Planting the idea of a room of your own…
Garden rooms, big or small, are a way to give yourself a gift, a place to read, dream, entertain a friend or putter with your pots. Garden designers have always known that designing cozy spaces and garden rooms, either indoors or out, can make the garden seem bigger and more full of wonder, mystery and discovery. And if you can only see these small areas from down a narrow path, they can be even more magical, enticing the curious to explore the garden.
Barbara Stanley’s storybook cottage
Barbara Stanley tells us, “This is my potting shed, fancifully called Crickhollow Cottage. We live in the Blue Ridge mountains of NC, near Hendersonville (which is just south of Asheville). We have 25 acres that are part of my hubby’s family land (original total 250 acres). We are at the edge of the woods, with a nice creek, plenty of shade, and lots of birds, forest critters and native wild plants. It IS heaven to me. The potting shed actually was a project that helped me heal from the illness and death of my mother in 2002. It truly helped bring me peace and mend my heart.”
A Room Of Ones Own
Virginia Woolf said, “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” I say you need, at least, the room, for all artistic pursuits, even garden artwork.
Ms. Woolf wrote an essay entitled, A Room of One’s Own, about whether women especially, were free to pursue and produce quality artistic works, considering the challenges we all face, like shortage of time and money and room to think and create.
Happy is the woman with a garden cottage in the making! How exciting for Sue Norton, shown here..
Sue Norton says, “I’m so excited. My garden shed project is moving along. Poppie had some very skilled help on the shake roof project. My dream shed will be done very soon. Yay!”
Cultivating a garden room of your own
Do you feel you could be more creative with a workspace all your own? I know I do! We many times grow up sharing a room with a sibling,.. then getting married without ever having a bedroom of one’s own, much less a ‘play’ space. Lucky is the woman, or man, who has a room dedicated to their own work or leisure time. Make your own luck, baby!
Below are more examples of some of the simple or fancy rooms in which you work and create:
Barbara Vengalli’s glam camp. Barbara says, “Our vintage Shasta Compact project is finally completed & all decked out in the garden!!”
Barbara Stanley Just a peek inside, as promised.
Barbara Stanley It actually IS a potting shed. This is my potting bench, a school cafeteria baking center in a former life.
Becky Norris says, “This is a photo showing the hot pink Gaura blooming next to the door of my garden room. I love this area of the garden and spend a lot of time on this porch.”
Vicki Rushing says, “This is my playhouse, my favorite place to be.”
Debbie Bond’s porch room with recycled windows
Lisa Royal says, “My husband built this shanty for me in my garden. It is filled with Flea Market finds and treasures i have collected over the years. Family and friends love to visit and spend the night in this little treasure.”
Sue Langley’s command post
“This is our table where we sat and watched our house being built and I love having the tall pines as my roof. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner here! We finally made a place for these iron swivel chairs, found at the Goodwill for $10 dollars each! SO satisfying and very weather-proof! The neighbors named this hill our ‘Command Post’ ” ~~ Sue
My comfy ‘dreaming’ lounge, outdoors, is a place to read, but,….I usually just daydream. ~~ Sue
Teresa Mutum says, “This is my front porch, where I sit of a morning”
More Garden rooms that capture the imagination!
Our own Sheds and Shelters Album
How Ann built her cottage- Upcycling old windows and doors to make a garden dream come true! http://wp.me/p2E92v-1wF
2 Comments
So fun to have a “play-space” !
Would Love to have a place like these!!!!! Thank You for Sharing.