IN THE GARDEN: Back-yard Escapes: Stay-cation destinations offer peace, whimsy

Four walls and a roof. Or even just four posts and some lattice.

From such humble beginnings can great garden retreats grow.

With gas expensive and plane fares soaring, the best deal in town may be to take a vacation in your own back yard. There's not a lot of planting to be done in July and August, so it's a good time to tackle building a gazebo, pergola, outdoor pavilion or even a simple trellis with a bench underneath.

Or you can buy a pre-built shed, connect pieces from a kit, or convert an existing shed or outbuilding.

Whatever the materials and style, the goal is to create an outdoor living space that provides comfort, privacy and a sense of escape.

IDEAS

For ideas and inspiration, peruse shelter magazines or go online. I googled “garden sheds” and got 931,000 hits in 0.19 seconds.

There's also a new book that takes the concept to an extreme. In “Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations,” Debra Prinzing profiles 28 sets of folks who've gotten serious about transforming simple - or not-so-simple - structures into imaginative extensions of their homes.

“I have a couple of theories why this has become hot all of a sudden,” Prinzing said. “To take a 10-by-10-foot potting shed or shelter where you stored your lawnmower, to capture that for a higher and more creative purpose, is extremely affordable when compared to building an addition to your house.”

She added, “The other one is a return to home, hopefully not because you're broke and can't go anywhere. But that desire to reduce your footprint, so to speak, on the world.”

The book contains lavish photographs by William P. Wright of a variety of back yard retreats. In one, a nondescript potting shed with a slanted, shed roof is upgraded to a charming office. In another, recycled windows of various sizes form a creek side destination. In yet another, an elegant, tile-roofed dining pavilion overlooks a sloping succulent garden.

GETTING STARTED

In planning your own outdoor destination, first consider how you'll use it. Do you want shade by day, or dining at night? Would you prefer the sides enclosed, screened or open? Is the retreat purely for lounging and entertaining, or would you like a little additional work space for traditional garden chores, such as potting plants or managing cut flowers?

Next, consider location. Ideally, you can instill a sense of separation by locating your retreat at the end of a winding path, rather than plopping it right next to your house. However, if your neighbor's frequently used hot tub or pool, or a blinding streetlight, is right on the other side of your fence, or if you simply don't want to lug platters to a faraway dining area, you might compromise on the distance.

Then there's style. While it's nice to go with a look similar to your house, you don't need to precisely match it. For instance, if your house is stucco with a red tile roof, your retreat might be board and batten with a red tile roof. Or if your house is gray with white trim, you might mimic the color scheme, but add an eye-popping, purple door.

After all, since the retreat is a separate entity, you can have some fun.

“In the Northwest, where I'm from, a lot of people go for bright colors because it's such a gray climate,” Prinzing said. “(While scouting for the book) I saw some really creative sheds painted turquoise.”

Also consider coordinating the exterior with nearby plants. For one of the structures featured in her book, Prinzing said the homeowner matched the paint on the door to a red-tipped leaf from one of her favorite Japanese maple trees.

“I love taking the flower color, too. If you are a gardener, you want the garden shed to match your plants,” Prinzing added.

Or you can really integrate your retreat into the garden by lining the sides with lattice, then growing vines or climbing roses up the sides and over the top. Plus, if you like to get that up close and personal with your plants, be sure to throw in at least a few with scent, such as pink jasmine, heliotrope or gardenia.

Other ornamentation can include window boxes, a Dutch door or a weather vane on top, Prinzing said.

THE INTERIOR

“Inside, you don't have to insulate it and add dry wall. One thing, which I absolutely love, between the studs, is to mount 2-by-4 boards horizontally to give yourself shelving for books, collections or garden artifacts,” Prinzing said.

She also suggests installing operable windows to control the temperature and to be able to listen to the sounds of the garden from inside. For the floor, anything goes - from concrete to wood, tile, flagstone, carpet or an outdoor rug placed right on the dirt.

“In the end, your shed should be designed for your private and personal delight,” Prinzing said. “You don't have to be a gardener to want a back yard shed. It solves so many other personal passions, like art, entertaining and solitude.”

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Under Santa Barbara County's land use and development code, structures less than 120 square feet or no taller than 12 feet don't usually require a permit. You can go ahead and pour a concrete foundation or set your structure on concrete piers if you don't exceed those limits.

However, you'll need to stay within the setback requirements for your neighborhood.

In addition, if you install any utilities, such as electricity or plumbing, you must apply for a conditional use permit, regardless of the size of your retreat.

BY THE BOOK

“Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations,” written by Debra Prinzing and photographed by William P. Wright, was published by Clarkson-Potter/Random House in April. Prinzing writes about architecture, interiors and ornamentation in the garden in her design blog, www.shedstyle.com.

- Joan S. Bolton

SEEDS OF WISDOM

Your kids don't have to feel left out.

Create a summer retreat for your little ones by setting up a 4 or 5-foot-wide teepee of a dozen or so 8-foot-long bamboo poles. Around the base, plant fast-growing vines such as scarlet runner bean, moonflower, annual morning glory, nasturtium or black-eyed Susan vine. They'll have a flower-covered bower in no time.

Joan S. Bolton is a local free-lance writer and garden designer. Her In the Garden column appears biweekly. She can be contacted through her Web site: www.santabarbara gardens.com.