Linda Johnson, a London native, has made Butler County her home for 22 years. She recently became a Penn State Master Gardener.

“Where are my pruning shears? They must be here somewhere,” I reasoned while rummaging through garage buckets, bags and baskets without locating them.

I hot-footed it around to the shed at the back of the house where I felt certain my favorite shears must be hiding.

It was spring, the sun was out, the garden was beckoning, and I was wasting time looking for garden tools.

This was my moment of truth. I decided to get organized.

My grandmother always said, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” But what's the best way to organize tools? While there are individual variables, some common tactics apply:

Take an inventory of what you have.

Pull out all your garden tools and lay them on your garage floor or yard. Take a good look at what you have. Decide what you want to keep.

Donate usable items that you don't need and dispose of tools that are broken or unusable. You will be feeling more organized already!

Choose one easily accessible location for all your tools.

My problem was exacerbated by the fact that I had two possible locations for everything: the garage and the shed. So, I wasted a lot of time wandering back and forth looking for tools when I needed them.

On occasion, I even repurchased items I couldn't locate. Find a sheltered, dry location that is large enough for all your tools.

Decide how you will organize your tools. There are different garden tool organizers available for purchase or you can build your own, as I did.

I looked for something sturdy that would accommodate my garden tools. My shed had studs but no finished walls inside and I decided the economical solution would be to use materials already on hand.

I chose a 4-by-8 foot piece of plywood siding as a backboard. I placed this flat on the ground and carefully arranged my tools on it, utilizing as much of the space as possible.

After staining the siding, I attached it to the shed studs. I then hung the tools using sturdy utility U-hooks in the configuration I had previously decided upon.

Once I had the organizing board in place, I quickly realized that it wasn't always obvious which tool belonged where after I had removed several.

I toyed with the idea of labeling which tool belonged where using duct tape and a permanent marker but ended up hanging a laminated photo of the organized tools.

I am now able to lay my hands on any tool, any time. That's more time for gardening.

Use warm water and detergent to clean your tools when necessary.Dry your tools with a soft cloth to prevent rust.Plant disease can be spread with contaminated tools. It’s important to disinfect your tools (especially pruners) after each use. Use a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach to wipe down your tools after using. If you suspect a plant may be infected with a virus or fungus, disinfect your pruners after each cut.Remove any rust from metal parts with a wire brush or steel wool and wipe them down with an oily rag. Linseed oil, machine oil or lubricating oil (WD-40) work well.Keep shovels, hoes, shears and pruners sharp.Lubricate moving joints. Linseed oil or WD-40 are effective lubricants. Allow the oil to soak into the moving parts of the tool before wiping clean.Wooden handles can be cleaned with Murphy’s Oil Soap.If wooden handles show signs of wear, sand them down and apply a marine varnish or linseed oil.Shovels and spades can easily be cleaned by plunging them several times into a bucket of sand.Avoid storing shovels, hoes, rakes or pitchforks with the blade touching the floor. Concrete or pavement can dull the blade and hold moisture, which promotes rust.

An unorganized shed makes it difficult to find what you need.