Wooden Potting Sheds

It the time of year when winter is nearly over and spring is about to spring. Easter is only a few weeks away and this traditionally is when the garden starts to get its owners’ full attention. This year Easter is the earliest it has been for a number of years and for the life of me I can’t understand why the date keeps changing. Christmas is the same every year so why not Easter?

Anyway, Easter is one of the busiest time of the year for getting out into the garden and seeing what needs doing. The garden shed is often a likely candidate, certainly if it is one of the cheap ones available on the web. I’m sure you know what I mean – the ones with chipboard or OSB floors and worse roofs which start to disintegrate as soon as they get wet.

The sheds which you CAN’T see before you buy. Yes, they are cheap but just think why these sheds are cheap. Maybe this time is worth looking at sheds just a little bit better and, quite radically, only buying a garden shed you can see. You know it makes sense.

A greenhouse or potting shed for the garden is another consideration and it nearly always a good idea. Whilst helping with your gardening hobby you can grow delicious fruit and vegetable and saves loads of money. Also, this produce which you grow also tastes nicer and you have the satisfaction of having grown it your self.

Owning your own greenhouse or potting shed means you can enjoy many happy hours and also can help socially. With a common interest, and even more so when society is trying to be greener, you can share ideas and maybe produce for both your interests. The benefits of owning your own greenhouse combination shed include improving your health and relieving stress from the day to day world.

The greenhouse is not the only option for growing fruit and vegetables although it is the first garden building thought about when considering these type of buildings. You will find that wooden potting sheds can come in many sizes and shapes. Traditionally these garden buildings were all timber but over the year the aluminium greenhouses have become more popular, mainly because of cost.

Usually glazed with horticultural glass, (this is glass which may have small imperfections in it but it is ideally suited for this purpose) Polycarbonate, plastic or even polyethylene can be used. I personally would not consider plastic or polyethylene but glass or polycarbonate will do the job admirably. An opening window and, or, skylights would be a good idea for ventilation. There are also many shapes which include the orangery style which harks back to the good old Victorian times. 1st Choice Leisure Buildings have examples of lean to and apex potting sheds and greenhouses on their display site for viewing so, if interested, take a trip out to see these super garden buildings.

Another option is a combination greenhouse and garden shed such as the Diamond Graffham or the Platinum Frensham combi greenhouse with shed. With these garden buildings, you would normally find about 2/3 rds of the building would be a greenhouse – potting shed and the remaining 1/3 rd would be a garden shed. You would then be able to conveniently store your garden tools and plant pots and boxes in the shed section.

This combination greenhouse-garden shed also looks very neat and tidy. Normally available in varying lengths and widths. You will also find the Graffham and Frensham can have the garden shed and greenhouse in different proportions to suit your needs. Again, ensure you take a look at these buildings before buying so you don’t end up with a cheap imitation. Also ask about the door in the side rather than in the end, if that suits your garden better.

A third option is a garden potting shed. This tends to be a garden shed with a large expanse of glass on one side. Traditionally the glass will slope backwards at an angle – lean to type- as it’s claimed this makes the most of the sun. The only downside to this is that it reduces dramatically the interior space. If you take a look at the Diamond and Platinum potting shed you will see they given a lot of thought to the design and this ensures that you do not lose any space inside, hilt having a massive expanse of glass on the front and both ends.

This very popular potting shed is available with a pent (single slope) roof as well as an apex (gable) roof. They have also added a half glass roof option so you do not miss out on any sunshine – a true masterpiece. Complete with slatted potting bench, opening window and stable door there are no standard extras required.

How to choose? Take a look at all three types of greenhouses, greenhouse combination sheds and solar potting sheds at 1st Choice Leisure Buildings Surrey display sites. These experts, who have been involved with the manufacture of garden buildings since 1979 recognise that they are here to serve you and not to push onto you whatever THEY choose. You know it makes sense.

The normal greenhouse or potting shed is glazed with glass so most people would think, however, up in Lancashire, a forward looking gardening group have experimented and proved that there are environmental friendly alternatives. ‘Grow and Sow’ (gardening group) have managed to create a greenhouse using 1200 plastic drinks bottles reported the local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph. As there is an abundance of plastic bottles which mainly end up in landfill sites this has to be a good thing.

The head of the project, Gillian Preston, built the greenhouse on the Hodge House Allotments said that their gardening group had wanted to build something out of rubbish items destined for landfill. She went on to say to the newspaper that they wanted something which was practical and which the children, the country’s future, could be involved in. It has evolved into a true community effort.

The pupils at Holy Saviour Primary School in Nelson Lancs and local residents were involved with the construction of this greenhouse so a real team effort. The plastic bottles were cut off at the bottom and then secured together with cane. This was then supported on a timber frame. Although sounding a little rickety I am sure that the local school was pleased with the results.

Plastic greenhouses are quite unusual in Britain and Brentwood but plastic garden sheds are quite common and appeal to environmentally friendly people. Richard Branson is also keen on the reuse of materials where possible. However, having a potting shed or greenhouse made from plastic drinks bottles sounds very ‘Blue Peter ish’. OK in principle but in practice ??

With the ever rising cost of fresh food more and more people are turning to their gardens to grow fruit and vegetables to supplement their family needs. The common old garden shed can play a big part in this as the shed will protect all the gardening tools from getting damaged or stolen. The shed also pays for itself as you can store all the garden fertiliser and bulbs in there and it can also be a good place to keep your root vegetables cool and dry.

You don’t necessarily have to have a purpose built garden shed but potting sheds are very popular and it’s easy to see why. They have the benefit of a normal shed with the storage but there is a lot of light with the windows on the front and both ends. On most potting sheds the front windows slopes backwards which restricts the amount of interior space, however, the Diamond and Platinum Potting sheds are different. Whilst they have windows on the front and both ends the windows on the front are vertical giving you the maximum of working space with the shed. They even have an option for half the roof to be glass which is brilliant.

The choice of vegetables which is grown is immense from potatoes, peas, broad beans, brussel sprouts, lettuces etc. However the most popular choice for many are tomatoes. Easily grown along the garden shed in pots, provided it’s a little shady, or in the potting house, initially on the bench to catch the sun and then on the shed floor or outside. Most people can grow tomatoes even if you don’t have ‘green fingers’. The other benefit is that not much digging is required.

There are of course a few things to think about whether the tomatoes are in the potting shed or outside and that is to check whether there are any smells coming from them. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has warned that if they start to give off a strange, distinctive odour then they could be under attack from botrtis fungus, which does not sound very nice. It’s been discovered by scientists in Germany and the Netherlands (why is it not called Holland?) that tomato plants actually emit high levels of hormone when they are infected with this fungus. This particular smell is noticeable before the problem becomes visible on the plant leaves and this early warning can help gardeners detect and treat this problem to limit the damage to the crop.

The fungus Botrytis can be prevalent in the humid conditions often found in greenhouses, garden potting sheds & solar sheds and this will allow it to spread. The plants are infected with a grey mould and can ruin a whole crop of tomatoes if not treated. The scientists hope that their research will enable gardeners to use less pesticide on their crops and to have to spend less time checking their tomatoes.

The leader of the research project, Ralph Jansen said that if you can identify an infestation in a greenhouse on time there will be less need for pesticides. In a separate issue the well known Wisley Gardens famed for its marvellous gardens and plants which gardeners around the country enjoy won the Attraction of the Year at the South East Tourism Awards.