Potting Shed for the Potager...

Despite Peter being very busy with keeping an eye on the construction of the manor house, the new piglets, ducklings and the spring gardening at WBP, I have drafted up plans for a Potting Shed for the Potager for him to build with my grandfather, Noel. Noel did such an amazing job on the pig sty, I know he and Peter will be able to knock up a lovely country potting shed in no time...

I found this photo of a potting shed online, and it is very close to my dream potting shed. I love the steep pitched roof, with the angular, almost gothic door and the mini cupola atop. Our potting shed has been designed to be less than 10 square metres, and portable if required, in order than it meets the county council's building regulations (any larger and a building consent is required). Thus I have come up with the following plans...

Above: Birds eye view of external plan. There is a small gravel rectangle in middle of potager with the 9.88 square metre potting shed at its centre. There are urns/pots on either side of door and on the corners, with a climbing Zephirine Drouhin rose on back wall. There are four cold frames abutting the potting shed on either side.

Below: Internal plan showing benches on 3 sides. Above each bench is a window made up of about 16 small panes of glass. The lids of the cold frames will be made from the same recycled windows used for the shed.

Some inspiring potting sheds...

Above: Windows similar to the ones chosen for our shed.

When I was back in NZ a couple of weeks ago, I flew to Christchurch with Peter and our Godson, who Peter showed around the South Island whilst I was catching up with my mother. We spent a day driving around closed down antique shops (5 of the 6 shops who still advertise as being open after the earthquake were, in fact, closed down). The one which was however open had an amazing range of reconditioned vintage gardening tools. My mum bought me a collection of tools as a belated birthday / early Christmas present. I plan to display them inside the potting shed...

A potting shed looks great with lots of pots and old tools...

It needs a tub as well in which to wash out the pots and water the newly sown seeds and seedlings

It will be painted a pale cream colour on the outside, to match the Dovecote, and the Lutyens Benches, which were originally going to be painted that duck egg blue colour that is popular in provincial French gardens.

Along each side of the potting shed will be cold frames made from old salvaged windows..

Once it is completed it will be a lovely space to potter about in.

My 30th Birthday!

The last day of my youth finally arrived, and to be honest I was quite looking forward to it: I was spoilt rotten!

Peter bought me another beautiful Chagall, L'Ange (The Angel) for my birthday, which we shall hang in the drawing room of Willowbrook for all our guests to enjoy:

To celebrate we had a large picnic out at Willowbrook Park. My friend Jackie baked a lovely cake:

We had a large Arabian marquee and a BBQ set up at the current stable block. From there people could stroll over the park and admire the plantings, the lake, and all the animals.

I would like to thank all my friends and family who turned up and made it such a special day.

Non Seq: Last week it was finally dry enough to put in the gate to our farm, and a 9 wired fence on either side. I hadn't realised how deep one had to dig to put in strainer posts! Anyway, with the help of my grandfather we managed to get it finished by my birthday: