Steal This Look: The Perfect Potting Shed

If there were support groups for garage abusers, I’d be a regular at meetings: “Hello, my name is Michelle, and I have many cardboard boxes with mysterious contents, a stack of broken beach chairs, and a roof rack from a car I sold a long time ago.” Then I would confide my secret fantasy…

I dream of converting my garage into a potting shed: a workspace with good light, seedlings on the windowsill, and plenty of room to store tools. I sense I’m not the only one among us who has an old clock radio with a frayed cord sitting on a shelf behind camping equipment that will never be used again. You may harbor a similar fantasy. Here’s how to get started:

Above: Give everything a coat of fresh white paint (bonus points for using up the dregs in that can of paint behind the skis you haven’t touched for five years). Photo of Tricia Foley’s summer garage on Long Island by Jeff McNamara.

Above: Let’s put some light on the subject, as my mother likes to say. The Original Warehouse Gooseneck Light is $187 from Barn Light Electric.

Above: You can use barn door fittings, such as the Standard Flat Track (above R), to create a roll-open doorway wide enough for a wheelbarrow (or two); for prices and options, visit Barn Door Hardware.

Above: You will be growing some variety of lavender, of course. But how to choose? There are dozens of species of the aromatic herb Lavandula; a few options include (from L) Grappenhall, Provence, Grosso, Dutch Mill, Abrialii, Seal, Yellow Lavender, Spanish Lavender and French Lavender. Image via Mountain Valley Growers.

Above: If you’re considering Spanish lavender, a Potted Lavender Plant comes in an 8-inch galvanized pail ($39.99); visit Overstock to check availability.

Above: To haul all that lavender, a Jumbo Crate Wagon; it’s $119 at Home Depot.

Above: A Galvanized Watering Can, with long spout. It’s on sale for $19.95, marked down from $58 at Terrain.

For another fantasy shed, see Architect Visit: Potting Shed by Cocoon.

Above: Under foot, 4-inch square Granite Cobblestone pavers; they’re $6.09-$6.49 per square foot, depending on quantity, at Build Direct. Image via Xiamen.

Above: Red Clay Pots by Guy Wolff come in a variety of sizes; for prices and ordering information, visit the website.

Above: A small Galvanized Steel Pail is $9 at The Park and Facilities Catalog. I don’t think I’ll miss the old roof rack, the camping equipment, or the vintage clock radio a bit.

Sprucing up the garden shed? See 5 Favorites: Pleasant Potting Shed Essentials.

This is an update of a post originally published May 10, 2012.