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Anyone that spends time gardening appreciates having a dedicated space, be it for starting seedlings, hanging the garden hose, or for storing tools. Whatever your primary use is for your potting shed, the potting shed is a required element of any good garden.

Some of us may have a greenhouse as well as a potting shed.  Sometimes the two structures can be separate buildings, or as I prefer it, with the greenhouse is attached to the potting shed.  This provides easy access to tools, and other items you’re going to be using in the greenhouse, but frees up space and keeps things organized.

While greenhouses are normally used to grow plants while potting sheds are used to pot seedlings, and store tools - the two structures are often confused.  I suppose it’s because newer potting shed designs, with their large functional windows and a skylight or two they can often be used a greenhouse. If you’re going to be using your potting shed as a greenhouse then make sure it’s 100% cedar construction.  As we all know, high humidity is required and if your shed is made from pine or other wood, it’ll wind up falling to bits due to wood rot.

Interior elements of a good potting shed will include the central and ever important potting bench. Make sure you get something sturdy that’s going to last and stand up to the rigors of a working bench.  You’ll also want to make sure that it’s got space for storage, be it overhead shelving, under bench cabinetry or a combination of the two.  This space is useful for storage of seeds, and other items you’ll want handy when you’re working.

Hooks and other hanging devices are also extremely useful in your potting shed.  Hanging tools such as spades, rakes, and other items frees up floor and shelf space and looks good too.

If you’re not able to run electricity to your potting shed then use a car battery wired up to lights, or battery powered lanterns. If you’re as passionate about gardening as many of us are, you’re going to need the ability to keep on working after the sun goes down.

To keep the shed and garden house warm get a couple old wooden barrels, paint them black and fill them with water. The water will warm up in the sunshine and radiate this heat at night.
Another vitally important items for your shed are bins located in a convenient location for storing compost, and custom soil mixes.

You can use large Rubbermaid containers, but I prefer the look of something made from wood - cedar in particular.  If you get something built in, just make sure it’s going to be easy to access when you’re working at your potting bench.  I use the plastic containers inside the wooden bins so it keeps things clean, but looks great too.

Greenhouse options include such items as heaters, shelving and plant hangers, rain gutters, shade nets, solar lights, windows and vents, and window openers.

Heaters help keep delicate plants and flowers from being damaged due to cold weather.

Shelving and plant hangers are used to spread your plants and flowers out and provide proper air circulation and sun shine.

Rain gutters can be installed to trap and collect rain water, much better for growth then tap water.

Shade nets are used in hot climates to prevent damage to plants when temperatures exceed 95 degrees.

Solar lights can easily be installed to provide light after the sun goes down so you don’t have to stop working - they’re easy to install and relatively inexpensive.

Window vents, and window openers help regulate the temperature inside the green house and provide air circulation. Available as louvered or opening designs they can also be outfitted with a special hydraulic opener that automatically opens the window when the temperature exceeds a specified limit.

Have some great ideas you’d like to share with others? Simply click the leave comment link and let us know what you’ve done to your potting shed or green house that’s made your gardening experience more enjoyable.

They Call it Shed for a Reason

The dictionary definition of shed is “to get rid of”, so in keeping with the true meaning of the word, once a year when you spring clean, be sure to go through everything you have in your shed and if you aren’t using it on a regular basis, either shed it, or rethink where you’re keeping it. Items that don’t get used on a regular basis shouldn’t be upfront taking up prime real-estate - these items should be tucked away up in the rafters, or in storage containers - after all if you only use it once a year it’s not a big deal if it takes you a few minutes to get it out.

When you’re doing your yearly shed, remove everything and sort it into several categories, regularly use, seldom use and never use. Either dispose of the items you never use, find a niche in your shed for them or store them somewhere else. The seldom use items should be at the back of the shed, where it takes a little effort to get to, and the regularly use should be right up front where you need them.

It’s surprising how much space you’ll reclaim using this method - it also helps us think about what we really need in the shed and what can be donated, disposed of, or stored away somewhere else.

Organize Your Shed

Yes we’ve all heard this so many times it probably makes you want to scream out I know this, it’s obvious.  Here’s a age old method though that works, but still gets ignored as it requires a little work.

Take all the regularly used items and organize them using a system reflecting how you use your garden shed. Are you a gardener, or do you just use your shed for the typical items like the lawnmower, bikes and other items that have been forced out of the garage and basement?  If you’re a gardener then get yourself lots of hanging hooks, shelving and storage containers. It makes organization much easier when everything has it’s place.  Soil, compost and seeds can all be kept in containers and if the size permits, on shelves.

Planters and flower pots can be stacked and placed on shelving - hanging baskets can be hung from the hooks.  If your shed has rafters, get a couple sheets of plywood and install them up there - then keep a ladder handy (hanging on the wall works well), and you can store the items you’re only going to be using when you’re first planting, saving you precious space.

If you’re just a storage shed kind of person, then add shelving above the space where your lawnmower goes, if space is really tight, and you’re physically able, get some large hooks and when you push your lawnmower into the shed, tilt it up and hook the handle onto the hooks, reducing the footprint of the mower for bikes or other large items.  If this won’t work- then make sure you have the shelving we mentioned earlier.

Bikes are always awkward and a challenge to store.  Here’s a solution - if you’re shed has the height, or better yet - if you have a garage - Mountain Equipment Co-op sells this cool system that uses pulleys and suspends the bikes up high, creating space where there was none. Don’t worry it has special safety mechanisms to prevent accidental release, and you don’t need to be a body builder to use it - my daughter can suspend two bikes on her own.

If you live in a northern climate where you’re really only using your shed in the late spring, summer and fall and can’t really get to the shed in the winter anyways, then get winter items out and store them in the garage or basement.

Look Outward and Upward

As we’ve mentioned already, rafters are an ideal spot for storing items that you don’t use on a regular basis. There are some really great storage systems on the market to help make the most of the traditionally unused upper space of your shed.

A company called “Loft it” (http://www.loft-it.com) sells some cool kits that use a hydraulic lift system used for things like a lawn tractor, motor bikes and ski-doos.Simply drive your equipment onto the lift and with the push of a button the lift rises and you can now use the space below for other storage.

Another neat system is the Hy-Loft storage kit (http://www.hyloft.com).
For sheds with finished ceilings, or to move things from the shed into the garage or basement, it’s a great option for suspended storage. Simple shelves are supported with brackets suspended from the ceiling, or they can even be mounted to the wall with special brackets. It’s durable enough to store anything large items to and has a capacity of up to 250 pounds.

For those of us looking for something simpler, and have rafters to work with, get some simple plywood sheeting from the local home improvement center, and mount them on the top of the rafters. You’ll need to either create a built in ladder, or keep a step ladder hanging on the wall close by for easy access. Up here you can place light weight but large items such as planters, backyard torches, basically anything you can manage to get up there on a ladder.

Another simple and cheap ways to create overhead storage space is by using screw in hooks in underside of your rafters and then suspending equal lengths of steel chain. Attach a large piece of plywood to the ends of the chains with some S hooks, you’ll have a place for anything that you can lift up there. Be sure to use durable, quality hooks and chain and to keep things from falling off, screw some 2 x 4’s standing on their sides along the perimeter of the plywood sheet.  Again, just watch the weight of the items being stored up here.

For other neat storage systems check out http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/diy/garage-rafter-storage, they have a large selection of really useful storage systems that won’t break the bank and will definitely help clear the clutter in your shed.

Have some ideas you’d like to share with others on storage? Leave a comment and tell us about your storage and organization tips and ideas!

Elegant Pool Sheds

We tend to do a lot of living around our pool shed. From the obvious such as a place for pool toy storage, to a secure dry place for pool equipment and supplies that come with owning and operating an outdoor pool. From electric or gas heaters requiring venting, to a place for storing pool towels, we have allot to think about before even considering the interior.

In addition to the utilitarian uses for our pool sheds, it also tends to be a central point for socializing poolside. We dry off and change there, make drinks and prepare food (BBQs), and much more. The pool shed is a busy little beaver to say the least. Caroline and Daniel from Winnipeg have definitely made things work. “There’s plenty of room for things like towels, pool toys as well as tools such as the pool vacuum, strainers and other things we need to have handy,” says Caroline. Our whole family absolutely loves living poolside all summer long and I don’t think we would enjoy it quite as much without the pool shed

“Entertaining is one of our biggest pleasures. Outdoor cooking is made much easier with a fully stocked pantry and wet bar.” We had a change room and bathroom installed so there isn’t anymore of the back and forth between the pool area and the house. Organization is key to keeping the pool shed running smoothly.

Keeping Your Pool Shed Organized

Pool Shed or Studio?

Start by figuring out everything that you’re going to want to store in the shed. Then divide the space with partition walls and determine what rooms will be for what. Make sure there’s plenty of shelving everywhere and cupboards with drawers. Use the shelving as well as hooks and keep things off the floor. When you look up, it’s surprising how much room you’ll find.

Despite our best efforts, sometimes it just takes a year of day to day living to realize how we’re going to need the space organized. Temporary curtains will help physically divide the space and inexpensive stackable shelves are a great alternative. Once you’ve got a better idea as to how your going to be using the space, what items you’re using all the time and where you’d like things to be located, you can call back the contractors and have permanent walls, shelving and cupboards installed.

Mind Wasted Space

Depending on the size of your pool shed, you’ll have to be careful how you use your space. If you don’t have room for a walkin closet or cabinet consider sliding compartments with drawers, shelves and hanging polls.  Look around for space you might not normally consider usable. You’d be surprised how much you can store up in the rafters, or in shelves above or below pool equipment such as heaters and filters.  That’s where custom shelving is necessary - it’s hard to find something off the shelf at a home improvement center that’s going to fit in such particular locations.

Get rid of anything that you don’t use on a regular basis, and every spring when the pool is being opened, do a quick inventory of everything in your pool shed. Anything that you didn’t use last year, ditch it and put it somewhere else where you have more room.

If you’re a pack rat and find it hard to get rid of things - give this a whirl (aside from maybe taking medication). Clear everything out and organize it all into boxes labeled keep, don’t keep and maybe. This is a great method to help purge items we’re simply not using enough to justify them taking up valuable space in the pool shed.

Building Another Pool Shed

Dual Pool Sheds

Depending on your budget and property, an option is to just build another pool shed. It helps separate the two uses between the sheds. One is a “working” shed, while the other is for play. Cooking, entertaining, listening to music, making drinks, showering, playing games - all for the play pool shed - while the pool equipment such as pumps, filters, cleaners, chemicals and other utilitarian objects go in the work shed.

Mark & Lisa of Los Angeles added a second pool shed last summer and it’s been well worth the investment. “Now that we’ve had it for awhile, we don’t know how we ever lived without it,” says Lisa. “We both absolutely love it. We spend so much time out here, almost more then in the main house. We entertain friends and family, watch TV, swim of course and sometimes we even sleep out there.”

The advantage of having two sheds are pretty obvious, but beyond the extra space that it provides it adds value to your home, and it creates a great place to hang out and socialize all summer long, and if you have kids in the house still, it’s a great way to keep them close. After all why drive all the way out to the beach when you’ve got your own little personal oasis right in the backyard?

For more information and photos of some great pool sheds, visit Storage and Garden Sheds.

Garden Sheds - Office Style

Jeff and Debbie weren’t happy with the old garage that was on the brink of falling down. “That old garage was not only an eye sore, it was a complete waste of space and considering the high value of property here in Manhattan, it seemed a crime to let it go unused” Debbie said. So together they decided to tear it down and replace it with a quality backyard shed, one that could pull double duty for storage and a home office. something Jeff needed badly, as he was working from a corner of the basement, not exactly inspiring space to spend 8hrs everyday working in.
So they made an appointment with a local architect. 6 months later we would up with a design for a structure that would have cost about $125,000 for around 450 sq. ft.  After careful consideration, we decided it was way too much for such a small space. “That little endevour cost us about $8,000.00 and at the end of it all we had nothing. Talk about a waste!” Jeff said.

So they turned to the internet, “you’ve got to love Google”, Debbie says. “We did some research and found a couple really great companies that produce prefab sheds. At first the thought of building something prefab made them nervious, as most prefab sheds that they had ever seen, like the one down at their local home improvement center, looked cheap and flimsy and were made of low grade materials. The styles were just plain ugly. But thanks to some web searches, the two found more then a few designs that they both really liked.

Corner Space

The design that really caught there eye was the Catalina structure, pictured above, made by Summerwood Products up in Toronto Canada. Fabulously flexible the Catalina is normally used as a garden shed, but many has been built as home office studios, and some to be used as pool sheds.

The Catalina’s main advantage is its overall design. Being a 5 sided shed, it allows it to slip into tight spaces, providing good square footage, and doesn’t overrun the space. So much in fact that Debbie found that it actually created much more usable space because it fit into the corner of the yard so well.

Getting a few friends over on a Saturday morning Jeff and Debbie were able to build the shed on their own, in just two days.

Jumping Through the Hoops

The complete project took about 3-4 months. They started in June but then had to put everything on hold. The architect that had acquired building  permits originally, so we just thought that we could use those permits for the Catalina. What is that saying about “Assuming”? The permits were not valid so we had a 2 and a half month delay while we submitted and then waited for the new permit.  Jeff jumped through the permit hoops and learned much in the process. “It was the installation of power and water that delayed the permit process for so long” said Jeff. “The city thought that we would be renting it out as an apartment.” It took allot of convincing, but finally they got their way and the permits were reissued for the new building.

The Build Begins

Demolition Zone!

As you can see in the shot to the right, the backyard was a mess, and not something that you could really even tackle on your own. Jeff and Debbie hired a demolition company to come in and tear the old garage down and scrape the yard bare.  “What took them a day, would have taken myself and some friends a week”. “It just wasn’t worth practical to do it on our own.” With the yard bare they rebuilt the fence that they shared with their neighbors, as it was falling down in spots anyways.

Serious Foundation

Jeff’s friend who is an earthquake scientist suggested using piers for the foundation. Jeff agreed, so the foundation is raised slightly up on 20 cement pier blocks. Jeff then laid special 2″ x 6″ pressure treated beams to support the floor. Then filled it with gravel. Unfortunately, Jeff didn’t take photos the foundation but suffice it to say, the foundation isn’t going anywhere for quite some time.

Building Prefab Shed Kits

Spot loves the Shed!

Shed kits can be purchased in either precut or prefab formats. Jeff and Debbie chose precut because it cost less. While there’s more work involved with precut versus prefab, there still quite easy to put together, especially if you’re a little handy as Jeff is. Both prefab and precut come with the same easy to follow instructions and support staff are always just an email or call away. Jeff had to call a few times and got the answers immediately each time.

The instructions suggest that you build the floor upside down, and then flip it over to install it. But Jeff had upgraded to 2″ x 8″ beams and when the time came to flip it over, luckily the demolition crew were working in the front, all it took was a few cold beers and they were happy to help.

The instructions suggested building the roof on the completed floor, and then moving it off to the side to make room for building the walls. Instead Jeff built the 5 star part of the roof instead. The centre and jack rafters were not necessary at this point. Jeff and his friend then lifted the roof up and over the wall and completed the rest of the roof.

“The angle cuts were a little tricky” Jeff says, but at least the instructions warned that some mild variation is common. Making Jeff feel much more comfortable. “Nothing a little hammering didn’t fix!” Jeff adds. Installing the maintenance free siding was a breeze, except that the municipality insisted that 5 coats of fire retardant be added because the shed was within 40″ of the adjacent property. Jeff also had to add 5/8″ of special fire resistant rock board to provide further fire protection.  The green colored siding matched perfectly with their home.

Setting the Stage with Landscape

A clean slate...

Debbie is a dedicated gardener, however as she was busy with a ton of work that couldn’t wait, she simply didn’t have the time to dedicate to doing the landscaping. A friend referred them to a professional landscaper, who was a master and had studied landscaping over in Japan and provides courses on rock placement. The designer was thrilled that we had the yard scraped as it provided a blank canvas for him to work with. Letting the master landscaper have his way, he came up with an amazing and truly unique design for the entire backyard. Jeff and Debbie only asked that he keep things relatively simple, not to over work the space. “Things couldn’t have turned out better if we’d tried”, exclaimed Debbie, “he is unbelievable”.

Real World Living

Now that the constructions been complete, the landscape done, Jeff and Debbie are now using the shed for dual purposes - one half as a traditional storage shed and the other side as a fully functional home office. It works really well for them as neither work from home full time - they take turns working from home and thoroughly enjoy the Zen like effect the space has on their work.  Instead of being relegated to the basement we have this amazing space inside the shed and such a beautifully landscaped yard to look at as we ponder difficult work related issues.

For more ideas on garden offices, please check out www.storageandgardensheds.com.

A spare bedroom can be easily converted into a functional workplace. Remove the bedroom furniture and replace it with a good desk that’s going to be large enough to spread out and get things done.  A comfortable office chair will make spending time at the desk easier - and don’t skip as your back will thank you in the long run.  You’ll likely want a couch, coffee and side tables as well, so you have a place to meet with clients, and have a comfortable spot to read work related material, or even to just take a break.  Lighting is important - hopefully you’ve got some windows in the room, large enough to let in plenty of natural daylight - this helps brighten things up, literally.

Then you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the tools you need to get the job done.  High speed internet, phone and fax lines are a must.  Depending on what you do, you may also want to consider installing a flat screen TV, for viewing work related material of course.
So this is great, but what if you don’t have the spare room to even consider setting up an office?  Well you could consider an addition to your house. But that will easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, and involves permits, builders running around the house for weeks and weeks - not likely that you’ll get much done at home during the construction phase. Heck you’ll be lucky if you can get any work done full stop during the construction phase as you’ll likely be the project manager, making sure everything gets done and done right.

A much easier solution is building a home office/studio/shed. Something in the size range of 12ft. by 20ft would work nicely, certainly enough room to setup an office. You can expect to spend anywhere from $5000.00 to as much as $50,000.00 for your home office shed.  All depends on how elaborate you want to go, and how big you want it to be.

Keep in mind that in most areas anything over 110 Sq. ft. will require permits, and almost anytime you’re running electrical and plumbing (you’ll likely want a bathroom), it changes the definition of the use of the structure - almost to that of a house, and all the glorious hoops that the Government likes you to jump through.  That said, if you happen to have great neighbors, or better yet, no neighbors, then as long as you get basic building permits, you can essentially do whatever you want.  Just know that your local municipality could come back at any time and deem your structure to have been built illegally and require you to either alter it, or worse case scenario, tear it down.  So know what you’re getting into.

That aside, a home office shed is a great alternative to building an addition to your house.  You can build it with one goal in mind, work.  Add lots of windows, maybe even a skylight, or depending on what you’re doing, maybe you don’t want lots of light.  What you’ll definitely want, regardless of what you do is insulation. You’ll want comfortable year round access, so this means insulating and installing some sort of heating and perhaps air conditioning for hot summer days.  A bathroom and sink is also a good idea, especially if you’re planning on having clients in for the odd meeting.

The best part about building a home office shed is that you could have the entire structure built and furnished in about a week. The actual build time for prefab shed kits is about a day, even with larger units.  Then there’s the interior to deal with. Drywall, insulation, mudding, sanding, painting and any finishing details you want.  This usually takes 3-4 days to complete. Landscaping, creating walkways, etc… can all happen as soon as you start working on the interior.  So in about a week, give or take a few days, your new glorious home office shed can be ready to work in.

Creating a separate space for you to work in that’s not in your house means you’ll have an space that’s free of distractions, noise and interruptions. A place where you can really focus and get some quality work done.  Who knows, maybe because of your new space you’ll be able to come up with some great new idea and not only will you have a great space that you’ve been able to work in, but you’ll become richer as a result of it!

For inspiration on home office sheds, visit www.storageandgardensheds.com.

Simple Garden Shed

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