DIY | cannonhillchronicles

Having a veggie garden meant I had to have a potting shed. A few quick sketches and we had a plan. Once the posts were in place for the veggie enclosure, we built the framework for the shed to make the most of the concrete delivery.

1.shed frame

We then finished the veggie patch before embarking into the unknown. With the outdoor workshop in place

2.workshop

we set about building the rest of the frame using reclaimed hardwood.

The roof frame came next

8.roof

and the verandah.

We wanted to retain the rustic look and the scavenged corrugated iron was perfect for the roof.

It was starting to feel cosy inside.

18.cosy

We bought the windows from the local salvage yard and they were next to be fitted.

The mezzanine floor isn’t quite big enough to sleep on but it’s great for storage.

26.mezzanine

The floor joists

27.floor supports

were followed closely by the cladding. Again, the local salvage yard just happened to have the cedar cladding we needed, painted white on one side but that didn’t matter – it’s on the inside.

We allowed ourselves a break

36.inside

then finished the cladding.

Michael’s bespoke stable door is a work of art.

The flooring is Tasmanian oak seconds

and the ceiling is reclaimed pine flooring.

43.ceiling

We found a huge Macrocarpa slab for a bargain price at the salvage yard and it became the workbench.

The potting shed was complete. The chair is a gorgeous circa 1910 commode I couldn’t resist.

46.inside

We had just enough bricks to pave the verandah,

52.paving

the perfect place for freshly picked pumpkin.

53.pumpkin

Everything I need for playing in the veggie patch is in “my” potting shed and it is the ideal environment for drying onions & garlic.

We are very proud of our shed and, as you probably noticed, our home-brew stout was a crucial element to our success.

56.cheers

Many years ago, I saw this picture in a magazine and have coveted this veggie patch ever since. It is Pete’s Patch, a working vegetable garden in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart, made famous by local legend Peter Cundall.

1.Pete's patch

There was a veggie plot of sorts when we moved in, with two long, narrow, concrete edged beds and a big space in the middle for spuds.

2.before

Our new design incorporated the existing beds as paths and we set about building.

3.during1

We procured reclaimed hardwood roof trusses from the local salvage yard to make the boxes.

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The centrepiece was designated for our fruit salad tree – one tree bearing lemons, limes, mandarins & oranges.

9.during7

The posts were sunk and braced in readiness for the concrete.

10.during9 11.during10

I was eager to get some vegetables going. We ordered a truckload of loam and, after laying six sheets of newspaper, filled the boxes with a lovely soil/ mushroom compost mix. The planting began.

12.during11 13.during12

Another truck, another load – road base this time – was wheelbarrowed and spread along the paths.

14.during13

I don’t mind admitting the whacker packing is man’s work!

15.during14

Seven months into the project, the first bricks were laid.

16.during15

We collected old bricks from wherever we could find them. Fortunately for us, a house nearby burned to the ground (it was empty at the time) and we scavenged most from there.

17.during16

Michael laid, I laboured, just over 3,000 bricks!

18.during19

Now to keep the critters out! A double layer of shade cloth around the bottom also helps with protection from the wind. Wire around the top to deter any climbers.

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