Lock-ups for
gardening and landscaping

Ideas and how to set them up

Gardener's battery tool base

Battery mowers, strimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers and hand tools stored and charged in one place for a garden maintenance round. Many gardeners have switched to battery kit, and it suits a unit perfectly. It also keeps muddy kit out of the van cab and out of your garage at home.

Best unit

150 sq ft · roller shutter · £65 a week or 180 sq ft · roller shutter · £78 a week

Layout

A charging shelf with batteries spaced apart near the sockets, mowers parked in a line by the shutter, and long-handled tools in wall racks. Keep a bench for cleaning blades and sharpening. A hook for each tool makes it obvious at the end of the day if something has been left on a job.

Good to know

Charge batteries while you are around and unplug them when they are full. Petrol mowers and tools cannot be stored with fuel in them, and fuel cans are not allowed.

Landscaping materials store

Fence panels, posts, sleepers, decking boards, edging, membrane and bagged products for landscaping jobs. Buying in bulk and storing it can save money and trips to the merchant. Holding materials at the unit means you can start a job the day it is confirmed.

Best unit

180 sq ft · roller shutter · £78 a week or 300 sq ft · two storeys with upstairs office · £130 a week

Layout

Long timber stacked flat on bearers against the back wall, bagged materials on pallets, and smaller fixings in labelled bins. Keep the route from the shutter clear so the heaviest items load last. A whiteboard listing stock and jobs it is earmarked for stops materials being used twice.

Good to know

Do not overload shelving with heavy bags, and stack sleepers safely. Ask us before storing large amounts of loose aggregate or anything that could make a mess of the floor.

Garden design studio

A ground floor for sample boards, plant lists and material samples, with the upstairs room with a window as a studio for drawing plans and meeting clients. A proper base looks professional when clients visit. Design work fits naturally alongside a maintenance round or a landscaping crew.

Best unit

300 sq ft · two storeys with upstairs office · £130 a week

Layout

Paving and cladding samples displayed on the ground floor, a large table for laying out plans, and a desk upstairs with good light. Keep past project photos on a screen or in a portfolio. Keep a small plant reference library and catalogues on a shelf by the table.

Good to know

Clients can visit the unit. You can also use the address on your Google Business Profile instead of your home.

Tree surgery and hedge cutting kit

Climbing ropes, harnesses, helmets, battery chainsaws, pole saws, ladders and PPE stored dry and checked between jobs. Keeping climbing kit in one dry place makes inspections easier. A dedicated store makes it easier to keep inspection records up to date.

Best unit

150 sq ft · roller shutter · £65 a week or 180 sq ft · roller shutter · £78 a week

Layout

Ropes and harnesses hung on hooks off the floor, ladders on wall brackets, saws in cases on a shelf, and an inspection bench with a log book. Keep wet kit on a drying rack, not in a heap. Separate PPE that needs replacing so it never goes back out by mistake.

Good to know

Petrol chainsaws must not be stored with fuel, and fuel cans are not allowed. Check HSE guidance on chainsaw work and on inspecting climbing equipment.

Wreaths and seasonal garden decor

Making Christmas wreaths, door swags and dried flower arrangements in the run-up to the holidays, plus spring and summer planters for sale. It is a good way to keep a gardening business earning in winter. Workshops teaching wreath making can work too, if you tell us numbers in advance.

Best unit

150 sq ft · roller shutter · £65 a week or 160 sq ft · security door · £69 a week

Layout

A long making table, foliage and moss in crates on the floor, bases and ribbons on shelving, and finished wreaths hung on a rail. Keep a clear area by the door for collections.

Good to know

Fresh foliage and dried flowers are fine. Glue guns melt plastic, so ask us before using one, and wire your wreaths instead where you can.

Pots, planters and garden accessories stock

Stock of pots, planters, bird feeders, garden ornaments and tools for selling online, at markets or to your own maintenance customers. Store it in winter when prices are low and sell through spring. Offering pots and planters to your existing customers is an easy extra sale.

Best unit

180 sq ft · roller shutter · £78 a week or 300 sq ft · two storeys with upstairs office · £130 a week

Layout

Heavy pots on the floor or bottom shelves, lighter items up high, and a packing area for online orders. Wrap ceramics in paper before stacking. A small display shelf near the door works well if customers collect orders.

Good to know

Plants need daylight, and the ground floors are windowless, so store hard goods here and keep live plants somewhere bright.

Why our units suit gardening & landscaping

• Battery and electric tools, hand tools, timber, fencing and bagged materials are low-risk to store. Petrol tools stored with fuel and fuel cans are not allowed.
• Electricity is connected in every unit, so you can charge a full set of battery tools overnight ready for the next day's work.
• Roller-shutter access makes it easy to wheel mowers in and out, and 24-hour access means you can load up before the first job of the day. Keeping the floor swept of soil and grass clippings also keeps the unit pleasant to work in.
• Lighting, standard single-phase electricity and Wi-Fi are already connected in every unit (there is no three-phase power), with 24-hour access, free CCTV app access covering the entrance and the area outside the units, and shared facilities.

Start-up checklist

1. Decide which unit suits your stock, machines and how you will load and unload.
2. Message us with what your business does, so we can approve the use before you commit.
3. Register your business with HMRC as a sole trader or limited company if you have not already.
4. Speak to an insurance broker about public liability, contents and stock cover, and employers' liability if you have staff.
5. Ask us whether business rates apply, and check Small Business Rate Relief on GOV.UK.
6. Plan your layout: shelving up the walls, benches near sockets, and a clear route to the door.
7. Arrange one month's rent, the deposit, photo ID and a Direct Debit mandate for move-in day.

Questions

Prices are subject to availability. Minimum rental term: one month, then one month’s notice to leave. Swap to a bigger or smaller unit any time, subject to availability. Electricity usage is charged separately at the supplier rate, with no markup. This guide is general information, not legal, insurance or tax advice.

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