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Beat Cabin Fever: Organize Your Garden Seeds and Shed

(Editor's Note: Originally published December 28, 2008.)

Cabin Fever Defined

Cabin fever isn't a disease despite the name. It's an idiom for a claustrophobic reaction when a person or group is isolated from civilization or shut indoors for prolonged periods.

Two definitions:

Cabin fever
n. Boredom, restlessness, or irritability from lack of environmental stimulation, as from a prolonged stay in a remote, sparsely populated region or confined indoor area.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Cabin fever
Distress or anxiety from prolonged confinement in a small or remote place. "We've been snowed in for a week and everyone has cabin fever." Originating in the West, first alluding to being penned in a remote cabin during long winters, now applied more broadly. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer

Why Not Organize Your Way Out of Cabin Fever?

If you suffer cabin fever symptoms, you're likely seeking ways to occupy your restless mind beyond chocolate and TV. (Okay, we can still eat chocolate!) Below are ideas for organizing garden seeds—and if snow isn't too deep, bundle up and organize the garden shed once seeds are sorted.

Seeds Galore

Garden Seed Organization Primer

First rule: Keep seeds in a cool, dry place. Let's begin.

Divide and Conquer

If you haven't sorted seeds collected at season's end, do it now by dividing into main groups. Discard unwanted or non-viable seeds. Separate by what you grow—vegetables and flowers, for instance. Then sort into individual collections: warm-season vs. cool-season vegetables; perennials vs. annuals flowers. Go further: sort perennials and annuals by color or bloom season. Organization methods differ per gardener—develop a system serving your style and needs.

Catalog Your Seeds

After sorting, list each collection's contents. Use index cards or a computer spreadsheet ("Seed Organization"). Catalog accurately for easy retrieval. Bind seed packets with rubber bands or slip into labeled paper bags. Do both. Place into glass jars.

Store Your Seeds

Use glass jars with lids. Place jars in a lidded plastic storage bin to prevent pests (mice) from feasting. If the bin is large, use partitions and label for easy access. Store in the basement where temperature and humidity don't fluctuate widely.

If freezing seeds, place in plastic bags first. When defrosting, do not open bags until they reach room temperature. Opening early causes condensation on seeds, reducing germination rates.

A gardener's seeds are priceless. Take time this winter to organize them—worth every minute, and occupies your mind on cold days.

Photo by manuere at morguefile.com

Garden Shed Organization Primer

Is your garden shed a tragedy or tragic comedy? By season's end, mine's usually a tragedy. Suggestions to make it shine:

Empty It Out

Empty the shed completely if possible—best way to clean. Sort into two piles: keep, and toss/give away. Sort keep-pile items into categories: garden tools, kids' yard toys, fertilizer, paints, etc.

Organize, Organize, Organize

Inventory shed needs and determine storage helpers. Buy an organizing system if feasible. Modular wall systems with assorted shelves keep sheds orderly. Other helpers: containers, small lidded cans/jars, garbage cans, pegboard and pegs, hooks, toolbox. If space allows, build a loft for added storage. Make lists and label items. Return everything to shed using storage helpers, keeping categories intact.