My Enchanting Cottage Garden: How to Build a Garden Shed

Maybe because the end of summer is drawing near, my mind is on Garden projects not finished because of the intense heat of summer. One project is my Garden Shed. I have had a love affair with Garden Sheds ever since I became a gardener. I have over 10 books devoted to building and design of sheds. For me a Garden Shed is not merely a place to pot new plants, grow seeds, store garden implements, even though it will be used in all those endeavors, but for me it is an escape to my own little world. It is my hangout, my space, my serenity and my savior on crazy days. I answer to no one when I am in my space. Only another gardener would know what I am talking about. I am posting some really cool pictures of Garden Sheds, in lieu of my own pictures. When my project is finished you will be the first to see the pictures.

Functional with character. Nestled in the backyard foliage of a coastal North Carolina home, lies this recently constructed garden tool shed. Drawing off both design and construction elements described in "Shortcuts to a Shed," FHB # 194, this 8-ft. x 12-ft. structure is 7-1/2-ft. high at the gable walls, and rises on a 6/12-pitch to a full 9-1/2 ft. at the center ridge. The extra head room provides plenty of over-head storage to accommodate a full 4-ft.x 8-ft. shelf.

The rake-wall studs run floor-to-roof, and the overhanging eaves have vented soffits that provide for circulating air to flow up and out through the ridge vent. This shed is sheathed with pre-primed 4x8 sheets of OSB, and has framed openings for a set of double doors, and a 2-ft.x 3-ft. double-hung window. The sheathing cut-outs for the doors were repurposed as customized door panels framed with a double layer of laminated 1x4 material pocket-screwed at all abutting joints. Decorative casing frames the divided-light windows. The 5/4 x 6 ramp boards are separated by runners ripped to 1 3/16-in. wide and turned on their sides to provide traction when wet.

Gingerbread House By Greg R Metzger Our garden shed started with a sketch by my wife . That was all the plans I needed to construct the 8' x 12' shed . Most of the material used is salvaged. Some of the features are top hinged windows for ventilation, potting bench , gable end loft for storage . oversized rear door for equiptment entry, seasonal water hydrant, lots of spikes in the walls for tool storage, a place for a nice set of antlers to hang that were harvested from our woods , and a retreat for the neighborhood mice in winter .

Shed with Style    The shed’s rectangular footprint measures 8 ft. 6 in. by 12 ft. 6 in.; a 4-ft.- 6-in.-deep porch faces the yard. Stick-framed with 2x4s, the shed is sheathed with 1x10 pine boards applied diagonally and exposed on the inside as finished walls. All 12 windows are made from recycled sash. An extra wide pull-down stair leads to a loft, which has dormers front and back. We built a bed into each dormer, with storage underneath.

We compromised a bit on our old-materials-only directive. Besides an electrical system, we installed 1-1⁄2-in. foil-faced rigid insulation under the roof and wall shingles to boost thermal performance. We also mixed our own weathered green stain for the shingles and used gloss enamel paint on the trim and other exposed wood.

The shed is a pleasure to look at any time we’re in the garden, and it’s a wonderful retreat from the house. We love it. The grandchildren love it. In the summer, it is the last spot in the garden to be hit by the late-evening sunset. It glows.        Architect David Edrington

Salvage Shed This was a potting shed/outdoor implements storage built for a customer in Oxford, Michigan. The window was salvaged from another building, most of the rest of the materials came from building material auctions.

Mower Shed By Fine Homebuilders Member I built this shed in our backyard to accommodate a new ZTR riding lawn mower than did not

comfortably fit in the garage. The shed is built on piers so that it could be picked up and moved with a forklift if needed. The ramp was added to provide access for the mower.

The sides of the shed are finished in cedar shake to match the house and garage, and painted a dark green to minimize the visual impact in a tree-filled yard. I used architectural shingles on the roof, which is capped off with a brass weathervane. The French doors and front window are home-built, and false windows were added to the sides (with closed shutters) to break up the expanse. A loft was added inside to hold patio furniture through the winters.

The walls and ceiling are insulated, and as a result the inside of the shed is noticeably cooler than the nearby un-insulated garage in the summers. The insulation was probably un-necessary, but it does make it less oppressive to go dig something out of the little building when the sun is shining.

This was a fun project and it definitely adds a focal point for wife's flower gardens.

Unique Sheds you will love.

I call this cute little one the Chicken Shed

I call this the Church Shed look at the Windows

Cute Country Shed..love the colors

Multicolor Shed

Colonial Shed

Dollhouse Garden Shed

Zen Garden Shed

For the intrepid gardener who loves to build things, click on the link below for a fascinating video from FHM for a step by step instructions on building a garden shed.

Video: How to Build a Garden Shed: Introduction