SHED ENVY

[WigBag]

Sheds ownership lessons ought to be compulsory, or at least come with a warning! Why are the emotions of shed ownership covered up. Is there a support group for those who feel in the grip of their sheds! Mine is a simple tale, but I offer it as a warning to the unwary.
I had a simple hand me down 6' by 4', wrongly sited so that every winter the gales would rip off the doors. And yet I was content. Every thing was chucked in, in a heap with what I wanted always at the bottom, and then those innocent remarks from my wife - " there is a shed offered on the supermarket wall, free to a good home". It was immense, 10' by 8', but had no door and had half the roof missing. The owner wanted shot of it and threw in the two benches, shelving wooden chairs and lino flooring. I was powerless to resist.

That was May last year, This last month I have finally completed the doors ( stable) and declared it open for visitors. The delay was due to 'making the most of the opportunity'. I had some windows that would make ideal roof lights that I could open in warm weather. Shelves to size and position for the jars , tins and other receptacles. A 6' metal locker to store boosters and preventatives, nets and gardening magazines.

Everything has a place, I can sit and eat my snack - there is even a brush and pan! Mrs W. has made it her mission to find a door mat at the next jumble - I think she is serious, is my condition that bad!!

My hope is that once I start growing from seed, the shed will lose its grip but that wont be for a couple or three weeks up here and I have seen some curtains!!!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Wigbag, a lovely shed tale i must say.

I think you have described the feelings one seems to get for a shed, bang on.

Make sure you keep it tidy now.

[lizzie]

We are allowed sheds where me and Grock are. Mine is an absolute tip. The roof needs re-felting but otherwise it's not too bad. The problem is, I can't get in it cos of all the stuff in there. However, i've found that the vandals won't touch a messy shed so, if I can't get in there, neither will they (that's the theory anyway) I have to hand everything I need and, in the dire need of a brew, I break into Grocks shed next door if she's not about

I also don't really like formal planting schemes although I agree some order is needed. I'm more like my Aunty Glad who's motto is "Go on girl, shove it in there, it'll be alright"

[Geoff]

WigBag : passed your posting on to my sister who used to have an allotment and got this reply :

I only had blue plastic on the floor in mine but I did have a commode and a bowl, soap and towel for hand washing!! When the old shed blew away I arrived one morning to a commode sat there in splendid isolation!!

So beware what you have in it just in case.

[alan refail]

I think most of us would be envious of the owner of this shed

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan, i can now imagine for sale notices going up on allotments all over the British Isles.

[GIULIA]

I spotted this thread having spent all Sunday clearing out my shed on our allotment. I am suffering serious shed envy and my next door neighbour has just put up a brand-spanking new shed on immaculate paving with a posh water tank and serious guttering. My shed was knocked together from a collection of old back doors in about 1955 and leans slightly to one side. The window is hanging by a single hinge ( I reckon the gap is useful as it allows Robins in to nest). I managed to fill three dustbin bags with rubbish by the end of the operation and now I can actually step inside my shed for the first time in months. I have one question.. has anyone come up with a sensible answer to the question "how do you store all that netting during the months its not in use"?? None of my solutions are satisfactory as the stuff has a life of its own and seems capable of increasing like wire coathangers when you're not looking. The only useful shed tip I can offer in exchange for an answer to this vexed question is that those plastic boxes designed for dispensing breakfast cereal are really good for storing fertilizers and stuff (especially if your shed is a tad damp).

[richard p]

1 put my fleece in supermarket plastic bags and hang them on short lengths of string from the rafters to keep the mice out. long bed sized bits go in tesco bags, anything smaller goes in costcutter bags
plastic ice cream containers also have a multitude of uses.

[lizzie]

Empty chocolate tins are also fab. Brill for keeping your plant tags, pencil, pencil sharpener and rubber all in one place.

[Stephen]

Reasonably happy with my shed, bought on a discount (hurrah).
Metal (probably not my first choice - but it was the right size and right price) The problem with metal is the little additions for hanging this and that up.
The doors are on the longer edge, which means that stuff does not get buried at the far end, which was a real plus and influenced my decision.
I made a timber base and during the summer I want to seal between this and the shed itself.
So envy of others? Not especially.

[jane E]

My kids used to refer to my old volvo estate as my shed on wheels.
An old chap at my last allotment had an ingenious way of 'locking' his shed door. It involved pushing a nail through a hole - looked like part of the structure from the outside - door appeared to have no closing mechanism, so no lock to break.