Gardening tips from the Garden Shed people

I was reading an interesting article today, chock full o’tips about organic gardening. This is just one of the many recent articles that I’ve

Porch Patio Garden Shed

come across that mention how many new gardeners there seem to be this season as compared to previous years.  Largely due to the economy, people are looking for ways to raise their own crops of organic garden goodies.

Here is a recent article in the Lancaster County Newspaper that gardeners might find interesting:

• Did you know that you can plant basil near your tomatoes to help enhance the flavor and keep away pests?  Wow!  Who knew?!

• Did you know that planting cosmos flowers near tomatoes and peppers helps attract praying mantis and lady bugs, which eat the pestier pests?  Who knew!?
  
• Did you know that tomatoes and peppers are the easiest veggies to grow in containers?  They are easy for newbie gardeners and those who are limited with space – grow a tomato plant on your deck!

Does this news excite you as much as it does me?  It makes me wish these rainy days would end already so that I can go out and play in the dirt, not to mention make myself a yummy tomato salad (with basil!).

If you have any gardening tips to share, please feel free to do so here!  And of course, if you are looking for a garden shed to keep all of your tools handy, look no further than Lancaster’s own Country Sheds manufacturer!

A few more “did you knows” that you might not have known:

• Did you know that Fox Sheds recycles all of their vinyl siding scraps?
  

  Interior of the Potting Shed

• Did you know that Fox Sheds recycles all of their aluminum trim scraps?
  
• Did you know that Fox Sheds recycles all of their wood construction scraps, which go right to a local gardening nursery center for mulching?
  
• Did you know that Fox Sheds uses a type of poly-wood product on their porch sheds, which is made from recycled plastic material?
  
• Did you know that Fox Sheds uses recycled poly-wood for their flower boxes?
  
• Did you know that Fox Sheds uses pressure treated lumber that is free of harmful chemicals?
  
• Did you know that Fox Sheds cares about the environment as much as you do?

Well, Now you know!

Everybody in the Pool(house) Shed!

It’s that time of year here in Lancaster County ~ days are getting longer, sunny and inviting us all outdoors.

Okay, we’ve had some rain lately between those sunny days, but weekends have been great.  Fox’s Country Sheds’ customers are starting to dust off the patio furniture and clean out the pool, in anticipation of a long hot summer.

Are you looking for a place to store all of your patio and pool furniture during the off season?  Yet, enjoy a poolside cabana or poolhouse for summer entertaining?  Then, look no further than the quality craftsmanship here at Lancaster County’s own Fox’s Country Sheds …

Fox’s Country Sheds has a number of attractive shed and pre-fab outdoor buildings that would suit your needs well as a pool house, guest house, storage shed or cabana.

We can customize whatever your needs are, whether you are looking for an attractive poolhouse with stone front to match your stone patio, or whether you are looking for a porch shed, such as our very popular Porch Nook, Porch Patio (we have a Porch Patio in stock!) or a Cabana Shed.  Remember that doors can be moved to wherever you like, windows can be added (or omitted), and stone front can be added to just about any shed.

We have some lovely in-stock sheds at Fox Sheds that would make beautiful poolside buildings:

8 x 12 Stonefront Chalet Poolhouse or Shed

10 x 14 Victorian Shed or Poolhouse

10 x 14 Porch Patio Poolhouse or Shed instock now

10x14 Stone Carriage House Pool Shed

Villa Pool House or Patio Shed

We can also customize any of the sheds you see on our lot or on our website at www.FoxSheds.com to meet your size and style needs. We are located along Route 322 in Brickerville, Lancaster County.  We are just south of Lebanon County, a hop skip and a jump from Berks and Chester Counties, and deliver tons in York and Dauphin Counties as well.  We’ll deliver just about anywhere, and you can get a shipping quote from our website at www.FoxSheds.com simply by putting in your zip code and selecting a size when you find a shed you like.

Great Gazebo Discount – 5% Off all Wood Gazebos Now!

Introducing the GREAT GAZEBO DISCOUNT!

Quality Amish Made Gazebos - Save 5% Now!

We are offering a Summer Special on Wood Gazebos!

SAVE 5% off of the Base Price of ANY STYLE, ANY SIZE Wood Gazebo for the month of June and July 2009!

Certain Rules apply to receive this Great Gazebo Discount:

• Payment must be made in full at the time of order.
• Discount is only reflected on Base Price of Gazebo — options, delivery, site prep or tax are not included in the sale.
• Discount cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions or coupons.
• Discount is for Wood gazebos only – not applicable with Vinyl Gazebo orders.
• Discount is for the months of June and July, 2009.

There are a number of lovely Gazebo styles that you can choose from to receive this 5% Discount Price. All of our Gazebos are made by a local Amish builder, and are made to order to meet your exact needs! We do not keep a lot of these Gazebos in stock because we know that folks like to order their specific size and style to blend nicely with their surroundings.  Each Gazebo will be custom made For You!

View our Gazebos on our website at www.FoxSheds.com .  If ordering from the website, be sure to mention that you would like the 5% discount for us to apply it before finalizing the order.  OR, call us directly to place your order on the phone with you at 717-626-9560.

Gazebo Oval Pagoda ~ Save 5% from Fox Sheds

Adding Pergolas to the mix!

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve updated!  We’ve been busy as bees here at Fox’s Country Sheds, even though the weather hasn’t been

Pergola - In Stock at Fox's Sheds

cooperating very much lately.  Even so, once the rain clouds disappear, orders start “pouring” in.  It seems people are anxious to get out into the yard and de-clutter their garages by adding a backyard shed.  We’re happy to oblige!

Between rainstorms, we’ve been busy adding Pergolas to our inventory.  These beauties come in sizes beginning at 8 x 8 and go up to 14 x 24.  Our pergolas are all Amish made and are all built with pressure treated lumber. They can be ordered with clear sealer that brings out the beauty of the wood grain (as shown here on this in-stock 10×16 Pergola), or in a high quality white paint applied at the shop (as shown below).

The standard pergola comes complete with a floor, so that you can enjoy it right on your grassy lawn without having to mow underneath it.  Or, it can be ordered as a “kit” with or without a floor, so that you can install it wherever you’d like such as on a patio or deck.

Our Pergolas are made by the same Amish builder that creates our beautiful Gazebos – so you know that you are getting the same excellent quality that we are known for.

Pergolas and Gazebos for sale from Fox Sheds www.FoxSheds.com

Visit us today at 537 E 28th Division Hwy in Lititz, PA – beautiful Lancaster County – or visit our website at www.FoxSheds.com to ask about our lovely Pergolas, Gazebos, garden Sheds, Garages and Poolhouses.  Call us at 717-626-9560 for a quick answer to any questions or a shipping quote.  We are eager to help!

Who says two’s company and three’s a crowd?

Our Amish-made swingsets are large enough to keep ALL of the kids busy! So, who says that Two is Company, and Three is a Crowd? Our swingsets can fit 2, 3, 4 and more kids on them at one time!

Here at Fox’s Country Sheds, we get loads of grandparents purchasing swingsets for their own backyards, so that the kids have something to play

Vinyl Amish Playset

and climb on when they come to visit.  It takes me back to when my own parents purchased a home right down the street from mine, when my boys were little.  The house they happened to buy had a great climbing fort that the previous owner had built.  It wasn’t vinyl like the long-lasting ones that we sell now, but instead it was made of some kind of wood.  It was pretty old by the time my parents purchased the house, and I know my kids got their fair share of splinters in the hands, arms, knees and feet, so there was always a handy set of tweezers, some band-aids and some iodine handy for grandma’s emergency procedures.  I know that they would have preferred to have had a vinyl set, but they really weren’t around way back then.  The fort ended up facing the same fate that most wooden structures face – demolition.  It was a sad day.

Now, I see the faces on all of the children light up as grandma and their parents pick and choose the vinyl playset and the accessories that will be delivered to these waiting backyards.  I can just hear the glee in these children’s voices.  It brings me back many, many years.

Our playsets range from smaller sets for small backyards, to great big large forts, climbing walls, ladders, tubes and more.  There is a size and a price range for every budget.  We also offer 0% financing for those who want it, Same as Cash for 90 Days.

Amish Vinyl Swingsets, Towers and Jungle Gyms

So yes, there is plenty of room for little Jane, Brandon, Jeffrey, Susie, and all of their friends to play on our Amish made vinyl playsets and swingsets. We can order whichever set will suit your needs the best.  So, not only is 2 “company”, but 3 and 4 and more are much more fun!  Invite the whole neighborhood! (or not!)

You can visit us at:  Fox’s Country Sheds, 537 E 28th Division Hwy (Route 322 across from Esbenshade’s Garden Center), just north of Lititz PA in Brickerville, Lancaster County.  You can also order your playset online at www.FoxSheds.com .

Fox Sheds announces: Now Building Painted Wood Sheds!

We are very excited to announce that Fox’s Country Sheds has begun to offer painted wooden garden sheds and garages, in addition to our

Wooden Painted Sheds from Fox Sheds

standard and very well-known (and loved) vinyl sheds!

The following shed styles are available in painted Dura-Temp in addition to vinyl siding

Prices are for local delivery:

• Mini Barn – starting at $895
• Workshop (A-Frame) – starting at $995
• Hi-Barn – starting at $1100
• Carriage – starting at $1145
• Garden Shed – starting at $1021
• Chalet and Victorian – starting at $1845
• Cape Cod style – starting at $1195
• Villa hip-roof style – starting at $1565
• Workshop Garage (single car garage) – starting at $2670
• Hi-Barn Garage (single car garage) – starting at $2895

We’ve always had the capability of building wood sheds as a custom order, but have not made them a part of our regular price list until now.  Our customers asked for it ~ and we are delivering! We should be updating our website soon to incorporate online ordering of our dura-temp wood sheds.

In the meantime, you can view the styles mentioned above on our web site at www.FoxSheds.com and contact us for a price list for painted wood sheds.

Stay tuned for some pictures and updates!  Fox’s Country Sheds is always growing, and offering sheds in the styles of what the customer is looking for.

Remember, Fox Sheds is always looking for dealers for our quality, custom sheds. Shed dealers needed in NJ, NY, CT, RI, PA, MD, DE and VA – immediately!  We have customer requests, and would love to have a local dealer to accommodate our out of state shed orders.

How a tornado whipped us around – but we’re still standing!

You may have heard about a recent F-1 tornado that ripped through a portion of Lancaster County two weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. Some of the sheds on our lot got a bit dinged up from the golf-ball sized hail, but that’s nothing that we can’t fix pretty easily.  Most of them have already been repaired!

But, many of our customers who’s homes were right in the tornado’s path didn’t fare so easily. The Monday morning right after the tornado hit, our office was flooded with calls!  Homeowners and local builders have been calling us daily (and two weeks later, the phone hasn’t stopped yet) with requests for repairs to their damaged sheds.

Our facility missed the tornado’s path by about a mile, so we were not a direct hit – thank God!  But, that’s not the case for most of the homeowners (and shed owners) who live in Clay Township, Ephrata and parts of Denver in Lancaster County.

So, between our regular dealer orders and retail orders, we’ve been accomodating these requests for repairs to the sheds of our past customers (and there are many!).

What is amazing, and something I’m proud to share, is that the only damage to these sheds that we built was from the hail to portions of the siding, aluminum trim and roofing shingles.  NONE of our sheds had a roof tear off or had a collapse.  NONE of our sheds were blown away.  NONE!

There is a local competitor who actually had the sheds on his lot lift up and crash into each other damaging them profusely! This tells me something about the construction of our sheds – and it should be an indication to you as well.  We build ‘em strong!!  We “notch” our rafters – and most other shed builders don’t.  We use 2 x 4 studs – and many shed builders don’t.  Clearly, we build em to last – and perhaps many shed builders simply don’t!

If you are a past customer of Fox’s Country Sheds and you have had storm damange from the recent tornado that tore through our county, please call us for a repair estimate.  If you have not already done so – call your insurance company!  Your shed should be covered along with your household hazard insurance! If we don’t have your siding and trim colors in stock, we will order it for you.  Some people needed just one piece of siding, others needed an entire side of the shed re-sided.

We were so busy with repairs these past few weeks, that some of our sheds on order got delayed by a day or so – but we are slowly catching up.  Luckily, everyone has been very understanding because this was a freak act of nature.

Unfortunately, some homes were lost due to the storm, and people lost the entire contents of their homes. Thank God, there was no loss of life, even while those homeowners were in their homes when they simply blew apart.  Let’s all please keep them in our prayers. If you would like to make a donation of household goods to these homeowners, the area churches are holding drives to help them.  The local red cross has been wonderful, as well.

As a side note — today I had a young couple come in and order a cute 8 x 8 Garden Shed for their home.  They confided in me that their previous shed – which blew apart – was from Lowe’s!  And guess what?  It completely demolished in the storm! They figured that this time, they would do things the right way, and order a Fox’s Country Shed instead of one of those ARROW plastic sheds from Lowe’s!  Smart young couple!!

Discount Sheds, Garages, Swingsets for April 2009 – Save $100 Now!

Use the DISCOUNT CODE:  APR09

Porch Nook Shed - Save $100!

Fox’s Country Sheds has a special DISCOUNT on all ONLINE orders for

• backyard SHEDS,
• pre fab GARAGES,
  
• Vinyl and Wooden GAZEBOS  and…
  
• Vinyl SWINGSETS !

From the online ordering page at www.FoxSheds.com simply add the DISCOUNT CODE:  APR09 when prompted as you are checking out – this will automatically calculate your discount of $100 OFF of the price for your Shed, Garage, Gazebo or Vinyl Swingset!

This is not an April Fool’s joke – it’s our pre-season Savings special discount!

The joke is on those who don’t take advantage of it!

It’s simple – visit our website at www.FoxSheds.com where you can view all of the various styles of sheds that we manufacture, right here in our Lancaster County manufacturing facility.  Everything from Cape Cod sheds, Workshop sheds, 5-sided Corner sheds, Chalet and Victorian style sheds, Hi-Barn sheds and Mini-Barn sheds - just to mention “a few” – can be used with this online savings discount!

You can also save on vinyl or wooden Gazebos and Vinyl Swingsets for backyard entertaining and fun.

Now for the serious stuff:

1. The discount code must be used to receive the discount of $100 off your purchase.  (discount code:  APR09)
2. This offer is only valid ONLINE at www.FoxSheds.com.
3. This offer CANNOT be combined with other offers, discounts or savings.
4. Which means, this offer CANNOT be used towards the IN-STOCK merchandise, which is already deeply discounted.
5. This offer is only good with NEW orders, and cannot be combined with previously ordered merchandise.
6. Those who prefer NOT to place their order online can call Fox’s Country Sheds at 717-626-9560 or email us at info@foxsheds.com and MUST mention the discount upon placing your order to receive the $100 discount.  Your credit card information can be taken over the phone and the discount will be applied.
7. Orders must be paid in full at the time of ordering for the discount to be applied.
8. This offer is good between March 31, 2009 and April 30, 2009 – only!

It’s that simple!

Use…..DISCOUNT CODE:  APR09

We look forward to building Your New Shed, Garage, Gazebo or Vinyl Swingset!  Visit our website today and start planning your backyard living space!

Sincerely,

Fox’s Country Sheds
537 E 28th Division Hwy (Route 322)
Across from Esbenshade’s Garden Center
Lititz PA 17543 (In the heart of Lancaster County)

Color Selector helps you choose your vinyl siding for your backyard sheds – a big hit!

Fox’s Country Sheds has an online backyard shed “Color Customizer” right on our shed ordering website at www.FoxSheds.com.

Fox's Sheds Color Customizer

Fox Sheds vinyl backyard sheds

Have you checked it out yet?  We at Fox’s and our dealers are very excited about our Color Customizer, allowing our online shed customers to visualize the colors they are selecting for their shed.  Quality vinyl siding in many colors, as well as trim and shutters, for you to customize your shed.  You can order online or over the phone, or stop by our facility in Lancaster County, PA. Visit www.FoxSheds.com or call us directly at 717-626-9560 for personalized assistance.

Reporting in from the Keystone Wholesale Show

We are blogging right now directly from the Keystone Wholesale Show in York Pa.  How cool is that?!  They have wireless internet set up throughout the arena, and we brought our laptop along to show visitors how neat our Color Customizer is on our www.FoxSheds.com website.

Gotta run – if you are thinking of coming out to see us, we will be here until 4pm on Wednesday March 18, and Thursday March 19.  We had a number of prospective dealers stop by and visit and take information along.  We’d love to see you too!

On display we have our Corner Nook, Cape Cod and our Stone Chalet (Garden Chalet), along with dealer information and brochures.  We’d love to arrange a tour of our shop so you can see where our sheds are made.

Signing off – from the Keystone Wholesale market -

Fox’s Country Sheds