Sheds? They're for ladies, too
Traditionally they were the place where husbands went to hide. No longer. Ladies, it is time to reclaim your potting shed, for there is no reason why the shed at the end of the garden should be a hoarder’s paradise, a dusty old repository of rusting bric-a-brac and prodigious spiders’ web. With a little love, attention and practical planning, it could be the focus of your garden, even a room of one’s own.
1. Secateurs, £9; natural jute twine, £2.50, both by Dobbies Garden Centre 2. Level compost with a round pot tamper, £6.96, by Burgon & Ball 3. Smarten up your shed with this hardwood potting bench with storage, £159.99, by Crocus 4. The Bilbao potting bench, £229, slots nicely into a space in the garden or patio, and the fir wood cabinet, £60, is perfect for a conservatory or kitchen; both by John Lewis
If you already have a shed, there’s no need to raise it to the ground and start again – simply don your overalls and give it a good summer clean out. Rid yourself of all that needless clutter and consider how best it can work for you. As the Greenman collection at the Petersham Nurseries shows, even tools can be beautiful these days.
A selection of garden tools, from £9 to £30, by Greenman at Petersham Nurseries
Once you’ve got the garden essentials sorted – from your spade and shears to your hoe and daisy grubber – think about storage and work surfaces. Vintage and shabby chic items may work best.
6. Garden soap, £5.25, by Baileys Home Store 7. Potting box, £15, by Robert & Sevens at John Lewis 8. Tie up plants with Nutscene coloured twine, £3.45 each, by Petersham Nurseries
Consider pairing John Lewis’s whitewashed Bilbao potting bench, for example, with the beautiful fir wood cabinet. And don’t overlook the little details. Burgon & Ball offers a gorgeous tool and tuck box – with space for your gardening essentials and a hearty lunch – while Thoughtful Gardener’s enamel mugs look the part and are rugged enough to last well outdoors. And if you really want to make the space your own, Not On The High Street sells a range of reclaimed wooden house signs. You could even make and personalise your own.
9. Rusty keys, £12, by John Lewis 10. Keep a check on the weather with these fork and spade rain gauges, £7.50 each, by Fallen Fruits at Cotswold Trading 11. Roll of string on a wire hook – easy to hang above the potting table or in the garden – £10.50, by Red Lilly 12. Enamel mugs, £13 each, by Thoughtful Gardener at Not On The High Street 13. Tool and tuck box with plenty of space for tools and your lunch, £19.95, by Burgon & Ball
So husbands beware – the ladies want their sheds back.
Burgon & Ball 0114-233 8262, www.burgonandball.com
Cotswold Trading 01386-853331, www.cotswoldtrading.com
Crocus 0844-557 2233, www.crocus.co.uk
Dobbies Garden Centre 0131-561 6406, www.dobbies.com
John Lewis 0845-604 9049, www.johnlewis.com
Not On The High Street 0845-259 1359, www.notonthehighstreet.com
Petersham Nurseries 020-8940 5230, www.petershamnurseries.com
Red Lilly 01206-864260, www.redlilly.co.uk
1. Secateurs, £9; natural jute twine, £2.50, both by Dobbies Garden Centre 2. Level compost with a round pot tamper, £6.96, by Burgon & Ball 3. Smarten up your shed with this hardwood potting bench with storage, £159.99, by Crocus 4. The Bilbao potting bench, £229, slots nicely into a space in the garden or patio, and the fir wood cabinet, £60, is perfect for a conservatory or kitchen; both by John LewisIf you already have a shed, there’s no need to raise it to the ground and start again – simply don your overalls and give it a good summer clean out. Rid yourself of all that needless clutter and consider how best it can work for you. As the Greenman collection at the Petersham Nurseries shows, even tools can be beautiful these days.
A selection of garden tools, from £9 to £30, by Greenman at Petersham NurseriesOnce you’ve got the garden essentials sorted – from your spade and shears to your hoe and daisy grubber – think about storage and work surfaces. Vintage and shabby chic items may work best.
6. Garden soap, £5.25, by Baileys Home Store 7. Potting box, £15, by Robert & Sevens at John Lewis 8. Tie up plants with Nutscene coloured twine, £3.45 each, by Petersham NurseriesConsider pairing John Lewis’s whitewashed Bilbao potting bench, for example, with the beautiful fir wood cabinet. And don’t overlook the little details. Burgon & Ball offers a gorgeous tool and tuck box – with space for your gardening essentials and a hearty lunch – while Thoughtful Gardener’s enamel mugs look the part and are rugged enough to last well outdoors. And if you really want to make the space your own, Not On The High Street sells a range of reclaimed wooden house signs. You could even make and personalise your own.
9. Rusty keys, £12, by John Lewis 10. Keep a check on the weather with these fork and spade rain gauges, £7.50 each, by Fallen Fruits at Cotswold Trading 11. Roll of string on a wire hook – easy to hang above the potting table or in the garden – £10.50, by Red Lilly 12. Enamel mugs, £13 each, by Thoughtful Gardener at Not On The High Street 13. Tool and tuck box with plenty of space for tools and your lunch, £19.95, by Burgon & BallSo husbands beware – the ladies want their sheds back.
ADDRESS BOOK
Baileys Home Store 01989-561931, www.baileyshomeandgarden.comBurgon & Ball 0114-233 8262, www.burgonandball.com
Cotswold Trading 01386-853331, www.cotswoldtrading.com
Crocus 0844-557 2233, www.crocus.co.uk
Dobbies Garden Centre 0131-561 6406, www.dobbies.com
John Lewis 0845-604 9049, www.johnlewis.com
Not On The High Street 0845-259 1359, www.notonthehighstreet.com
Petersham Nurseries 020-8940 5230, www.petershamnurseries.com
Red Lilly 01206-864260, www.redlilly.co.uk