A post in which I achieve a lifelong goal: becoming a sheddie

I have been promising pictures of my new shed for days now, and finally, here they are. It's a funny old time at Perrone Towers - I am due to give birth to child no 2 any time now, yet my mind is somewhat preoccupied with the changes taking place in the garden: no bad thing, I figure, as lots of heavily pregnant women drive themselves (and their families) crazy getting angsty about when they're going to pop, so this is a welcome distraction. In case my mother in law is reading this, yes, I am getting lots of rest and no, I am not overdoing it (I'm paying someone else to do the heavy labour).

As you can see, not only have I got a new shed (a 10ft x 6ft half glazed apex roof potting shed from Addison Ousebank, if you're a person who cares about that kind of thing) but the back end of the garden is undergoing a major transformation - two 2.4m sq timber raised beds from Harrod Horticultural have been put up in front of the shed, in what will eventually be either side of a brick-style path. The area around the beds will be laid with heavy duty landscape fabric and bark chips, then there'll be a little picket fence to cordon this rear "business end" of the garden off from the rest. 

 I've also pimped my compost bin: well, I stained it, after Rick emptied its contents into a rubble sack for me. It used to be a bit of a disgrace - left untreated it looked ugly and bad management meant it was overflowing and desperately needed turning. A coat of Cuprinol Garden Shades in 'Seagrass' did the trick, and it was promptly refilled with the right proportion of browns and greens. Now it's going like the clappers, giving my two wormeries a chance to catch up. It's amazing how making something in the garden look good encourages me to take better care of it.

The raised beds, the picket fence, the boundary fences and the shed will also get pimped: in fact the compost bin was a bit of a trial run colour-wise. I like this shade of green but think it's a bit too strong for the shed etc - sage green with cream accents will probably be the order of the day for them.

I've learned a lot as a newbie sheddie: apparently I can't just slap on a tin of water-based colour like Garden Shades - I need to wait a year (A YEAR!) until the wood weathers. I don't think I'll be able to hold off that long, but maybe until next spring. I also need advice re tool racks and shed storage, but I'll save that for another post.

This is another view of the raised beds, partly showing the motley collection of shrubs in the brick raised bed in the opposite corner of the garden to the shed. Current plan - as when time and newborn baby allows - is to whip out the prostrate conifer (ugh), variegated euonymous (double ugh) and dark-leaved hebe (ugh etc) at the front, at the very least, and maybe leave the photinia and spruce behind them. Suggestions for replacements welcome. The ornamental quince 'Geisha Girl' and Osmanthus x burkwoodii to the right of the shed (but not in the brick raised bed) will stay for the moment, and will hopefully thrive once freed from the grip of the hideous conifer.

Comments

[Rob Stacewicz]

The most beautiful shed I've ever seen.

[Robert Webber]

Congrats 'shedwoman'!
But is it a shed or an office in the making?
Best Wishes and for event!
R

[Jane Perrone]

Definitely for growing, potting and storage only - the garden office is a separate and much more substantial project that will come to fruition in a year or two. I didn't really mention this in the post but the idea is it's a bit of a greenhouse/shed hybrid as the roof's half-glazed so I am hoping to use it for raising plants as well as potting.

[louise]

you definitely need some net curtains for those windows.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

How exciting. Much preferable to sitting around contemplating names or trying to scrub under the fridge (I say this only because I hear late pregnancy makes women want to clean - never a compulsion I ever experienced - although I did lay a patio when sseven and a half months pregnant).

Shrub wise - what aspect is it?

[Jane Perrone]

I have a touch of the cleaning obsession too, I'm afraid, although it's much to the benefit of my cooker hood, I have to say!

The brick raised bed is south-facing ...

[Woody Wilbury]

Damn fine shed, that. And you've got tomatoes in it already. Great stuff. Personally I'd leave it "shed colour" but what do I know, being a bloke.

[Ryan]

I'm a little envious if truth be told. Gorgeous shed, funky composter and good sturdy beds . . . perfect!

I can't wait to see it all in full swing now.

Ryan

[Helen at Toronto Gardens]

Beautiful shed. Looks like it will weather to a lovely grey, like the fence. I wouldn't paint it, if I were you. But sounds like you'll have till the baby's first birthday to think about it.

[patrick]

Wow. That's a beautiful shed! Well ventilated, to boot. Congratulations.