Potting Shed Plans

While some folks might say there's one key element that makes a potting shed different from all other sheds, I might beg to differ. Sure, you can't have a proper potting shed without a spacious potting shelf. But it's more than that. When you look for a plan for your potting shed, you're looking for more than just utility. The best potting shed plans provide both aesthetics and livability ... you want your little home away from home to be beautiful and easy to live with.

It's all about fitting the shed plan to you!

Headroom is all important. What good does a pretty facade do if you can't get your work done without stooping? Your potting shed won't be a pleasant place to work if you're six foot four and the rafters are at eye level. Smack your head against that beam just once and you'll curse yourself for the design faux pas. Do it twice and you'll be ready to run your shed over with a bulldozer.

With a potting shed, it's extra important that you choose the right design from the start -- and that means picking a plan with plenty of headroom.

You can probably build a potting shelf in any old shed, given the space. The trick is to build the potting shelf to your specific requirements. What's the optimum height for your shelf? You might think of yourself as Goldilocks ... you want that shelf at exactly the right height. A few inches too high or too low and your back will complain for years on end. Don't pull out that hammer and saw until you've done plenty of measuring.

Think about what kind of materials you want to use for the shelf. Cedar is a big favorite of mine. I took a different approach in my greenhouse shed and used 2"x2" cedar rails to build an open slatted bench. If I had gone with a solid shelf I would have used tongue and groove cedar planks, rather than pressure-treated plywood.