Re: [gardeners] RE: Dream Garden Shed
Teressa Kandianis (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 23 Jul 2001 11:00:12 -0700
I built my dream shed last summer - alas, one can't have everything though.
I wanted something a tad more rustic than what I built - But the finished
shed is a better, more long lasting building than what I would have ended up
with otherwise. It is 12 x 16 (12' being the max for something to do with
support for the roof) is painted cedar siding, concrete pad with ceramic
tile floor (deep discount tile), that pink foam insulation, a counter with
sink (water is plumbed in), another spigot on the wall high enough to fill
buckets, lots of electricity for grow lights and plug ins for rechargeable
tools, shelving on most walls, french doors, a marble potting table (from
the recycle store for a pittance) with room for garbage cans of various
soils under, three windows (also from the recycle store), old painted
plywood for interior walls (the better to nail or screw in holders for tools
etc, and we just finished a 4x16 lean to greenhouse against the south wall
for my tomatoes. The water line comes up on that south side for an outside
spigot so it and a hose can be kept from freezing in the winter. The south
wall of the greenhouse is mostly two recycled aluminum sliding glass doors
so there's plenty of air circulation on hot days. Oh and a weather vane on
top. A corkboard to thumbtack things like lists of germination times and
temps and characteristics of various organic soil amendments etc etc. I'd
also like to have a chalkboard or whiteboard for notes to myself. I had
outlets put in places like the center of the ceiling over the potting bench
so I can plug in grow lights in the winter for starting seeds. I wanted to
put in an old kitchen wood stove I have but am encountering much
resistence - plus its a little large. Though it would look very nice - the
question still is a heat source. The wood stove wouldn't do the trick for
heating unattended seedlings and plants anyway. I didn't want it for my
implements such as lawn mowers, trimmer, tillers as they take up too much
room and are unsightly. The men are all horrified as they believe the shed
should be the place to store the motorized stuff. Items such as dirt and
plants belong outdoors they believe.
I'm still organizing inside but I'm pretty happy overall - I don't like the
color green I painted it so I'm searching for ideas of how to spray
something on it that will peel and crack so the green is less visible.
However, I really like the outhouse idea for the other end of my garden -
all I have there now is a mailbox for gloves and short handled weeders.
Free wood is a treat! The price of wood amazed me when I started shopping
around for my shed materials. Its not even cheap at the recycle store.
Build a big one.
Teressa