GARDEN OF THE GOODS
Bring handy workspace, unique storage and charming vintage decor to your garden via an open-air potting shed that’s decked out with outdoor gadgets and salvaged elements.
Add charming vintage style to your backyard with an open-air potting shed that’s decked out with salvaged architectural pieces and outdoor gadgets.
IIf you’ve always wanted a garden shed but thought it was too time-consuming or expensive to buy or build, an open-air structure that serves as both a functional and decorative work environment might be the solution for you. At a mere 6 x 8 x 10 feet, this budget-friendly structure is just large enough to hold essential potting tools and provide a workspace, while the open design keeps beautiful views intact. With a simple framework and minimal cladding, costs stay low. And the best part? It can be constructed over a long weekend with basic tools.
Once the shell of your shed is complete, you can customize it however you like— from the finish materials you choose to the details you place inside. Our shed is clad in red cedar, which imparts a delightful fragrance, but using old barn boards, doors and windows or rescued clapboard siding would impart an immediate vintage vibe. If you want to plant climbers, attach an old ladder to the side of the shed for vines to ascend. We opted for one window box in the front, but adding them on all four sides would further blend the structure into the landscape. Bright matte hues gave our shed presence, but painting it in subtle colors such as sage and cream could blend with or complement your own garden.
On the interior of the shed, inject even more style notes by opting for a cottage, rustic or cabin look. A fabric apron concealing the storage area beneath the work table gave us not only our overall color palette but also style cues for the decor. Saturated pastels and bright colors drawn from the fabric show up on the structure, a small metal stool, the accents and the plantings. The floral motif is a natural in the garden, and it’s repeated in the pediment ornament and the stained-glass panel. Turned stair balusters, scrolled brackets and a divided window frame enhance the vintage look.
Finally, plant a small garden around your shed, whether for cut flowers, fresh herbs or continuous color, to meld it into the site. Add some curves to the surrounding beds to counter the angular lines of the structure, and incorporate a variety of foliage and flower colors, shapes and heights to keep the look interesting.
Sit for a Spell
Set up a small seating area near your shed where you can take a break from gardening chores and admire your work. Provide cushions for comfort, a side table or bench to hold a cold drink and a snack, and some containers planted with cheery annuals and waving grasses. Decorate your haven of happy pursuits down to the last detail with vintage pieces hanging overhead, arranged atop a bench and tucked around your feet.
Grate Adaptations
Keep your eyes open at vintage shops, flea markets and resale stores for unique salvage pieces to add character to your shed. Here, an ornate furnace grate frames an old fan blade, creating a unique floral-inspired ornament for the pediment. We attached the grate and blade to the wood with screws, but if you want to enable some movement, thread a bolt through the fan blade, followed by a loosely secured nut to allow the fan to spin in the wind. Thread the bolt through a hole drilled into the pediment and secure with another nut on the back of the pediment.
Glass from the Past
Thick glass insulators that once covered wiring on the top of telegraph and telephone poles stand in as unique and sparkling edging. The heavy pieces come in different sizes and configurations in clear or turquoise glass (most commonly) and can be moved easily as your garden expands. If you can’t find enough insulators to suit your space, consider other edging options such as old license plates, china plates, upturned terra-cotta pots, or even vintage hubcaps or bowling balls.
Seeding Station
Beckon birds to your backyard by installing a small feeder made from old china. Use epoxy (we swear by E6000 adhesive for outdoor applications) to glue the cup to the saucer and let dry. Next, glue a copper female adapter to the bottom of the saucer. When dry, slip it over a length of copper pipe embedded in the garden soil. If you live in an area that experiences high winds that might bend the copper, push a length of rebar into the ground first and slip the copper pipe over the rebar.
A Cut Above
Vintage aluminum cookie cutters in animal shapes adorn the edging around the front flower bed. To fashion this attention-getting border, cut pieces of wood into two different lengths. (Ours are 12 and 18 inches.) Glue a cookie cutter in place atop each of the longer pieces of wood, and then insert a small screw through the aluminum and into the wood to secure it. Dig a 6-inch-deep trench around the bed using a garden edger, place each wood piece in the trench, alternating the lengths, backfill the soil and tamp it around the edging.
More Than Just Chores
An ample work surface provides space to pot plants, store necessities and write in a gardening journal, but it can be more than just a utilitarian space if you usher in a hearty dose of decorative flair. Incorporate a variety of materials when styling your shed to keep things visually appealing. Glass, iron, porcelain and brass add patina and sparkle. For example, small tools, plant tags and markers find a home in a vintage African violet pot, while collected seeds rest in mason jars gathered in a bottle carrier. On the side post, old cultivator tines offer a spot to hang a garden hat.
Lovely Logbook
Keep a journal or scrapbook to record your gardening efforts from year to year. Tuck in plant tags to remind yourself of horticultural requirements, save drawings of bedding plans, and add pockets to stow receipts for guaranteed shrubs, trees and perennials. Your log can be an artist’s sketchbook as seen here, a purpose-made gardening journal, a spiral notebook or even a flip-up wall calendar.
All Boxed Up
A well-used tackle box gets a new lease on life as a storage spot for small gardening supplies and seeds. Made to keep fiddly little bits and bobs neatly stashed, the box ensures that everything is tidy and easy to find when you’re working.
Shelf Help
Gardeners by their nature notice the little things, the details that make up the big picture. Here, salvaged stair balusters provide support for a small upper shelf that increases the work and display space. Painted a complementary blue color, the turned posts stand out vividly against the peach-hued tabletop and shelf, lending a touch of elegance to the linear elements.