Albert County business turns back the clock on summer gardening

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BALTIMORE - Debbie Steeves is nostalgic and she's hoping others will also think of simpler days gone by when they look in their backyards this summer.

Steeves and business partner Fred Irving have started The Original Outhouse Garden Shed, an Albert County-based small company that manufactures unique structures that should bring back some memories for those of a certain age.

The sheds, which resemble outhouses, complete with the half-moon window at the top of the door, can be built to three specific sizes -- the one-holer, which measures four-feet-by-four, the two-holer at six-by-four, and the three-holer at six-by-eight.

"They've become quite a conversation piece," Steeves said yesterday. "We've got one out in our yard and people are always stopping by to look and inspect it.

"They like it because people are always fascinated by old things, especially old things they used to see on farms.

"You see a lot of people with the old plows or wagon wheels in their gardens. This is just something else that comes from the past. It usually gets them laughing, too."

Steeves has done some local advertising and talked to some gardening retailers about selling the sheds.

There has been some interest, but she expects the business to take off this spring when consumers start thinking about putting their gardens in again.

The sheds are built with environmentally-friendly materials as well as galvanized nails and hinges so they are sturdy. They also used cedar shingles.

They can be constructed with cedar or hemlock, but if a customer requests spruce it can be used instead. In fact, sheds can customized depending on the request.

"Most people are surprised when they see how much room there is inside these sheds," Steeves said. "They can hold a lot of gardening supplies and tools and other things people keep around the yard.

"They're also pleased with the appearance of the shed. It adds a lot to the backyard."

Anyone looking for more information or to place an order should contact Debbie at 734-2189 or visit her at 1601 Caledonia Road, off Route 910 near Baltimore.