by Rose Spotts

Created on: July 13, 2008

Having a potting shed is a dream for anyone who loves gardening and takes it seriously. Buying one is not the same as building your own. You can put all of your creative energy into building something that just makes your hobby of gardening absolutely perfect. But how do you build your own potting shed?

First you'll need to know how big your potting shed needs to be. So in order to assess that, lay out your tools and equipment and everything that you intend to store in the potting shed. This will help give you an idea on how much space you will need. Then you can look into plans and designs of appropriate sized sheds. There are potting sheds for every type of gardener.

You can design your own plans if you are so inclined and talented enough, but some of us would rather have already made plans to follow. So you can look around on the internet or check with some of your local gardening centres to find out if they sell plans for the size potting shed you will need. There are many sizes and styles out there to suit just about any taste, so be sure to really find one you will want to compliment your landscape.

Once you have a plan, you will need to acquire the tools and lumber. Hammers, nails, screws, drills, saws, gravel and concrete should all be on your list. You will also need sheets of siding, sheets of treated plywood and roofing paper if you intend to have a shingled roof. Then you can begin building your side walls first. Be sure that any material that comes into contact with the ground is treated.

Attaching the sidewalls will require you to use the concrete to set the poles into holes in the ground. Depending on the size of your potting shed, you'll need to assess what you'll need in terms of smaller boards for your rafters. A potting shed doesn't just keep out the dog or the neighbours cat, it should keep out the weather as well. After all, a potting shed is there so you can protect your gardening tools and necessities.

Then you'll be building the roof and covering that so this is where you'll need to pay attention to the items you bought for this part. It is not hard to build something part of the way only to find out that you don't have enough to finish it.

Decorating your potting shed will be the most fun no matter what your design is. Remember there are plans for so many styles, types and sizes of potting sheds out there. It will pay in the long run for you to research them out and find out which one suits you.

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