Last week the potting shed called to me requesting a good old clean out.
I'd been so lazy about getting going with this usually annual job.
In fact, it seems to have been more like bi-annual the past several
years! I spent several hours on this job on Wednesday when it was
warm, sunny and so pleasant being outdoors.
Do you love sheds? Like barns passed by on a country drive, they
always capture my attention when I wander through my neighborhood.
Some look quite spiffy, usually the newer ones, others are more like
you'd see in a horror movie, faded, decrepit, even collapsing. I always
wonder just what might be living in or under those little unloved structures!
I want my potting shed to remain a fun place to spend time in.
Although my lengthy productive days in the garden are over, and I'm
just spending an hour or so with less bending or heavy duty jobs,
I still love to open the door and walk inside to neat and tidy, some
semblance of order, and NO bugs!
When we had the shed built about fifteen years ago I was thrilled
to have a little garden retreat to make my own.
I painted the entire exterior.
I spent hours on my knees painting and stenciling a 'rug' on the floor.
I had electricity run out there so I can use a small heater or fan, and
overhead hung a small chandelier which brightens up that
corner of the garden at night when left on.
It's looking good now - several things have been discarded and were taken by
the city to the landfill. I vacuumed and cleaned every shelf and corner, removing
spider webs, scattered birdseed which is stored there, and organized containers
of outdoor holiday lights, painting paraphernalia and miscellaneous garden tools.
The stacked cushions you see were placed in the gazebo
this beautiful warm weekend. A little get together for wine and cheese with
neighbors on Friday, and our first 2016 dinner al fresco for we two on Saturday
night. Above us, a slither of brilliant light from the waxing moon shone through
the tall oaks - all felt good in the world.
The garden is starting to show some color.
Buds are bursting - more daffodils are blooming - bluebell leaves are shooting up.
Bob did the first mowing of the front lawn yesterday.
We changed our clocks.
I really do feel Spring in the air.
Have a fabulous week.
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Your shed has a lot of charm. The stenciled floor rug is a pretty touch. How lucky to be bringing out the outdoor cushions already. We'll wait for another month or two. Today was filled with wild wind and lashing rain. Spring is here, but she's capricious. Your outdoor gatherings sound wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love sheds too, spruced up ones as well as delapitated ones are equally as intriguing to me. For the same reason I love beach huts too! Yours looks lovely, how hard you must have worked to get it like this. Have a lovely week Mary! xx
ReplyDeleteThis is so very charming ! You can have tea parties and send extra overnight guests out there too LOL
ReplyDeleteI had a tea party for little girls once - the big girls prefer the screened gazebo at teatime! (Mosquitoes cause me such misery - and but for those pesky bugs I'd always eat outside). I did think of sticking Bob out there in the potting shed a few times overnight - however being the nice person I strive to be, I relented at the last minute and allowed him back into the cottage, haha!
DeleteMary -
I had a garden shed when we lived in Tennessee at the old farm house we remodeled and I loved it! Yours is very charming.
ReplyDeleteYour shed is very pretty, Mary. Such a shed is on the list for the garden here at the new-old cottage. I would like something like yours - a true 'working model' but with a little glamour and cosiness. I may borrow your stenciled rug idea!
ReplyDeleteOh I do hope you get a little shed of your own H - you will so enjoy 'pottering'!
DeleteYes, try a stencil on the floor - wear kneepads! Mine has lasted a long time, blackberry brambles with a border, and although faded now, still brings back memories of the happy hours of painting something special. I just wish I still had the energy and back for such projects!
Mary -
I love your potting shed and so lovely that you even put a chandelier in there. All my gardening stuff is in the garage - which desperately needs a spring cleaning. I can't wait until it's warm enough here to set up our patio so we can once again dine outdoors. Won't be for another month or so though.
ReplyDeleteI love how you decorated your garden shed, Mary. Very pretty. We had a new shed built last fall and it is huge and really is Murray's man cave more than a garden shed. lol It stores a lot of things - tools, lawn tractor and mower, bike, deck furniture and my pots for the garden plus other stuff. We had the small shed moved on Saturday. Our son, Mark, and Murray moved it onto Mark's trailer and took it down the road to his house. It was small and they might decide to raise laying hens in it so it's perfect for that. So, I'm afraid the new shed will be more manly than I'd like but I'll try to add my 2 cents worth in the decor of it. At least I will hang a wreath on the door! :) Have a lovely week. xx Pam
ReplyDeleteOK - I just voted that the Cutest Potting Shed EVER. So much charm and just the right size. Love the little bench outside, too. Deb
ReplyDeleteThank you Deb - it has held up well, was built on site by one man. I had him add high counters on each side so I would be comfy standing while planting seeds, painting/decoupaging terracotta pots (which I used to do a lot) etc. The outdoor bench is starting to fail on one end - no more standing on it to reach the bluebird box - but it still looks OK so Bob insists we leave it there. Guess I'll sit on the good end!!
DeleteMary -
How I love your shed, I'd love a little shed to potter in, but after the storm damage there's other priorities to put right, and a new rose flower bed to prepare and plant in the next few days. The moon calender for planting is 16th 17th 18th March so I'm going to try this method to see if it makes any difference to the growth. ?? Mr France thinks it's a plot to get it done now rather than later .
ReplyDeleteYour potting shed is just wonderful. I love the cushions, neatness, and chandelier. How wonderful to be already able to sit outdoors. We are not there yet, but looking forward to it. Happy Springtime!!!
ReplyDelete"..others are more like you'd see in a horror movie, faded, decrepit, even collapsing. I always
ReplyDeletewonder just what might be living in or under those little unloved structures!"
--I really had quite the chuckle over that, dear Mary. What a hoot. Now, if you had only followed that up with "I want my potting shed to remain a SCARY place to spend time in." that woudl have really taken the biscuit! hahaha.
Yes, sheds are marvelous...as is yours. Glad you got out there and gave it some TLC.