Any serious home gardener understands the importance of having a garden shed, and all home and garden stores have sizable inventories of pre-fab kits. While these commercial sheds are simple enough to assemble and quite useful for tool and supply storage, none of them can offer the convenience and charm of a custom garden shed.

Any garden shed, custom or otherwise, begins with a foundation, roof, walls and locking door. A custom shed takes the basics to whatever level of creativity its owner desires. One homeowner may want its architectural accents and paint scheme to echo those of his house. Yet another might decide to transform the it into a garden feature by adding window boxes and a small porch with rose trellises, and positioning it at the end of a lawn path.

A custom shed can reduce home water bills with a rainwater catchment system that stores water for use during dry spells. Some gardeners want sheds with running water and electricity so they can set up potting tables with UV growing lights. Others may decide to build south-facing windows into their sheds to capture the maximum amount of natural light.

A garden shed with room for bookshelves and a reading area would be great for anyone who collects gardening books and magazines. Many crafts-clever gardeners decorate their own containers. They'd really appreciate a custom built area with built-in drawers for storing their pot stencils, brushes and paints, so that they can have quick and easy access to their tools when they get the urge to be creative.

If choosing the ideal custom shed design has you stumped, relax. Plenty of designs and building guides are available online, at your local library or in the DIY books section at your local home improvement store. You'll learn all about foundation/floor materials and how to anchor them, as well as framing, roofing and siding materials.

Once you've settled on the features to incorporate in your build, you can decide if you're looking at a DIY project or will require the services of a professional contractor. Going with a contractor may cost more up front, but it will spare you the hassle of getting the correct permits and give you somewhere to turn if the construction is flawed.

Like any home improvement project, building a custom garden shed requires significant thought. A properly planned and built unit will be an attractive and value-enhancing home addition, rewarding you with years of gardening convenience and enjoyment.