Te ultimate shed By Ian Leatt I
t wasn’t until I had my first home that I realized the important lessons
my father had taught me as a teenager. “Clean the tools every time you use them,” he would always bellow! Wiping them to a point of shiny was, I thought, a little eccentric, but nonetheless I did what I was told. The years had been good
to these tools. On reflection everything had a place in my father’s shed, a long room as
I recall. The size would
be something like 22 feet by 14 feet, a large shed even for today’s standards. These tools had been passed down from my great grandfather and every one was immaculate. I recall odd-shaped spades, weird looking hoes, numer- ous different forks and rakes and each had a purpose. Tools hanging in one place, rafters full of this and that, different sized sickles, machetes, trow- els, hand forks – so many. There was even a special place for shoes – in a shed! What does this all lead up to? Well,
glass, not to the floor, though. Regular-sized windows, incl- uding one at each end, are all you need. White paint can be used inside the windows to help moderate the temperature as the sun beats down more warmly the closer we get
to
summer. Ventilation is impor- tant. The perfect shed would have a large fan to help regu- late the heat. We get very cold in the winter and very warm in the summer so heating for the early spring time would be necessary, but be careful when using heating applianc- es; think safety first, always. Cooling is typically the hard- est, but a herb garden on the roof, which I will explain later, and windows that open for good ventilation, should help. Positioning the Ultimate
A good shed has a place for everything - no matter how many tools.
my father would have enjoyed the vision I have for the ultimate shed, which I see as being much more than a shed or even a man cave! It would be a place to grow things, a place of relaxation, and a place for all the tools. This shed would have to be 20ft x 16ft at the very least. The shed itself
would have a seeding area, some place where there is lots of sun, with the added advantage of a sprinkler system; once those tiny little seeds have started to germinate they need to be kept moist. South-facing windows would be best as the little seeds, small plantlings, early baskets and pots need plenty of sun, especially when starting out. To ensure that you get enough light you would need one side with
Shed, for me, plays a huge part to take advantage of the move- ment of the sun and moon. I know you probably think I am a little insane, but if my shed
faces south for seeds in spring it must have one face to the west, featuring a relaxing deck with an awning over- head, for the lazy days of summer. I see myself at the end of a day
spent tottering around the garden. I remove my dirt ridden boots, pull a drink from the fridge and just want somewhere to relax without having to go through the house. A recliner or two on the deck of my shed would be perfect. In my mind, I can see the
28 • Early Spring 2014
www.localgardener.net
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32