A keen gardener from Cumnor has been recognised by Crane Garden Buildings for her much-loved shed, which has become the pride of her garden and a highlight for visitors to her open days.
Dr Dianne Gull, 77, was “astonished” to hear she had been chosen as the winner of Shed of the Season – a nationwide competition celebrating the most inspiring and well-loved garden buildings created by and for Crane customers across the UK.
Her winning shed stands proudly at the bottom of Dianne’s immaculate garden in the heart of Cumnor, 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. They chose a Crane design for its craftsmanship and sympathetic styling, and have never looked back.
Dianne 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.”
Painted to perfectly match the colour of the couple’s house windows, the new shed is a working space for Dianne’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!
Dianne said: “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, Dianne 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 NGS in recognition of ten 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. 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.
Founded in 1974 and based in Narford, Norfolk, Crane Garden Buildings designs and manufactures a wide range of premium timber garden buildings including summerhouses, garden offices, studios and sheds. Each structure is hand-crafted in Norfolk and sold through show centres nationwide.
The company, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, has also been named a finalist in the EDP Business Awards for Customer Excellence, recognising its commitment to quality and service.
For more information, visit cranegardenbuildings.co.uk
