If like us you love spending time in your garden, then chances are you have a garden shed. Garden sheds are all over the UK as 19.5 million Brits have them! My very small garden shed is sadly neglected and used as a dumping ground for half empty paint cans, garden furniture that’s hiding away for the winter and kids toys – which pop up everywhere inside and outside our house.

used as a dumping ground for half empty paint cans, garden furniture that’s hiding away for the winter and kids toys – which pop up everywhere inside and outside our house.

People use their garden sheds in different ways and according to research 85% of men say the garden shed is their domain, with a quarter of them using their sheds to escape from family life. Apparently one in twenty sneak into their sheds from time to time for a relaxing beer or cheeky cigarette. Unfortunately for my husband that doesn’t happen in our shed and if he did try and seek solace in the shed I’m sure one of the kids would find him within minutes thinking it was a game of hide and seek.

Shed love, it seems, is spreading across the UK and there are a growing breed of ‘sheddies’ that keep their sheds in tip top shape and even transform these humble garden buildings into pubs, gyms, offices and music studios. There is even an annual National Shed of The Year competition where shed owners battle it out to win the coveted ‘National shed of the year’ title. Visit www.readersheds.co.uk to see for yourself.

At Trulawn we think the ultimate garden hideaway would be covered in artificial grass so it surreptitiously blends into the surrounding lawn. We would install a comfy sofa or armchair as well as a TV, so we could sit back and sip a glass of our favourite Rioja while watching an episode of Homeland -the ultimate escapism!