Plastic Potting Sheds

What makes a plastic potting shed different?

An ordinary storage shed is a dark box for the mower. A potting shed is somewhere you actually stand and work, so it needs three things a plain shed often lacks.

• Light. Seedlings and fiddly jobs like pricking out need daylight. That means windows at bench height, a clear roof panel, or both.
• Air. Damp compost and watering cans raise the humidity fast. Opening windows or vents let it out before condensation drips on your trays.
• Room to stand. You want headroom, a door wide enough for a barrow and a wall you can run a bench along.

A plastic garden shed suits the job well. Resin and polycarbonate are durable, they don't rot when a bag of wet compost sits against them, there's no rust, and a hose-down cleans off spilt soil. It's low maintenance, weather resistant garden storage for a space that gets messy.

The Keter Darwin plastic potting shed

The Keter Darwin 8' x 6' is the only model here built from the start as a potting shed, and it shows. It has seven acrylic windows, five of which open. Above them the hybrid roof has translucent panels to pour light onto your bench. Towards the back the roof turns opaque, so there's a shaded end for bags of compost, tools and anything that shouldn't sit in the sun.

The walls are Evotech resin with a wood-effect finish, held by reinforced aluminium connectors. It's fade resistant and never needs staining. The double doors sit at one end and lock with a lever (padlock not included). The listing gives the key sizes as:

• 2.44m deep and 1.90m wide including the overhang, 1.83m wide at the base
• 2.21m to the ridge and 1.75m at the eaves
• a doorway 1.19m wide and 1.87m high
• a 118kg packaged weight and a 10 year warranty

Keter makes the Darwin in other sizes and colours too, such as a 6' x 4' in brown, but the green 8' x 6' is the one Shedstore lists. It's also in our 8x6 plastic sheds if you're comparing that size. Check the listing for what's in the box before you buy. A bench isn't mentioned, so plan on adding your own.

Plastic sheds with windows compared

If the Darwin is too big, too green or over budget, any plastic shed with good light can be a potting shed. Here's every range on this page and how it lets daylight in. Prices move daily, so each range sits in a price band rather than a fixed price. The grid above shows today's price, and the cheapest plastic shed with windows or roof lights here costs about a quarter of the Darwin's price.

Which plastic storage shed with windows suits you?

Keter Newton Plus: windows where you want them

The Newton Plus is the best fit if you're after a grey plastic shed with windows that you can place yourself. Its modular panels let you choose where the doors and the two Victorian-style windows go, so you can put the windows on your sunniest side and the bench beneath them. A full-length skylight runs along the roof and built-in vents help with ventilation. There are 12 sizes on this page, from 7'5 x 7' to 17' x 7'5. The long, narrow ones fit down the side of a house, the large 15ft and 17ft sizes leave room for a workshop corner, and the reverse apex versions put the doors on the long side. Each has a heavy-duty floor and a 15 year guarantee. See them all in our Keter Newton Plus sheds.

Keter Factor: a window, a skylight and two shelves

The Factor is a cheaper route to a plastic garden shed with a window. Each has one framed window plus a skylight, air vents against condensation and two shelves with brackets, handy for pots and seed packets. On the 6' x 6' the window can go on either side to suit the way your garden faces. The panels are steel-reinforced resin with a wood-effect finish, the floor is heavy-duty resin and the warranty is 15 years. Sizes here run from 6' x 6' to 8' x 11'. More in our Keter Factor sheds.

Keter Stronghold: big and bright

The Stronghold is for a potting space that doubles as a workshop. This grey apex shed has transom windows high in the walls, a full-length skylight, a steel-reinforced roof and a 3-point lock. Sizes run from 10' x 8' to 10' x 15'. Compare it with the others in our Keter Stronghold sheds and heavy duty plastic sheds.

Palram Canopia Skylight: light from above

The Skylight range has no side windows. Instead, the roof panels let daylight through while staying opaque, so no one can see in. That's useful if your plot is overlooked. Walls are UV-protected polycarbonate on an aluminium frame, there's an anti-slip floor and low-threshold doors that a wheelbarrow rolls straight over. Sizes on this page go from 6' x 3' to 6' x 12', in grey or tan. These are the lowest-priced models here. More are on our Palram Canopia sheds page.

Shire Tuscany Evo: small with a window

For a small outdoor space like a patio, Shire's two compact stores have shatter-resistant 4mm Perspex glazing. The 4' x 2'6 has a single door with a window. The 4' x 4' has double doors with two windows and a glazed gable. Walls are 22mm recycled PVC on a 45mm resin tile floor. They're small for potting inside, but fine as outdoor storage for tools and compost next to a greenhouse. Note the one year guarantee.

Setting up your potting shed

A few choices make the difference between a store and a place you enjoy working in.

1. Face the windows south or west if you can, for the most light on the bench. On the Newton Plus and Factor you can choose the window side.
2. Run a bench under the windows at about hip height. Plastic walls don't take screws like timber, so use a freestanding bench or the brackets made for the range. Ideas are on our shed shelving page.
3. Keep heavy things at the dark end. Compost, the mower and the barrow go at the back, so the bright end stays clear for working.
4. Open a window on warm days. Ventilation stops condensation and keeps the inside from overheating, as clear panels let in heat as well as light.
5. Add a light for winter evenings. Solar lights need no cable. See our solar shed lighting.

The RHS monthly garden jobs list is a good guide to what you'll be sowing and potting on through the year.

Base, size and planning

Every one of these needs a firm, level foundation. Paving slabs, a concrete pad or a gravel-filled grid all work. Then fix it down with the anchor kit or fixings for your model. A light resin or polycarbonate building can shift in strong wind. We compare kits on our shed bases page, with an 8x6 shed base to suit the Darwin.

Measure before you choose. Listings give both the base size and the size including the roof overhang, and it's the overhang that has to clear fences and paths. Leave room to open the doors fully and to reach the windows from outside for cleaning.

Most garden sheds in England don't need planning permission under permitted development. Within 2m of a boundary the limit is 2.5m high. The Darwin (2.21m), the Newton Plus 7'5 x 7' (2.46m), the Factor 6' x 6' (2.08m), the Palram Skylight 6' x 3' (2.17m) and both Shire stores (up to 2.14m) sit below that. Check the ridge height on any other size. The Stronghold is about 2.51m at the ridge, so set it at least 2m back or ask your council. The government's permitted development guidance has the full rules for England.

Plastic or wooden potting shed?

A traditional wooden potting shed looks lovely, but damp compost and watering are hard on timber. It needs treating every year or two and glazing beads can rot. A plastic garden shed won't rot or rust, and the Keter panels copy the look of wood. The trade-off is fixings: you can't screw hooks anywhere you like, and a cheap, thin plastic shed can feel flimsy. The Keter and Palram ranges here are much sturdier, with 10 to 15 year guarantees. A metal shed rarely comes with windows, can dent, and suffers more from condensation than a plastic one. Our plastic vs wooden shed guide goes further. For the makers' own specs and assembly videos, see Keter UK and Canopia by Palram.

Plastic potting sheds: FAQs

Is the Keter Darwin a good potting shed?

It's the most potting-focused plastic shed we list. Seven windows, five that open, and a part-translucent roof give it far more light and air than a standard resin shed. It's also one of the pricier 8' x 6' models, so weigh that against a Factor or Newton Plus with a window.

Does the Keter Darwin come with a floor?

Shedstore's listing doesn't say either way, so check with them before you buy. Plan a level slab or concrete base for it in any case.

Can I use a plastic shed as a greenhouse?

Not really. Even the Darwin lets in much less light than a greenhouse glazed all round. It's great for sowing, potting on and hardening off near the windows, with a greenhouse for growing on.

Do plastic sheds with windows get hot?

They can in summer, as clear panels let heat in. Open the windows or vents on warm days, and keep seedlings out of strong midday sun.

Are windows a security risk?

They show what's inside, so keep valuable kit out of view at the dark end, or choose the Palram Skylight, whose roof panels stay opaque. Fit a closed-shackle padlock, as none of these come with one. Alarms and locks are on our shed security page.

Is delivery free?

Shedstore sells and ships every model here and lists free delivery to most UK addresses. Delivery times vary by model, so check the product page.