The Potting Shed

I asked my husband for a garden shed and this is what he gave me.

Okay, well, that’s sorta how it went. Since last fall I decided that I really needed to get my gardening stuff out of the space my husband and I were sharing. His way of ‘organizing’ is very different than mine and I couldn’t seem to find my tools when I needed them. Instead of nagging that he should organize my way, I thought it’d be healthier to part ways, (in the garden tool storage sort of way).

A friend of ours was selling his small log cabin bunkie with accoutrements, (can you say composting toilet?!) It was a terrific bargain, comparing cost and quality of this log building with a new actual garden storage shed.

Before my husband just brought home a log cabin and outhouse though, he did get my full approval. I admit at first I drug my feet a bit. It felt too nice for just my tools, and I didn’t think our yard had space for it. I eventually came around and have fully embraced it! In fact, one could say ‘I’m obsessed’!!

I’ll give you a quick tour.

VIDEO at end of this post: “The Tree Coming Down and Cabin Moving In”!

To take one of these beautiful Norway Spruce trees down took some convincing. But in the end, he was right, and it all fits in really well. After the tree was removed, and the ground leveled, they added a nice bed of crushed limestone in preparation for the cabin and outhouse to set on.

Then it was move-in time!

The outhouse was moved in first.

It really did have a composting toilet in it!! I listed the toilet for sale and sold it the same morning.

Back when this outhouse was in the woods in its prior location, a squirrel found its way into the toilet, apparently through the roof vent. The dang thing found its way down the vent pipe into the composting toilet, and proceeded to build a nest in the toilet. It actually chewed the toilet seat a bit to get in and out. Can you imagine having to ‘go’ and finding a squirrel in the toilet?!! The ever-gnawing-rodent chewed through the crescent moon cut-out on the outhouse door for an easy escape.

Well, the toilet… and rodents… are gone! The garden tools are in.

But, hold on… I’m very happy to say the outhouse isn’t the main feature here, LOL!

After the outhouse was in place, a little log cabin came into our driveway.

Even though we are in town, (it’s a small rural town in Wisconsin) we have a double lot with those huge Norway Spruce trees on the other side of the driveway.

The tiny Amish built log cabin fit into the setting just perfectly. (My husband wants to take full credit for that, so I’ll let him!)

The house movers knew exactly what they were doing. From start to finish, it was a short day’s work for them to clear the land and place the new log cabin potting shed.

Watching that side of the driveway transform from basically unused space to this new potting shed set in a woods, all within a few hours, was sorta magical! With a project like this, it was super relieving to have someone so familiar with the project and clearly know what they were doing. I could just sit back and watch.

Once the cabin was in place, I set to work cleaning the interior of it as my head spun with design ideas how to connect the log cabin with the house visually.

It is just across the driveway from the house, but at first it looked very brown with a bright green roof compared to a white house with black doors. Fortunately the front porch of our house has big wood beams so that sort of fits with wood log part of the potting shed.

The white chairs on the front porch were the first additions and they instantly connected visually to the white house.

Yay!

I’ve had fun the past couple of weeks looking for fun stuff, mostly from my own junk, to use inside and outside the potting shed.

Some of the pieces I bought too. Like the ‘Potting Shed’ sign. I thought that was a worthy investment, just in case someone questions what this log cabin really is.

Inside I have a couple of surprisingly comfortable wicker chairs I’ve had for years. They’ve been in storage since we moved and I’m glad to use them again.

There were some pine cabinets that came with the log cabin. To add to that I found this super old blue and white hutch for $30! I love it. It’s perfect to hold small pots and planters.

The green folding wash tub holder is just waiting for the wash tubs. I couldn’t find any square ones in the vintage market, so I purchased a pair of new ones. My plan is to keep potting soil and orchid mix in them.

I have lots and lots of vintage garden collectibles from many years of gathering. Many have been in storage since we moved and renovated our house the past 2 years. So it’s been super fun to treasure hunt from my own collection.

The view out the potting shed window almost feels like you’re in the woods at the lake.

The loft above is going to be fun for our grandkids to play in I think.

This clipboard collection is where I plan to hang sketches I’ll do of the flowers and plants I have in our landscaping.

As I’m writing this, I have someone working on painting the roof. I thought I could take the green, by basically ignoring it, but that thought was quickly dissolved the very first morning after it was moved into place. The sun was shining on it and from the house it was such an awful hunter green begging to go back to the 1980’s… so I sent it packing! Next week we plan to get the landscaping looking a little better.

**UPDATE**

It’s funny to write an ‘update’ on a brand new post, but I actually wrote this post last week. In that time the roof painting has been completed.

I LOVE the new color!!

Here’s a tip: To be sure the new paint color sticks, I got this bonding primer for an undercoat before this wonderful farmhouse grey paint finish went on!

We both are really loving our little potting shed. I’m excited to start ‘potting’ in it, as well as share it with our grandkids creating some fun memories with them.

Here is the Video: “Tree Coming Down and Cabin Moving In. (At about the 1:45 mark or so, that white car really did almost get hit!!)

Brrr… It’s been chilly a few nights this spring. I just ordered this thermometer to be able to see the temp inside the potting shed, where I have some annuals. I like that this thermometer has a few different sensors. That way I can see from inside my house the temps of the potting shed, the front garden, the lower garden, etc.

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Here are more gardening and landscape posts I’ve written about: