Tips and tricks for planning the perfect garden shed

Asked to compile a list of things that would make me horribly envious, my teenage self could never have imagined that it would one day include a large garden shed. Or that, now that I’ve finally got one by dint of my other half’s Zen-like patience plus the generous help of a kind neighbour, I would be quite so terribly smug.

But as all proud garden shed owners will confirm, it’s impossible to put into words the unbridled pride and joy that comes from having a place to put all manner of stuff. We finally, for example, have room to safely overwinter garden furniture alongside all the other paraphernalia inevitably acquired when you have a garden, from scythes, strimmers, spades and shovels to obscure garden hose fittings, lengths of garden wire, bamboos, canes, secateurs, shears, bulbs, seeds and other horticultural bits and bobs. We even – excuse me while I crow loudly – have proper shelves.

But it’s not just the very welcome storage space that brings a warm glow to my heart. There’s also something about a garden shed that speaks of a calm and ordered world, even if the latter is nothing of the sort. Their undeniable practical purposes aside, I love that they also double up as welcome hideouts and places of quiet serenity, or even as somewhere to let the creative juices flow.

The late Roald Dahl, for example, wrote in what he called his shack, a small brick shed at the end of his garden where he sat on an old armchair with a makeshift wooden writing desk balanced on his lap. Dylan Thomas did something similar from his tiny wooden shed in Wales with its views out over the river Taf. So did American writer Henry Thoreau, writing in his tiny, shingled wooden cabin by the edge of Walden Pond, while George Bernard Shaw’s shed was a rather natty revolving one that could be rotated to chase the shifting pattern of sunlight over the course of a day. Philip Pullman, meanwhile, wrote most of His Dark Materials in a small, dark garden shed built for him by his son, while Virginia Woolf also loved to write from her little potting shed at Monk’s House. Even if it meant that her fingers went numb with cold in winter.

None of the above sheds was grandiose in any way. Instead, their modest size and simple design are part of their special charm, proof that garden sheds can be incorporated into all but the very tiniest of gardens. Which is not to say that they should be just plonked on the ground without any thought as to how they can be successfully knitted into the overall design.

Easy access, for example, is essential, ideally via a well-built path that avoids one having to trudge across a wet lawn in winter. If you plan on storing a ride-on mower, you’ll also need a suitable ramp, while heavy machinery of this kind also requires a shed to ideally be built on a solid concrete base with its own damp-proof membrane.

While the latter isn’t strictly necessary for smaller wooden or metal sheds, it’s still the best option in terms of preventing rising damp and problems with condensation, as well as providing a resilient base. Failing that, even the tiniest wooden garden shed should be constructed on a compacted, level base of hard-core, and elevated slightly off the ground using paving slabs, concrete blocks or one of the modular plastic grid systems that are becoming increasingly popular. Ready access to a source of water and power in the shape of an outdoor tap, sockets and basic lighting is also something well worth considering when you’re preparing the site.

The quality of the materials used in any shed’s construction is also key, from pressure-treated wood and steel roofs for timber sheds to anti-drip breathable membranes that help prevent problems with condensation.

Consider, too, your shed’s position in the garden in relation to how you plan to use it. If it’s purely for practical reasons of storage, then locating it in a shady, little-used corner makes sense, although you’ll still need to ensure that it’s sufficiently well-ventilated to prevent problems with damp and condensation.

[ ‘My flower bed is full of weeds. How can I get rid of them permanently without weed killer?’Opens in new window ]

In this case, placing it at a right angle so that the door isn’t facing directly into your line of view allows it to be more easily screened from view, using a sturdy section of garden trellis. Cloaking the latter with decorative climbers will further soften it, helping the shed to drop back into the living landscape of the garden. But again, make sure to leave enough space between the shed and any wall/fence or trellis to ensure sufficient ventilation

In tiny gardens, the design and appearance of any garden shed matters more than ever. For something both well-built and handsome, check out the Austrian-made Biohort Range (howbertandmays.ie). Also bear in mind that the benefits of having a pocket-sized shed that’s purpose-built for a tight corner can be considerable, allowing you to make the very best use of space while seamlessly integrating it into your garden’s overall design. Reputable Irish suppliers who offer this service include MCD Garden Sheds (mcdgardensheds.ie).

On the other hand, many gardeners love their sheds so much that they want them to shine brightly. If so, just bear in mind that painting a wooden shed is rarely a good idea, requiring much additional labour over the years to prevent it from discolouring, peeling and flaking, and causing problems with decay as the failing painted surface starts to trap water beneath it. But a wood stain or wood preserver that soaks into the grain of the wood will require only routine maintenance. Colour? While that’s a personal choice, darker tones almost always work best with plants.

• Protect compost heaps/bins from heavy rain and frosty temperatures that will slow down the process and result in leaching of nutrients by covering them with a protective, waterproof layer and insulating the sides of the heap against cold, using straw, cardboard and/or bags of fallen leaves;
• Finish planting spring-flowering bulbs into pots and flower beds to ensure a good display next year. Tulip bulbs can also be planted now that temperatures have fallen, reducing the risk of the destructive disease known as tulip fire;
• Dates For Your Diary: Wednesday, November 19^th (7.30pm-9pm), Pollinator Ecology & Perennials for Biodiversity, an illustrated Zoom talk by Eric Cederberg on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, admission for non-members €8, see rhsi.ie