sure your labels last outdoors. Above all, we’ll show you how to add your own personal style to all of your garden organization projects.

More resources you might like for organizing at home:

A rustic wooden table with a bright green Avery binder labeled Seed Organizer. Vegetable seed packets and a gardening calendar are shown organized in sheet protectors and laid out on the table surrounded by fresh lemons and limes, scissors and gardening pots.
Get your seed collection under control with photo page sheet protectors organized in a durable binder you can carry around outside.

1) Next-level hack: how to organize your seed packets

Seed packets are one of the most difficult things to organize. It’s so easy to fall into the seed-drawer or seed-box trap. That is to say, accumulating tons of tiny packets because you can’t see what you already have. Not to mention the mess if the packets get spilled.  

Sheet protectors originally designed for photos, trading cards, and business cards have tiny pockets. For this reason, they’re a genius way to get all your garden seeds in one accessible place.

All the packets are easy to see so you can avoid buying repeat varieties. You can also add dividers or use tabs to organize by planting season or type of plant.

Additionally, your seed binder is also the perfect place to keep a gardening calendar with planting dates. Put it in a sheet protector or just slip it in the binder cover and you’re good to go.

If you’re feeling extra ambitious you can turn your seed binder into a garden journal by adding extra pages at the back for garden planning and making daily entries.

Two photos side by side. The right side image shows a rustic wooden table with garden markers made from stir sticks surrounded by miscellaneous garden items including scissors, a plant, planting pots and a rubber boot. The left side shows a storage rack with neatly organized gardening supplies including a hat, a straw basket, garden hose, planting pots, watering can and rubber boots as well as neatly labeled small and medium storage bins and soil and composting cans.
Update your garden aesthetic with cute homemade plant markers and durable printable labels you can personalize.

2) Update your aesthetic with simple and cute garden markers

Channel your inner artist for a fun afternoon project that’s creative and relaxing but not too involved. Use simple paint stir sticks and permanent markers to create your own unique garden markers.

You can usually find paint stir sticks for free at your local hardware store. Jumbo wooden craft sticks also work. Ultra-fine permanent markers are awesome for drawing delicate finishing details.

3) Upgrade to waterproof labels for organizing garden supplies

Working outdoors can be messy and paper labels are not designed for standing up to water, dirt, and other outdoor elements. Instead, use waterproof film labels to organize gardening supplies.

Avery film labels come in several different varieties, but the best for gardening are waterproof rather than water-resistant.

Our waterproof labels are also resistant to oils and common household chemicals. In other words, you can take containers out in the sunny damp garden, get messy and wipe them down afterward, no problem.

Avery waterproof labels by the sheet come in over 100 shapes and sizes, so we created this “cheat sheet” of quick links to help you find the best ones for your project.

Best waterproof Avery labels for outdoor projects

Common UseAvery Product
Large bins/cans
Composting
Fertilizer
4″ x 3-1/3″, 40 ct. (64505)
By the sheet (94223)
Medium-sized bins
Large garden tools
2″ x 3-3/4″, 80 ct. (64504)
By the sheet (94240)
Small bins
Pegboard storage
ID labels
Small tools
1″ x 2-5/8″, 160 ct. (64501)
By the sheet (94200)
Spray bottles
Mason jars
3-1/2″ x 5″, 200 ct. (60503)
By the sheet (94256)
Quickly find the perfect waterproof labels for your gardening projects.
Two photos demonstrating pegboard storage for gardening supplies. One shows a close up of three spray bottles filled with different liquids hanging on pegboard hooks and labeled with Avery waterproof labels. The other photo shows a larger view of the pegboard with many more small gardening tools and supplies.
Expert Tip: Printable labels for industrial use actually make fantastic garden spray labels because they’re tested to stand up to tough environments

4) How to label and organize your DIY insecticides and sprays

Our favorite way to store spray bottles for the garden is on pegboard hooks or hanging on a simple towel rack. Both options are super easy to install and can keep your DIY garden sprays safely out of reach of pets and kids.

Furthermore, it’s always a good idea to label homemade insecticides and garden sprays so they don’t get sprayed somewhere they shouldn’t. A label on the back is ideal for noting the ingredients and concentration as well as handy information in case of an accident.

Industrial labels designed for labeling chemical containers are actually the perfect label for using on DIY garden spray bottles. Especially to avoid bottles of “mystery chemicals.” The labels are engineered to last in extreme marine environments, so basically anything your garden can throw at them, they can take.

Our GHS and chemical safety labels are engineered to be waterproof (certified to last 90 days submerged in seawater!), and resist scratches, tearing, UV rays, and chemicals (such as oils). They can easily stand up to garden sprays with essential oils and other natural chemical substances like vinegar and Castile soap.

Pro tip: If you want to make sure the ink doesn’t smudge or smear on your waterproof labels, always make sure you’re using the right kind of label for your printer.


Two photos comparing vertical storage for small and large gardening tools. The photo on the left shows large garden tools organized on a garage wall using spring grip wall mounts. The second image shows a close up of small garden tools organized on a pegboard. All the tools are neatly labeled with Avery waterproof labels personalized with text and a green sprig graphic.
Vertical storage options make tools and supplies easy to see, easy to get to, and most importantly, easy to put away.

5) Make use of vertical space for gardening tools and equipment

Pegboard and spring-grip wall mounts are perfect for maximizing garden storage by using vertical space. We’ll walk you through how to organize tools of various shapes and sizes while keeping like items together and making sure there’s room for everything.

First, take inventory of everything you have and make a list. Use your list to create make labels for each item. Our printable waterproof labels are not only going to hold up well in the garage or garden shed, but you can personalize them too.  

Design your own gardening labels with our free Avery Design and Print Online (ADPO) software. You can choose from tons of flower and plant images to add to labels using the Avery Gallery.

Learn how to add images to any project in Avery Design and Print Online with written instructions, or our helpful YouTube video with expert tips.

Next, sort everything by size into two groups: large tools and small tools. Wall-mount storage is best for large tools, for example, hoes, shovels, and rakes. Pegboard is best for small items like trowels, weeders, and gloves.

Then, experiment with the layout by laying the items out on the floor. This will give you a good idea of where to put your wall mounts and pegboard hooks.

Finally, when you have everything puzzled together for the most efficient layout, install your mounts and hooks. Finish by labeling where each item belongs so that it’s easy to keep organized.


Get organized and spend more time in the garden

They say home organization is a practice, not a project… but that’s only true to an extent. You have to have a good system in place so that it’s easy to put items away and you don’t have to waste time constantly reorganizing.

Getting your gardening supplies organized is no different. Whether it’s storing your seed packets so they’re easy to see or making sure your gardening labels last.

Enjoying the look of your freshly organized garden supplies doesn’t hurt either. Loving the aesthetic of your space is a powerful motivator to keep it organized. 

How are you getting organized in the garden? Connect with us on Instagram to share your favorite gardening tips and aesthetics.


Meanwhile, shop organization supplies for home and office for all your projects.

Author: JoJo Mrgich

JoAnn (JoJo) Mrgich is a copywriter and SEO content writer who began her copywriting career in 2011. A musical theater major at the time, JoJo began writing blog articles, product descriptions, and other online content for a dancewear brand. Since then, she has gone on to write in a variety of fields, from essential oils and natural beauty to fashion and swimwear, finally landing at Avery, which she affectionately calls her "forever home." At Avery, JoJo writes content for the Avery blog, covering everything from organization to party planning, as well as contributing to other online content for avery.com. She is also a technical and content writer for Avery Industrial, where she writes in-depth articles that span a wide variety of topics, from safety compliance to 5S lean practices. In her personal life, JoJo is a big fan of fantasy and science-fiction works such as Lord of the Rings and Star Trek (especially the original series). She also loves going to Disneyland and runs a non-profit social organization of 600 members that brings fans of "nerd culture" together for meet-ups and events in Southern California.