How it all began
The story of my potting shed actually began earlier. A few years ago, we wanted to try keeping chickens. We built them a lovely coop from leftover pieces of old wood. Even back then, I wanted the coop to look like a little house from the outside, so that later, when we no longer wished to keep chickens, it could easily be turned into a shed or some other small building.
Eventually, the time came when keeping chickens at our home came to an end, and the coop that stood empty needed a new purpose.
The need for a potting shed
By that time, I already knew that I wanted a potting shed of my own. My interest in growing plants had gotten a bit out of control, and all the different tools needed a place to go. Our house does not yet have a garage, nor do we have a shed, so keeping flowerpots, soil, and supplies indoors had become very inconvenient.
I dreamed of a place in the garden where I could escape, plant, store my gardening tools, and simply spend time. The chicken coop was small, but with good planning, it was possible to fit everything inside.
Moving and rebuilding
First, I wanted to move the little shed to a different location, because the chicken run was no longer needed. This freed up space and made it possible to move the house further back. Since the structure did not have a proper floor, I decided to build a base from old used bricks. You can read more about that in this post here.
Once the base was ready, the little house had to be lifted onto it. This required four strong men and several meters of lifting straps. Because the chickens had a raised floor and I no longer needed the perches, some small demolition work began. We removed everything unnecessary.
Before installing all the shelves, I pressure-washed the house inside and out. It also needed a fresh coat of paint to remove all traces of the chickens and brighten up the space.
From the old perches and other wood that came out during demolition, we built shelves. To avoid overcrowding the space, most of the shelves are relatively narrow, with only one deeper work surface that is practical for working.
We also cut in one large window on the south-facing wall where the nesting boxes used to be, so the potting shed would have more light for the plants. I got the old windows for free from an acquaintance, and to make them a bit prettier, I added wooden cross details on top.
Finishing touches
I decided to paint the shelves dark, because then soil and dirt are less visible. It also makes the space feel more open while highlighting the beautiful flowerpots and greenery.
We also used various decorative trim pieces that were left over. A potting shed does not have to be ugly, and I know how much impact small details can have.
Halfway through the build, Mr. Right decided that maybe this should become his outdoor office instead. It was peaceful there and the view was not bad either.
For rebuilding this shed, I did not buy a single material. We tried to use all the leftover pieces and wood from previous projects. Sometimes I wonder why I keep all this “junk,” but then during the next project I am so grateful to my past self for not throwing things away.
This does not mean you have to keep everything, but it is worth thinking critically about what could be reused and whether you would actually use those leftovers next time or simply buy new anyway. In our case, keeping things has definitely paid off.
Practical, but still beautiful
In the end, I managed to fit in everything necessary, even if not all of it is beautiful, like planting boxes, buckets, and soil. For smaller and essential items, I tried to find nicer solutions, such as baskets, smaller pots, and containers.
The potting shed had to be practical first and fit everything needed, but I believe that practical and beautiful can go hand in hand.
Some shelves are still missing and there are a few things I would like to add, but for now, this has turned into a very lovely potting shed made with simple means, and it serves me well.
