This is it!
After finding a vintage, hand built, 1 ½ story, small wooden building, in the middle of a rural farm field, I instantly thought to myself …this is it!
This is my dream garden shed, it’s going to be so FUN fixing up this old thing!
.
If you’d like to read about how I found it, here’s the link:
Fall Garden Beds...
Ken and I had put in a few more raised bed rows as the summer wound down.
Getting the raised beds filled with branches, grass clippings, fallen leaves and then, bedding mixed with chicken manure was my mission, knowing the chicken manure would take all winter to “settle”.
After studying some about composting, I learned that chicken, horse and cow manure is “too hot” or strong to put directly on your garden.
It takes from 6 months to a year to turn into usable compost.
Although, goat and rabbit manure, can be used right away as a natural fertilizer.
Even though the raised beds were only 6 inches high, they were 3 feet wide by 18 feet long…filling them took way more material than I imagined.
Each year since, replacing settled soil with new compost is an ongoing process, continually building and layering, creating nutritious rich garden soil.
Garden Shed Door...
The original door to the garden shed was a hot mess.
We hammered in a few nails and brackets, good enough for now.
My granddaughter, Molly, checking out the inside…of the spooky house, lol!
The Inside...
There were shelves on the left side of the building, running from front to back.
The bottom three shelves were made of thick 2 inch x 12 inch boards, running from wall to wall (about 8 feet)
The top shelf, was two boards wide, making it stick out a couple feet.
But it was way over our heads, so no worry of bumping into it.
The floor was made of old plywood advertising signs.
The Bad Side...
One side of the building was in very poor condition.
Instead of the wood slat siding that were on the rest of the building, it was rough, and rotten plywood.
I told Ken, what we needed was another door for that side.
Passing By...
Years ago, I had a vintage/gift shop called “The Pink Cupboard”.
It was in a little town named Poplar Grove.
We would be passing through Poplar Grove on our way to Tractor Supply in Harvard.
I always liked to look at the old barn I had rented for the store when we were on that road.
Also on that road were two other vintage shops.
One was owned by my friend Nancy, who had also rented a space in my store.
She had recently sold her store, but we stilled called it “Nancy’s store” as we were driving by ( the stores real name is “Second Hand Rose”) I spied an ADORABLE barn door, leaning against the outside of her building.
As I yelled “stop” and pointed, Ken threw on the brakes, turned into the first turnaround, and pulled into Nancy’s store parking lot.
Not Looking...
Have you ever found the perfect Christmas or birthday gift for a loved one, when you weren’t even looking?
If I wrote down the names of family, on a list and then went shopping…ugh what a chore that would be!
My mom taught me, as you’re out and about throughout the year, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, she was so right!
She always found and bought the most wonderful, thoughtful gifts for our whole family.
So even though I wasn’t looking, and the barn door wasn’t even what I had in mind…it was going to be even better!
It was big…four feet wide and almost 8 feet tall.
This door would solve some of the problem on the bad side of the shed.
Since the shed was 8 foot wide and the barn door was 4 feet wide, we could mount a 8 foot rail, then using barn door hangers, hanging the door on the rail.
It would function as a regular barn door, sliding open and closed!
Two Birds With One Stone...
The new store owner was very nice.
We talked about the store I used to have down the road, and about Nancy selling her this store.
We walked back outside to get the price tag off the door…I looked to the right of the barn door.
Setting up against the building, were a set of barn stairs.
Barn Stairs...
Yes you read that right. Barn stairs, not your typical barn loft ladder.
They were in unbelievable condition, probably never seeing the light of day before coming to this store.
The steps were narrow, only about 18 inches wide.
There was an attached handrail on the the left side of the steps.
The wooden stair treads didn’t look like they had ever been walked on!
We could mount them on the floor, attach them to the top shelf in the garden.
This way, we could reach and store large items up there! I was thrilled!
The store owners husband, was kind enough to deliver the door and the stairs the next day.
Standing the stairs against the top shelf…we were shocked to see they fit like a glove!
Just as though they were original to the building.
Next Step...
Just a few short months later, everything changed.
It was the beginning of the Covid pandemic.
My husband was a machine and tool rep., traveling 3-4 days a week.
His big accounts (Ford, Chrysler, John Deere, etc) starting banning outside sales reps from visiting.
It was the last year before retirement, and thankfully, he was able to keep his job and home office instead.
It was devastating for many other workers, and as you know, the whole country shut down.
Quarantine Months...
Quarantining on our little farm, we continuing to work on our projects.
The garden shed renovation was at the bottom of the list, but we thought we should at least get the roof redone.
Neighborly...
Our daughter, Abbie and her family just lived one block over from our new farm.
That is one of the reasons we moved here, to give our grandkids farm experiences and good memories of their “PopPop and Mamie.”
She introduced us to a neighbor, Jason and his family.
Jason had just lost his job due to Covid.
After speaking with him, we learned he was quite handy and had done a little roofing in the past.
From The Top Down...
We went with a simple, corragated galvanized metal roof.
Jason stripped off the layers of roofing tiles, leaving some of the wooden shake shingles in place.
The garden shed had a small overhang, over the front door, which was also roofed over.
Later that summer
Our neighbor Donovan, was tearing out an old small deck and rails, asking me if I wanted it.
He hauled it over with his tractor and set it down by the front of my garden shed.
Rustic and wobbly, I shoved a few rocks under the corners to level it out.
Laying Out The Side Yard...
Next to the shed, I mowed the grass short in preparation of a small mulched area.
As before, laying down stacks of wet newspaper and cardboard, followed by wood chips.
Finally getting the piece of railing Donovan gave me put up and attached it to the corner of the garden shed.
There was a flag holder on the front of the building…and on the back of the building.
This garden shed needs a flag, and so it was.
Red Door...
Last year I had found a door that I loved for the front of the shed.
After a frustrating afternoon of trying to get an old door on a crooked shed…we finally got it up!
I used the same paint from the chicken coop and backyard shed, painting it red!
Looking at that new (old) front door was so gratifying!
Later our neighbor, Donovan, brought over another little piece of deck.
It was about a ½ to tall to fit under the door.
That project is on “the list”, lol!
Painting the door on both sides,I’ve taken hundreds of pictures of the shed with the door open and closed.
…in winter.
…at dusk.
…and in the morning.
I love that little shed so much…crooked, chippy and all.
Hopefully next year, we’ll get the barn door put up, lol!
Next time
…I wonder if we could ever find a wagon, like they use to give rides, at the Christmas tree farm?
Fondly, Sandy
I am going to try to post one of your pics for Labor Day.
Thanks Linda❤️