Potting Sheds and Greenhouses

This greenhouse is made from the windows of an old dairy farm. Virtually all the materials are recycled, save for the galvanized screws that hold it all together. It provides the perfect greenhouse for budding annuals.

This large shed looks like anything but a storage unit. Its copper roof, welcoming porch and colorful bench make it a true extension of the home.

Starting seeds and growing tender plants is a snap in a backyard greenhouse. This greenhouse measures 10x12 feet and is constructed from rot-resistant cypress on steel posts. The cozy brick-paved interior is large enough for potting chores as well as a table and chairs where the homeowners can read seed catalogs. Although positioned in a semishaded corner of the yard, the reinforced, insulated panels soak up sunlight to grow a variety of plants inside.

As much enchanted hideaway as a potting shed, this square wood building serves as a useful focal point in this garden. Partially hidden by a garden of fragrant herbs and climbing clematis and roses, the potting shed is the perfect place for garden tool storage. The shingle roof is topped with a whale weathervane. Potting sheds can be built of wood or purchased as kits of metal, vinyl, or hardened rubber materials.

Once a playhouse, this tiny building is living a new life as a garden potting shed. Although small, a potting shed can serve as a focal point as well as offering storage for gardening and lawn tools. It's also a "canvas" for collections. Here, a shelf over top the door features a collection of antique watering cans. Small birdhouses dot the exterior. White shuttered doors open to expose a screen door that improves airflow.

You can add a potting area almost anywhere. Here, a lean-to offers a potting area complete with potting surface, storage cupboards and drawers, and stool seating. Salvaged porch posts act as supports. With a quick cleanup, this potting area could easily be transformed to a drinks station for a garden party.

A charming wood-shingled backyard structure is part greenhouse and part garden shed. South-facing windows bathe the interior of the structure in light for potting projects (and plant propagation). An open front porch makes the shed look like a tiny house. The doors and windows allow air to flow inside. Exterior landscaping helps the structure fit naturally into the garden.

What better placement for a greenhouse than right in the center of a garden. This all-glass house is cooled by hinged rooftop vents that allow warm air to escape on hot days. Many greenhouses can be equipped with vents that can be opened by hand or powered by a gear box, a motorized drive, or a sun-activated motor.

This greenhouse kit looks like it is part of a 19th-century estate garden. The white-frame building sits atop a fieldstone foundation. In many greenhouse kits, all the structural components are predrilled and the panels are cut to fit, so nearly anyone can erect one.

A whimsical backyard structure, this custom greenhouse is comprised of found windows of varying sizes. The solar-panel roof heats the interior, and a stained-glass window offers a bit of decorative style. Periwinkle blue walls and a neon green door add garden-fresh color to this one-of-a-kind backyard structure.

A cottage-style garden shed features several windows that light the interior of this small structure. The shed is cleverly positioned in the landscape, with a paving stone walkway that leads right to the door. Surrounding gardens add flowers and foliage that soften the shed's angular exterior. The oversize door is large enough to accommodate wide equipment such as mowers or wheelbarrows.

Stucco is an unusual medium for a potting shed exterior. Yet this small structure, complete with alfresco art above the doorway, features both a stucco exterior and tile roof. The rounded wood doors on each end allow garden visitors to walk through from one part of the garden to another. An ideal spot to pot plants and store garden tools and equipment, this small structure is also accessible to wheelbarrows or garden carts thanks to a sloped entry ramp.

Nearly any architecture style can be adapted to create a potting shed. Here, a simple New England saltbox potting shed features a slanted roofline (with clear panel to gather the sun's rays) that accommodates ample storage of garden tools, pots, and other supplies. The easy-maintenance unpainted wood exterior allows the potting shed to blend easily into the natural surroundings. Along the south end of the shed, hinged cold frames--bottomless boxes with movable tops--allow gardeners to extend the season by offering protected space for plantings.