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5 Creative She Shed Landscaping Ideas

February 14, 2020

Your she shed is more than a small building — it’s a sanctuary. It’s a place to escape.

The area around your she shed is part of your haven and the right landscaping is essential to building your backyard paradise.

You need to balance three factors when considering how to landscape your she shed:

  • The amount of space you have
  • The style of your she shed
  • The amount of money you can invest

However, by following the basic principles of landscaping (unity, variety, sequence, proportions, simplicity, and balance), you can make your she-shed landscaping dream a reality.

Let’s dig into some of the best she shed landscaping ideas that you can use as inspiration.

Building a Forest Framed She Shed

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It’s hard to beat Mother Nature when it comes to landscaping — she has a lot more experience than most.

So take advantage of her work when you decide where to build your she shed. Consider  building it in front of a treeline or stream for a Bob Ross-esque background.

Your she shed can further reflect the connection to nature with flower boxes and other decorative plant flourishes.

Keep the landscaping balanced by blending the areas around your she shed with the woods nearby. Use heavy mulching and native plants to craft a gradual change from the thick forest behind you to the lawn in front. Someone like Nashville landscaping and tree care service can help you if you are from Tennessee.

A Fire Pit for Your She Shed

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She sheds are places to get away from it all, but you can also make it welcoming for guests by creating a firepit area with matching decor.

Your fire pit can be a raised fire bowl or kiva-style piece. Your choice will be a factor of both personal taste and child safety concerns.

Either way, connect the two spaces with your landscaping efforts. Create a stone or wood-chip path between them, or simply reflect the style of your she shed in your firepit space.

If you want to create a buffer between your space for alone time, and folks who want to have a fire, use a stretch of lawn or put in a garden.

Creating Reflective Pools for Your She Shed

A reflection pool is a magical, meditative addition to your she shed’s landscape. The mirror-like surface adds a water element to your yard while providing moments of tranquil reflection.

In many cultures, water acts as a barrier to evil spirits, buffering your sanctuary against the negativity —or at least giving you a good story to explain your design.

A reflective pool doesn’t have to be an expensive addition to your she shed landscaping ideas. Just dig a narrow, shallow trench to the desired depth and put down pond underlayment. Then, cover it with a pond liner and edge it with boulders or stones.

These pools can be shallow enough that they aren’t an “attractive nuisance” with regard to insurance. And, depending on local government regulations, you may not need a permit to put one in, either.

Making a Moat Around Your She Shed

A variation on the reflection pool idea is a moat. If you design your she shed as a tiny castle on the edge of your property, this is the perfect landscaping idea for you.

Instead of a reflective pond on one or two sides, wrap it around your whole she shed. Of course, you’ll still need to get to your sanctuary, so consider putting in stepping stones or even a drawbridge to match your tiny castle!

Rocking out Your She Shed

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There are multiple ways to use rock aggregate and tiles in your she shed landscaping.

Larger river stones and boulders can tastefully enhance any garden space, while small sand and gravel can act as the base for a cactus and succulent garden.

If you don’t want to commit to the upkeep of a garden (even a cactus garden), you can use asymmetrical rock tiles for an attractive walkway.

Some people are lucky enough to live near a riverbed and can collect their own, well-rounded stones for small walls and borders around their she shed landscaping. If you aren’t so lucky, just locate a rock aggregate company that can sell you the exact stones you need to make your she shed landscaping idea a reality.

Final Thoughts: 5 Creative She Shed Landscaping Ideas

Search for inspiration in the current landscaping of your property, the design of your she shed, and online.

Before you start putting in gardens (or reflection pools), make a mockup of the entire plan so you can see the full landscaping picture. A mockup also allows you to play around with the six fundamentals of landscaping design: unity, variety, sequence, proportions, simplicity, and balance.

Most importantly, if your she shed has a very different vibe compared to the rest of your property, you should use landscaping to gradually transition from one to the other.

Your she shed landscaping needs to help your sanctuary stand apart from the rest of the property, while still integrating it into the larger design.

Contact the she-shed experts at Countryside Barns to see how we can help you create your she shed sanctuary.

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