Potting Shed - What do you wish you had added?

Okay, I'm getting ready to attempt to put together a reclaimed cedar barn. I have a framer/builder that is more than qualified to do the job and his price is fair. I have not had the luxury of having a potting shed before and this will be the only one I have. I am hoping to make a wish list of all the things I'd like and then choose those I 'must' have. I have always used a board over two sets of blocks and potted from a garbage can full of mixed soil.

If you have a shed what do you like or not like, what do you wish you had added now that you've used it for some time? What don't you use as much as you thought. would you have more windows or less, a door with a window or not? For those that are still dreaming, what items would you incorporate and why? Any pictures would be wonderful.

I'm hoping to start before the holidays and have it finished for spring.

Please help me dream up a great potting shed.

I would love just to have one LOL
My potting is done where ever I move my table, or in the kitchen on the table. or on a wheelbarrow with cardboard as a table. or the worst is the tail of a truck. Sorry I wish for one but mine would have to be moveable. I know a potting wagon LOL.
This is my setup in my woodland, would be nice if it was covered. and my helper 'Ratso'

a sink!! with running water or a hose hooked up to it. I still may incorporate it somehow into my potting bench (no shed yet )

my dream list would include the sink with running water and drain. and lots of east facing windows so I can root things and start seeds in there.

one thing I thought I would love on the potting bench ws the built in storage container for the soil... takes up too much space and I could have easily had a big huge garbage can (to hold more soil) next to the bench instead. with the built in storage, it took away from my storage shelf .

but a sink is a must have for me!!

okay, a horrible pix...but the only one I could find! lol!

I have 2 nice stainless steel double sinks and have no way to hook them up. The way my place is, Oh to dream for to have a place where I could do it all that in one place, your Sis was here she knows how space out it is.
But my dream is to have a bigger GH with a potting shed attached and with running water. With bins that have seedling soil and regular potting soil. and a area to keep all the the pots of dif. sizes. And warm LOL

I don't have a shed, but I like to keep three plastic garbage cans (the kind with wheels on them) with different kinds of soil or material for potting. With the rollers, you can move them around to fill them from your compost pile, etc.

I would think you'd want some shelves - I like those metal gorilla shelves.

You'll want some sort of system to hang your tools - tree pruners, weeder, shovels, rakes, etc. And I'd include some sort of support (just a ring, really, to keep all your plant support stakes, etc.)

You'll want some shelves over the table(s) to keep small things (support twine, cutting utensils, cups for measuring, tool cleaning supplies).

I like those little inexpensive holders from Home Depot for holding screws and tiny supplies like that.

And don't forget to have extra pairs of pruners, gloves, Japanese hori-hori knives (I absolutely love this tool - especially for dividing plants), trowels, mattocks in a couple of locations. Some day I'll have a few mailboxes around the property to store this stuff in each location.

If you have electricity, how cool would it be to have a small refrigerator out there. I'll bet you could get one used after the school year at a savings.

Pot cubbies of various sizes would be cool. I'll add more as I think of it.

Edited to add:

An old stereo (or a new one) might be nice. I like to garden without human-created noise, but listening to a little NPR while working outside on a Saturday might be nice.

This message was edited Oct 22, 2008 3:24 PM

All great ideas, keep them coming. I managed to score some old 6 pane windows, 2 exterior doors with windows and a transom window/glass for my project. I will start looking for a sink, perhaps a double bowl and I like the ideas of rolling bins for different dirt materials. It might not have water or electric but that's part of the discussion. My DH is afraid if we put any modern conveniences in it, I'll never come in the house. Unfortunately, he's probably not too far off.

Katie - Hori-hori knives? please explain and tell me where I would find such a tool. I would love a 'fridge, but that might be an 'after' idea that I wait on. I'll see if I can leave an undercabinet space for a small fridge. I'd love to have music but that would require electric or my laptop.... that might cause some difficulties.

I think I have the exterior figured out and the placement to the garden but the inside is still a bit of a mystery yet. Not sure if we're going to use it as a seed house too, then it will need electricity and maybe heat... was trying to to go that route as it gets expensive to heat an non insulated building.

I love your ideas and thoughts they are fueling the dream.

I need to see it. It sounds charming!! Maybe add an old club chair in there for your DH to come visit you once in awhile. LOL

Here's a link for the knife. My favorite tool used to be (and still is a close second), my mattock. But this knife is awesome!!

http://www.gemplers.com/product.aspx?itemNo=139303&s_kwcid=hori-hori%20knife|980463685

Wow, that's the perfect present. I'll be buying one for my daughter so she can split her daylilies easier.

If all goes well maybe I/we can be a plant swap host site for the future. It's not as convenient to my house as Gordon's and my space is not as clear and I don't make a good pie (apple or otherwise) but there's plenty of room if we parked in the driveway and DH can grill.

You guys are full of great ideas, tools, plants and pictures. Great group to be part of.

I enable you . . . you enable me. Everybody wins!!!

Great idea for a gift for your daughter. They are very sharp on both sides, so it's good to practice before you get to using them. Ask me how I know.

If you are putting in windows do not put them on the south side .North or east would work better otherwise it will get way too warm in there.

I have an 8 foot square shed , no windows, with a sloped barn style roof - we took out the lower slope of the roof on the south and replaced it with a sheet of PVC. It is great to be able to see in there but it gets so hot that I had to move the table to the north side and I have to keep the door open . So much nicer to work in but sure does get hot - even when it is -20C outside!
Would have been much better on the north side!

I would want a special spot for large containers of soil etc - I think I would use large ruff totes tipped forward at an angle under the work table. If they are put in flat then you have to pull them out to get any material out of them.

And definitely some sort of hanging system for all large and small tools.
And ways to hang things like plant supports.

Water would be nice put that means plumbing. I would put in a sink with a pail underneath which you could empty and have a rain barrel hooked up somewhere to catch water of the eaves and feed into the barrel and into the shed with a hose maybe? It would need to be set up high enough so gravity would feed the water into your sink when you turned a tap

I agree on the rain barrell and hoses. we dont get enough rain here, but instead of rain barrell mine will be hooked up to a hose for the faucet. also SH is talking about running a simple drain right to a dry well, so I daont have to empty my wash bin anymore :o)

we are remodelling our kitchen now, took out 2 sets of double french doors will reuse sink and doors in the potting shed...someday! lol! gotta get the kitchen done first :o(

Oh, this is fun to think about!

Hmm, a fridge would also be good for storing bulbs and seeds.......
rain barrel would be wonderful

A covered/protected porch for hardening off seedlings in spring and a nice place to sit and look at the garden from in summer?

Maybe paint it a nice bright and cheery color inside for those gray days if you put the windows on the north side?

Katie - Enable/Enabled.... yep I qualify. I'm afraid to ask how you know sounds painful.

Fancyvan - I too was thinking about the Plexi panels for the roof. Thought that would let in lots of light, might not have to have electricity (for lights) but will want it for other things. Now I'll rethink that. I came from really hot climate and working outside or uncooled building was terrible. Thanks for the tip on window placement, I'll reevaluate the set up inside too. I too want soil bins as we'll be potting different things with different soil mixes. I was going to put them on casters so I could move them out to add soil mix items and move them in under my 'dry sink' set up with wire top counter so that the dirt falls back into the container. I don't want to loose too much to 'messy kid' activity. I like the idea of them tipping though, I'll have to work on that.

Anjl - French Doors! I hadn't thought about more than one door. That would be great for the front, facing the garden. That way I could get my wheelbarrow or cart in the building without worrying about the door jam size. Love it. Still have to think on the water issue. My well house is close so water in isn't too tough but I don't want soggy area from run off. Need to work out that issue. I might go for sink w/ pail as I don't think I'll be washing much inside... don't know yet as I've not had the luxury of a building before.

Suzybell - I like the fridge, I've been holding 4500 daylily seeds for spring planting in my kitchen veggie drawer, I'd love to reclaim the space.I still have 300+ bulbs sitting in the garage that I'd like to cool before planting out, sure would come in handy. I'd better be careful as it sounds like I might need a full size 'fridge. I also like your idea of bright, cheerful painted interior. Kids get to choose their colors for the playhouse (rest of the reclaimed barn from potting shed set up), I hadn't though about 'my' playhouse in those terms. I'm not a yellow fan but that would brighten up the space even on a cloudy day. I've carried around a photo for years of what my grandmother called a 'hot box' she used it for hardening off veggie seedlings. Hers was old glass windows framed on top, laid at an angle. Wood back with shelves, clear plastic sides and front with a 2 board base and brick floor. She always had tomatoes from seed. Wish I'd have thought to pay more attention as a kid to the veggies she raised. I was interested in her flowers only.

Anyone have suggestions on paint color and finish? Does finish matter? It will be rough finish inside so it won't be 'pretty', just functional.

ladybug your GMas 'hot box' is what I have always called a cold frame and yes they used to and probably still are in many cases be made with old windows - but those windows were pretty heavy. Better materials nowadays! You can actually buy them too ( check out LeeValley for some ideas)

I dont have one but in areas were the growing season is short and frost free dates dont arrive until well into May it would sure be handy!

Double doors absolutely. If you dont need electricity or it would be a pain to get it there you can now get lights that dont require wiring to use in the dark ( batteries of course!)

Heres a shot of my small shed with its very large window!

Fancyvan, thanks for the photo. I love your shed, raised beds too. I will check the link to leeValley for ideas. As you can tell, we're still fiddling around with lots of ideas. DH is not a gardner - he's a grass man. He's trying to be helpful but he's not much of a grower by nature, trying to change that though. My kiddos are and I'd like to expand their horizons. I'll have my son check into battery powered lighting - good weekend search project for computer (he's 10). It will help him feel like he's doing his part of the project.

As I recall, there was a bit of discussion on this thread about colors in the PNW. An added bonus is the opportunity to see what Pixydish (Melissa) has done on the little wall she's created in her back yard.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/788521/

Kris, I just left hand get a little too close to the hand with the knife and got a small cut. The knife was so sharp that I didn't even feel the cut until the bacteria from the dirt got in there. Once clean, it started to heal right away, presumably because the cut was so smooth.

As for the shed: don't forget a space for hooks for aprons and coats and hats in there - maybe even a place for muck boots, so that you can head back to the house in cleaner gardening clogs.

Grass does well here in the PNW, so your DH should be at home with that. Maybe you should get him together with Gordon and Rob (AnalogDog) to discuss the finer points of those big-leafed dinosaur plants. LOL

All this girl stuff. What you need is a bar stool with potting table, radio, tv, refer for beer, a small humidor for cigars and lastly brandy snifters when it is cold. Tools are beer bottle opener, cork screw, matches, cigar tip cutter........... Now your DH will come out and help.

Now THAT sounds like a guys room.

Katie - that bacteria is a bad thing. Just finished a monster dose of antibiotics for a spider bite that caused 1/2 leg bacterial infection. Didn't notice the bite, but the bacteria found a way in. I'll watch DD with the 'new' tool. She's pretty handy, most times more than I am - they don't let me play with sharp, pointy objects here. I don't know that my DH would be interested in even dinosaur plants, he might however enjoy some male bonding. He's a grass and hardscape kinda guy. Clean, well defined, organized sorts of spaces. Don't know how he ever hooked up with a plant addict! Kids got my set of genes in that respect. Grass is good to play on but not work at is their way of thinking.

Sofer - what a grand idea! I'll tell him that he can bring 'small' TV to watch hockey (okay football, baseball...) and have a beer to keep me company. If he watches hockey, I might have to get 2 stools and extra beer so I can take a break. He can even pick the bar and stool that he finds comfortable. Now I will get electricity and so will kiddos in the play house. Keep 'em busy while Dad relaxes. The side benefit of the 'bar' will be I get additional holding space for the plants.

I'll even consider a guy complimentary color for paint - although he won't even notice unless I ask him to help paint; which of course I won't.

A spider bit from up here? Was it a Brown Recluse? So sorry that you had that to "welcome" you to Washington.

I have never had a bite from a Brown Recluse (knock on wood). On this side of the mountains we're pretty lucky. There isn't much here that is poisonous, but she is certainly up at the top of the list.

Not BR, just an aggressive garden spider. First time I've worn socks in 8 years is here (w/ the exception of skiing). Had garden clogs on and capris, toodling around while building raised bed in taller grass. Got bit just above the sock/below the pant line. Not a big deal initially as I didn't really notice the bite, just the crawling. Red welt went into pustule that I noticed 3 days later when dog bumped my leg. Cleaned,drained, cleaned again figuring we were all set. 2 days later the bottom half of my leg from mid calf down to my ankle was bright red all the way around the leg, hot to the touch and blistering skin when I woke up. ER Dr. said I needed antibiotic to clear it up and put leg up for next week! Yeah right. I did it anyway when I filled perscription and found out it was for 2000 mg/daily. Didn't want to sit in the hospital for not following directions. Skin on that leg is now peeling off bottom half of leg, but infection is gone (pain too). Grass is now short all around the garden area and I wear my beautiful 'blue' boots for outside work, pants tucked in. Not very attractive but it works. Nice part is, out here, my neighbors think it's cute that the NC transplant has blue boots. ( $10 - couldn't resist) Great way to meet folks, some conversation starter at the bus stop.

A garden spider!! Wow, I didn't realize that could happen. Sounds like there really was some nasty bug in there. It's a good thing you kept an eye on it.

I'll look at those little beauties a little differently now . . .

The venom from many spiders causes the bite area to necrose (die) and the resident bacteria can take over. Quite common (unless you get bit everyday as a veterinarian) this can spread through the lymph channel and that is what you had. Probably the best is to thoroughly clean the area with iodine after the itch starts and the lump develops. Most staph and strep bacterias are quickly killed with Betadine.

So you vets are too ornery to get infected, eh?

Guess I should make sure I have some Betadine on hand.

No our immune systems are 'tuned' from continual exposure to antigen challenge. We all will survive Bird Flu virus.

Hope that works for me - I think I have enough "antigen challenge" around here to keep anybody's immune system in practice. ^_^

Sofer - never thought of betadine, we use it for horses and have lots on hand. Used alcohol to clean after I realized it was infected but it had already moved into surface tissue around the leg. Site still looks bad and the most affected skin looked burnt- it's peeling off now. Looks nasty but Dr. says it's fine. I didn't like spiders before, like 'em less now. Have tried to practice 'live and let live' with them. Don't want to have to worry about bird flu, hope you don't have to even if you'll survive.

This is a great thread! I need it, too, so thanks for starting it. I'm 'remodeling' the greenhouse, starting with a complete clean out and wash, then installing double wall polycarbonate as an extra layer of glazing on the inside. It will completely help with keeping the greenhouse cozy during the winter without extra heating. And I can take that hideous styrofoam insulation I was using and put it up in the attic to add to the insulation up there. Then I will have the entire greenhouse glowing again at night. I look forward to it.

Ladybugg, I really recommend that you have electricity in your shed. You won't regret it. It's pretty dark up here during the winter. Also, you might want to be warm while you work on planting your seed trays, etc. I have used a little portable propane heater in my shed (and also in the greenhouse) , but I prefer an electric heater on low when I'm going to be there for very long. If I had to choose between electricity and water, I would choose electricity, even if I had to run an outdoor extension cord from the house.
In my greenhouse, I have portable speakers so I can bring my MP3 player out there and listen to music or books. Your DH is right, though, about going out and never coming back in. That's a problem for me, too. I can spend literally hours out there and completely lose track of the time.

One thing I have used in the greenhouse in terms of potting that I really like is a long, rectangular wooden box with sides about 6 inches tall. It completely covers the top of my potting bench and is much larger than the potting 'sinks' I've seen commercially. It allows me to put a very large amount of potting soil out at one time and I can fill those little 4" pots lickety spit! When I'm pricking out seedlings, it's nice not to have to stoop and fill pots ever 30 seconds. Also, it's easy to mix my own potting mixtures that way. I used plywood to make mine.

Melissa, explain the process of filling the box a little bit more - I didn't quite get it. Do you set it on top of the potting bench?

The only problem I have with a potting shed is I have to haul the plants I dig up and divide to the other side of the yard. I have a small Martha Stewart potting bench that I have on wheels that I pull behind my tractor to where the sun is and where I want to work. I have always had an aversion to a dark potting shed area since Dan Hink and I worked in the basement of a barn to do all of the plantings we did as kids at the nursery. I ditto the I-Pod though. I like to pot in the spring in the sun. With a closed building that is too hot.
I also use this trailer to haul my soil, compost and potting bench. The small trailer is what I haul the potting bench with.

This message was edited Oct 25, 2008 12:34 AM

Whats all the hoes for?
I am the same to a point. I have to move around, but I have a hard time moving the soil where I need it, so I use my wagon for soil and pots and my old barrow rigged with a table so I can move where I want to. I also have 2 tables set up in the areas I work the most, need more. My yard is so hard to really work from one place, and have no means to move anything behind a tractor. LOL
Until my GH gets expanded most of my seedlings are done in the house for now then taken to the GH when time is right, and most likely when its done I will still do it in the house, warmer and have TV. LOL

Pixy - I'm leaning toward electricity and hose for water. Don't have the stereo hooked up nor TV yet so I've missed the music. Didn't think Ipod (duh), haven't unpacked that box yet. I'd love to see a picture of your 'box', it sounds like what I want. I'd love a greenhouse, especially with heat! I didn't realize how thin my blood has become living down south. I'm cold here even in the house. I certainly would use the electric heater inside the potting shed (keep my feet warm).

Sofer - love your moveable shed, that would be ideal. I too don't like dark spaces for working and until now I've always been able to move my cart by hand so it didn't matter. I guess with the luxury of a 'spot' comes the challenges you have mentioned. I had thought that I'd have the front doors open most of the time and the back door as well for air flow so it doesn't get too hot. The site is also somewhat set into the trees so I can have a small pond and shade garden out back.

The plan is to pretend to be working and then sneak out the back door and play in the shade garden. All just a dream at the moment, but you've given me something to think about. I like to work in the sun here as it's not miserably hot. Shade garden will be the last focus as it's totally mine. I promised to get everyone else going on their projects before I started to play with my plants. They know I will get totally engrossed and forget about time when I get started.

Tilly - we've always done the seedlings in the house too, necessity. This year we were going to use the garage.When do you start your seedlings inside? When do you move them outside and do you plant them directly at that point or keep them undercover?

I'm with you on the escape room thing. I don't have to hide because we have no neighbors who can look in. So my entire garden is my hide out. Good idea. I like the doors open doors closed idea. You can tell your DH when he is welcome. LOL

DH is always welcome, it's just that he likes to talk and he wants me to do more than nod or 'uh hum' when he's telling me something. I don't want to always take a break when he does and stop working to visit (LOL) part of me feels you can do both at the same time. Guess I'll need to work on changing that, I'd like him to feel included!

Hi Jan, could be it's our cool-weather higher humidity that's getting you-once the rains set in, the humidity goes way up and it feels much colder than the thermometer reads. My Minnesota grandparents were always freezing cold when they'd come out here for Christmas visits. You'll get used to it!

I wish I had the space you all have, I'm trying to figure out how to squeeze in just a small potting bench someplace. I end up sitting on the floor of my garage using bus bins and bags of potting soil-and I always spill some and make a mess. But, a dark room I would probably not want to work in.

I love the idea of your secret garden-sounds very peaceful-and I understand very well about DH's-we each have our own separate spaces, (4-bedroom house, no kids) but sometimes it's still hard to get time to really do something on my own. I think some of it is those male-female communication body language differences-mine doesn't think I'm listening if I'm not paying 100% attention to him (ok, well, sometimes I'm not, lol, but I do try...)

As far as painting, I'm no pro, but a glossier finish will reflect more light and be easier to keep clean. Flat would look awful in about a week. If not yellow, maybe a very light (or even bright) green? Or a pale orange? (Not peach!) Or just a plain offwhite and ask your kids to paint pictures all over of flowers or whatever? What is the floor made out of? Maybe you could paint it, too.

And, sorry to hear about your spider bite. I got curious and did some web surfing and found a page about spiders from the Burke Museum at the UW-it's kind of interesting. http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/arachnology/index.php

There's also an interesting field guide section that your family might enjoy-here's the link to the Field Guide: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/fieldguide/index.php

Sorry, I guess I'm a bit of a research geek, but it kind of runs in my family-there's even a librarian back a couple of generations...

Thank you for the link. We'll look tonight when we settle down instead of story time. It's my turn for entertainment tonight. They each get to choose if they read to me or we listen to a story - this is my night to choose (I'm tired of halloween scary stories).

I think we'll look at light green or orange. Can always change the color if I don't like it. Might get some handprints from kiddos for decorations inside, maybe glo in the dark paint for that. I have one that likes to make footprints with edge of hand and fingers... guess they'd like to help with the decorations. Glossy paint will allow me to hose it off if I need to. Great idea. Now I'm getting anxious to see it up and start working.

That is so great that you read to the kids! I used to read 'chapter books' to mine when they were younger and made them draw pictures about the stories while I read. The drawing REALLY helps kids with imagination and comprehension.... helps them form pictures in their heads and that helps with the comprehension.

Unfortunately, I didnt do this as often with my youngest (8 yr age gap) and now he is paying the price in his grades :o( wish I would have taken the time to stick to it!

Let us know which colors you decide on... I'm curious...but I bet DH will frown if I tell him I wanna paing the inside of our shed! lol! it usually means another project for him!

Everything is too much of a mess to give you a photo right now, but, yes, the box covers the entire top of the bench. When I get things set back up (they are all pulled out of the greenhouse) I'll photograph it for you.

Kris - don't forget that we have lots of green year-round. At some point, your eyes will be screaming for a break. Shades of bright blue, soft orange, or soft yellow would be my choices. Foot and handprint creatures on a light wall would be so cool.

Sue - I think you're right on target about the cold. When I lived in Alaska, I was less cold in side. I attribute it to the humidity. It's just a wet kind of cold here in the winter.

What a beautiful day today. I was able to see Sheri (outtamygourd) and her husband Tim in Woodinville today - they were on a long manhunting practice run with Mr. Bloodhound, Chile. There's nothing like seeing a whole group of Bloodhounds together. They are magnificent.

I gave a few trees to someone who posted on freecycle. I have too many Mountain Ash and a maple tree that needed out of its pot - they are looking to reforest a patch between them and the new bicycle trail in Bothell. Apparently, the DOT ripped everything else out and then didn't see a need to put any greenery back. I'm going to try to see if I can't find some young Indian Plum for them to use as a screen. She (Susie) said she might join davesgarden, so I'll keep an eye out for her.

Kathy that is a good idea to use a blood hound to find a man. Quite origional dating idea. LOL