We ’re almost there , folks : the shortest mean solar day of the year . picture taking is a ambition correctly now — the favourable hour lasts all day long . If only I had some industrial plant still live to photograph . I am keeping my green quarter round busy , though , between forcing electric-light bulb indoors , take care of my ever - grow houseplant collection and planning my vegetable garden and other garden projects for 2024 .
As you think about landscape projects for next year , tools that you ’ll necessitate are an important considerateness . If you are unretentive on money or store space ( and who is n’t ) , borrow or renting tools might be a great choice .
Question :
What are tool libraries , and how do they work ? Do they really offer puppet to use for free ?
Answer :
I feel like a big saphead for not being more aware of tool subroutine library before someone asked me this question . They are the bee ’s articulatio genus !
A tool subroutine library knead very much like a book library , but you check out tools to use or else of book . They swear out a very significant purpose : not everyone can open to pay for or store every cock they need to do work on their home or garden . And it ’s featherbrained to store — for old age — a tool that you only use once in a great while . Boy , do I feel that .
I did some looking around and base a smattering of capital putz libraries for your thoughtfulness :
TheMinnesota Tool Libraryhas positioning in northeasterly Minneapolis on Central Ave and St. Paul , not far from Como Park . They pop the question workshop space and classes , from building your own planter box to make your own varnished glass suncatcher . Their undefendable workshop clip are frequent , if you desire to go and utilize tools that are not easy to move , such as wood workings creature . But this is a gardening blog , so I explored their gardening tools useable for checkout — they numbered 144 in December . I was specially concerned in the broad forking and the manual turf cutlery .
The Minnesota Tool Library does postulate an annual membership fee , which starts at $ 55 person / $ 75 home per twelvemonth . Membership includes not only access to tools , but admittance to their workshop .
When it comes to DIY project , take puppet can be significantly more toll - effectual than buying them . I ’ve rented a besotted saw for a patio paver labor , for illustration . Hennepin County ’s Choose to Reusewebsite has great ideasaround the cost - effectiveness of rent tools .
Ramsey County Library also has a “ depository library of things ” locate in Shoreview .
Up north?Duluth has a tool lending librarythat includes such utile things as a post hole excavator and a barrow . Duluth ’s Community Garden Program also has a lending program library .
All of these choice are majuscule , but I am also a big rooter of the tool subroutine library that is closest to your home : your neighbors . Cultivate kinship with your neighbors so that you’re able to support each other and loanword tools to each other . My neighborhood in Minneapolis has two different neighborhood Facebook groups — one is a “ Buy Nothing ” groupwhere cock and just about anything else you’re able to imagine are traded , loaned , and given to anyone who require them . The other is a more general neighborhood grouping but also terminate up being a dandy resource for mutual tending , lost dogs , and contractor recommendations . I have both afford and received garden and landscaping supply through these radical .
I ’d really like to learn about more resources for sharing pecker — please matter in below !
Have horticulture questions ? You canAsk a Master Gardeneronline or call the Yard & Garden Line at ( 612 ) 301 - 7590 .
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Jennifer Rensenbrink is a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer for Hennepin County . She lives in South Minneapolis — follow along on her horticulture adventures on Instagram at@jenniferrensenbrink .
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