Dr Dianne Gull, from Cumnor, won the nationwide competition that celebrates the most inspiring and well-loved sheds created by and for Crane Garden Buildings across the UK.
The 77-year-old’s shed stands proudly at the bottom of her garden where she and her husband, Professor Keith Gull, have lived for many years.
The couple replaced their old, windowless shed during the first lockdown, after discovering it had become home to rats.
Dr Dianne Gull, from Cumnor, won the nationwide competition that celebrates the most inspiring and well-loved sheds (Image: Submit)
They said they chose a Crane design for its “craftsmanship and sympathetic styling”, and have never looked back.
Dr Gull said: “I was worried about men working in the garden ruining my borders, but I needn’t have been.
“The whole Crane experience was wonderful. They gently guided me through what I needed with no hard sell at all.”
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Painted to perfectly match the colour of the couple’s house windows, the new shed is a working space for Dr Gull’s seedlings and tools.
In summer, it takes on another role: the ‘G&T shed’, where the pair, along with their friends, sit with an aperitif.
They enjoy watching the sunshine reflecting off the walls of the shed and gazing out across the open views of the neighbour’s fields beyond and pretending they belong to them.
Dr Dianne Gull, from Cumnor, won the nationwide competition that celebrates the most inspiring and well-loved sheds (Image: Submit)
Dr Dianne Gull, from Cumnor, won the nationwide competition that celebrates the most inspiring and well-loved sheds (Image: Submit)
Dr Gull added: “The shed has made such a difference. It’s practical, looks beautiful, and it completes the garden. What’s not to like?”
A keen gardener who spends “every available minute” tending her plants, Dr Gull opens her garden twice a year as part of the National Garden Scheme – for snowdrops in winter, and for a vibrant early-summer display that attracts more than 100 visitors.
This year, she was presented with an engraved trowel by the scheme in recognition of 10 years of fundraising.
She plans to display her bespoke Shed of the Season plaque, handmade from hardwood in Crane’s Norfolk workshop, on a stand next to the shed rather than attaching it to the timber.
Emily Holmes, head of marketing at Crane Garden Buildings, said: “Dianne’s shed stood out for its warmth and personality.
“It fits seamlessly into her garden and reflects the joy our customers find in creating something truly their own.
Dr Dianne Gull, from Cumnor, won the nationwide competition that celebrates the most inspiring and well-loved sheds (Image: Submit)
“Her story really captures what Shed of the Season is all about – craftsmanship, care and creativity.”
The Shed of the Season initiative celebrates how customers use and enjoy their buildings throughout the year.
The winner highlights the many ways a well-designed garden building can evolve with the weather and the garden around it, from spring planting and summer entertaining to autumn reflection and winter retreat.
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