GARDENING MARCH (1).qxp_Layout 1 17/02/2025 12:22 Page 1
GARDENING
A place of one’s own
Garden sheds don’t have to be boring, writes Elly West, who explores how you can make yours exceptionally special
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s many of us already know, garden sheds don’t have to be boring utilitarian storage spaces. A shed can become a personal sanctuary where we tinker, create, dream and escape the chaos of everyday life. Man-caves and shesheds offer the chance to enjoy a personal retreat away from the house that extends our living space and, with a bit of imagination, expresses who we are. A new shed is generally plain and functional – a blank canvas offering a great opportunity to really make it unique, whether it’s a hobby workshop, cosy writing nook, pool room or even a mini pub. Unlike house renovations, sprucing up a shed is budget-friendly, doesn’t need planning permission, or to suit the whole family’s taste. It’s a chance to experiment with colour, decoration and a theme, can be quickly installed and easily transformed as needs alter, for example from a child’s playroom to a teenage hang-out zone. Sheds have been around throughout civilisations, used as storage or living quarters aside from the main home. In ancient Greece and Rome, there were sheds built from timber, clay and plaster, used to store straw, food such as olives and grapes, or house animals. In the 18th and 19th centuries, sheds became common as people began gardening as a hobby. The word shed probably derives from ‘shud’ – the Anglo Saxon word for ‘cover’, the first known use of this word being around 1440. 86 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | MARCH 2025 | No 244
From humble beginnings, sheds are now available in a range of materials including composite, metal and, of course, wood. Fully functioning home offices or garden rooms with insulation and electricity saw a massive surge in popularity during the pandemic, when working from home became the norm, and sales have continued to grow. A garden room provides a great solution as it provides some separation between work and home life, offering fewer distractions and the chance to close the door at the end of the day and walk back to the house. Garden rooms that are incorporated successfully into the garden can bring well-being benefits related to natural light and being outside. I recently designed a garden that included a room with a green sedum roof, that was to be used as a counselling studio. The journey via a winding path through an area of meadow was almost as important as the room itself, to make clients feel relaxed and at one with nature, before they entered the therapy space. Green roofs are a good way to make a shed or garden room feel like part of the garden, as well as being beneficial to wildlife. If your shed isn’t particularly attractive, then a carefully-positioned trellis covered in climbing plants makes a good screen, or use shrubs, ornamental grasses or flowering perennials around your shed to soften the edges and help it blend with the garden. Scented flowers, such as lavender or honeysuckle will also add to the appeal.