Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Garden sheds take on many guises and have come a long way from being a purely practical structure for storing garden tools and plant pots. These days they may also be a –
- home office
- fantasy palace for children
- man cave or a she shed
- potting shed and storage combination
- author’s hideaway in which to write in peace
- bicycle shed
- workshop
There are many uses to which a shed can be put to. But in this blog I’d like to concentrate on more traditional garden uses and help you to find your ideal shed. This may mean buying a new one, a second-hand shed or refurbishing the one you currently have. But before we get to that stage we need to establish some key points.
How to Find Your Ideal Garden Shed
Let’s go right back to basics with a few questions for you to answer. And then we’ll look at some options and solutions.
Do you currently have a shed of any description?
- If your answer is yes, are you replacing this one or adding another?
What are you going to use your shed for?
- for example, storage, a potting shed
Will you need power and light?
- the practicalities of an electricity supply are more easily included as part of a garden design and landscaping project, but it can be added retrospectively.
Do you have a budget in mind?
Is there a ‘sensible’ place in the garden for a shed?
Do you actually need a shed?
The first thing to establish is why you need a ‘traditional’ shed, as for some gardeners a different option might be more useful.
Storage
When creating a garden design, and we’re discussing garden sheds, I ask my clients to do some ‘homework’, in order to establish their needs. This is to write two lists. NB the contents in the lists may not all be stored in the current shed. This is about assessing what your storage needs are, in order to work out what size of storage shed or sheds you need.
- Firstly of the items they currently have and want to keep in the shed.
- Secondly of future items they will probably need, for example, a child’s bicycle as the baby grows up.
They also are tasked with sorting and clearing out the existing shed and / or garage with these lists in mind. This may be a short or long chore, depending on how organised they already were!
Combining uses
Many garden sheds are large enough to be used both for storage and as a potting shed and there are a range of off-the-peg options that cater for this need. In order to get the balance of space right for your needs, make sure you allow not only for general storage, but also for your potting requirements. For example, will you store bags of potting compost in there; how many and what size of pots? Remember to leave plenty of room for you to move around to sow seeds into trays, take cuttings and so on.
Budget
How much are you going to spend on your garden shed? This may be to refurbish it (low budget, DIY) to build or to buy new.
Up to a point, you get what you pay for. Very cheap sheds are made of poor-quality materials. Sometimes it’s the style or brand of shed that affects the cost, but it could be money well spent if it adds to the visual and practical value of your home.
Do you need a new shed or can you refurbish the old?
Once we can see the shed and examine its condition, we sometimes come to the decision that actually, a new roof and windows and painting with preservative will be sufficient. A new shed isn’t always required when the current one is the right size and in the best place.
However, if it’s not in the right place, and can’t be moved, or is too small or too large, then no amount of paint is going to make that shed work for you.
Take a look around your garden. You may already have an unused building that can be utilised as a garden shed. For example, old piggeries and coal sheds. Kitted out with shelving that old outside loo or coal shed could be the perfect storage answer in a small garden.
air raid shelter used as garden shed, photo by annie sprat
Where to put your garden shed
Unless you’re working with a building that is being converted, this needs to be decided once the use has been agreed.
You’d be surprised how many people presume that the only place for the garden shed is down the bottom of the garden. Sometimes it is, but if that’s the sunniest spot in a small garden and you’d would like a suntrap seating area then it isn’t the right place for a shed!
Where the shed needs to go depends on –
- the changes, if any, that are being made to the whole garden
- the use the shed will be put to – if its in constant use then, for example, it needs to be sited near the house or kitchen garden
- the size of the new shed. Is there enough room to get round to recoat with preservative? Have you allowed space for a water butt?
- and the ease of adding a power supply (if wanted)
Sheds need a level base to sit on. For larger buildings, a concrete base is usually the best option. There are various green alternatives to standard concrete which use recycled materials. Smaller sheds resting on joists on a level surface will need a weed suppressant layer as well.
If you have a difficult space to fit a garden shed into, you may need to build one to fit. Capable DIYers may be happy creating the shed they need, others will look for a good local carpenter.
Alternatives to Garden Sheds
Do you need a garden shed at all? In small gardens and courtyard gardens your storage needs may be better met with alternatives. Why not consider: –
- garden seating with built-in storage
- sentry-style sheds (a garden wardrobe if you like!)
- garden storage chests
- outdoor shelving. Use exterior grade wood. Place under a lean-to if you want to store tools. Or have it as a decorative feature with trailing plants as well as empty clay plant pots stored on their sides
- using your garage for bulky items such as lawn mowers (for example, townhouses often have integral garages and small gardens)
- keeping hand trowel, gloves and secateurs in a basket by the back door as they’re your most–used garden tools. Other items can be stored elsewhere
- buying compressed blocks of peat free potting compost for seed sowing and repotting. They take up a fraction of the space compared to bulky bags
- front gardens – could be a perfect space to store those bags of compost until they’re needed, offering a quick unloading of a bootful of bags. You could just sit them on a pallet and cover them with a tarpaulin to keep them off the ground and relatively dry. Or you could have a storage cupboard to put them in, with a green roof. And you could perhaps tuck a trowel in behind for a quick bit of weeding.
Garden sheds have two main types of roof shape – pent or apex
Pent roofs have a single slope, generally from the door downwards towards the rear. The door tends to be in the long side of the shed. Apex roofs are triangular in shape, with the door usually at the gable, or short end.
Where the shed is more visible, particularly if it’s what you see from the first-floor windows, the roof may take on a decorative role.
A green roof will be both decorative and add biodiversity to your garden. Planted up with pollinator friendly flowers and bug friendly foliage plants you can create a wildlife haven in what would otherwise be literally a dead space. And they are far more interesting to look down onto than roofing felt! Green roofs are an option regardless of whether you have a pent or apex roof but are best planned into the new shed. Retrospective fitting can get complicated as extra internal support will be needed for the heavier roof.
If you need a pretty roof but really don’t want any sort of planting, then wood shingles give you a pretty tiled roof. Some of the more expansive sheds offer them as standard or as an option.
Photo of traditional Icelandic turf roof by Andrew Ly on Unsplash
Garden Sheds Explained: How to Find Your Ideal Shed – Go and have a Look!
Whether you’re refurbishing, buying new or second-hand, this is an excellent way to get ideas. It’s also a popular ‘homework’ item for my design clients when we’re planning their needs.
First do a bit of research on the internet for sheds with your key terms. But then go and look at them in person. This is key, as you may think that an 6 x 4 shed will be big enough for your stuff, but when you stand inside one and realise that your outstretched arms are the length of the shed you may have second thoughts!
Your friendly garden designer (if you have one) will be able to suggest a selection of places where there are garden sheds large and small, basic and posh for you to go inside. Some are set out as potting sheds etc which can be helpful in visualising what might suit you.
And examine the quality. Sheds which have been on display for three years, exposed to the British weather, will be useful. It may also be helpful in deciding whether to keep your shed natural or painted a colour.
Some of these places will be outlets at larger garden centres, others will be a showcase site for firms that specialise in garden sheds, home offices, shepherds huts and greenhouses. A really helpful garden designer will be able to point you in the direction of a good café nearby as well…
Tips for when you’re buying a new garden shed
Whether you purchase online or in person, check for: –
- guarantees (10 years is an average, but they may require you to regularly apply preservative for it to be valid)
- delivery charges
- is it delivery to kerbside only? If so, how will you move it into the back garden? Will you need people to help you do so?
- will the shed fit under the side gateway? Are there any tight turns? The shed may be delivered in pieces, but one of those could be the whole back wall!
- delivery / lead times – how quickly do you need the shed?
- who will erect the shed? Whilst its usually pretty easy for a couple of DIYers to erect a shed, their availability and the time factor may be an issue for you. It’s always worth asking how much would cost for the company to erect the shed for you.
Remember, whatever the size of shed, you’ll need to have a firm base ready. This is particularly important if the same people are delivering and erecting the shed that same day. For example, you’ll need to factor in drying time (‘going off’) for a concrete base.
and finally
I hope you’ve found these tips for choosing and fully utilising your garden shed helpful, enabling you to enjoy your garden. If Plews can help you with anything else, please do get in touch. For example – did you know that you could have a bespoke review focussing purely on your garden storage needs? Looking not just at a shed, but encompassing ALL those items you need to store: cycle, logs, winter protection for summer seating… If you’re struggling to think of a birthday or Christmas present it could be the answer!
Our Garden Consultancy & Advice Visits may help with some of your issues. Or does your planting need a rethink? Do you have a birthday coming up? Plews bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden make a wonderful and practical gift. You could learn how to grow an orchard of citrus fruits in your conservatory! We help you with both gardening basics and more ‘expert tasks’, depending on what you need. Have a read through this pdf download for info.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below. You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.
Feeling nosey? You can have a peek at the progress of my garden renovation, Spitfires and Slow Worms, on Instagram and Facebook
You’ll get to see it in person if you come to the Plews Gardening Workshops Current ones on Eventbrite for you to book into. Follow for updates on topics and dates on Plews website, Instagram, Eventbrite, Facebook
Plus get your local garden club, allotment, WI, U3A or other group to ask me along to give a talk (and bring plants 😉)
Related Gardening articles you may enjoy from our Award Winning Blog
Landscaping Ideas
Is that a Pergola or an Arbour?
What Type of Decking Material is Best for Your Garden?
Gardening Inspo
Mood Boards for Garden Design Planning
30 Plants and Features for Your Garden
Unusual Containers for Planting
Planting Tips & Ideas
16 Deer Resistant Shrubs for Clay Soil
