Garden Sheds as a Haven
by Pat Kehler
Garden sheds are far more than just a building for your yard. A garden shed, to many people represents a place of peace and harmony. A place where one can escape from hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is a refuge for many people.
So if you are one of these people who views your garden shed in this way, it is more important than ever that you think thoroughly about how you are going to build your shed. You’ll need to consider location of course. Do you want sun to shine into the windows? Or do you want the shed to be in the shade so that it isn’t too hot in the summer? Do you want to use your shed for more than potting? Do you want to use it for storage of tools and yard equipment too? Do you need a tall door or a wide door to accommodate large plants or equipment? Do you need an area for seedlings? Do you want to have a bit of a hothouse attached to your shed? How much shelving do you need? What about hooks? Are you going to be keeping all of your gardening tools in the shed? What about the wheelbarrow? You don’t want to be tripping on it and falling into it. How high do you want your potting shelf? If you are taller or shorter than average now is the time to customize your area for your own personal comfort. Do you want a window about the potting area? Do you want running water in the shed? How about electricity?
Now that we’ve considered the inside, how about the outside? Do you want your garden shed to have an old English look with cedar siding and creeping plants climbing up it and wild flowers surrounding it – or do you want something more practical? How about shutters on the windows? Or flower boxes below the windows. They could double as a seeding area for early spring and then plant them up proper for the rest of the flowering season.
Are you going to have a rustic path leading to your garden shed? Will your shed have ventilation so that the humidity from the plants can escape and prevent mold from forming and wood rot?
What about the roof? Will it have a loft? Will you use shingles? Will it have an overhang?
What about style? There is Amish style, barn style, gambrel, saltbox, colonial, traditional and many more.
Consider the door style, the window style, even the hinges you want to use on the door. Building your garden shed can be a lot of fun. Allow your creativity to go free and develop a shed that is idyllic and perfect just for you.
Read our other articles and learn about things like permits and building codes so that you don’t run into any of those type of problems.
But all in all, just take your time, enjoy the process and then enjoy years of peace as you spend time in your gardening haven.
All the best!
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