Kendra Herr has always loved old houses. Living on a farm was also a dream. She’s achieved those goals in her own way: Her Strasburg-area home, which is surrounded by farmland, is decorated according to her own spin on modern farmhouse, while a barn-inspired she-shed is nestled in the wooded backyard. A smaller garden and tool “he-shed” is the domain of her husband, Matt.  

Kendra Herr worked with Lititz-based Trademark Contractors to design/build her New England barn-inspired she-shed that makes its home in a wooded area of her backyard.

The Herrs’ property is always evolving. Three years after building their home in 2005, the couple added a screened porch. Inside, remodeling projects created a large dining room and a combination mudroom/laundry/plant nursery. She views such projects in philosophical terms. “You need to make spaces work for you. Different seasons warrant different needs,” Kendra says, alluding to the fact that she and Matt now host holiday and family gatherings, hence the need for a large dining area. 

Kendra and her husband, Matt Herr, have been carrying out remodeling projects at their home since building it in 2005. “It’s our haven; we like to stay home,” she says of their lifestyle.

In 2018, they added an expansive patio and firepit. “We lived out there during the pandemic. The kids and their friends really put the firepit to use,” she says of their four children. The sheds were built in 2020. Most recently, they replaced their home’s garage doors and added dormers above the area. “Our house and property have really morphed over the years,” Kendra affirms. “It’s our haven; we like to stay home,” she says of their lifestyle. She gives kudos to Lititz-based Trademark Contractors for the projects they’ve brought to fruition over the years. “They work with us on all our projects,” she notes. “They know I like to think outside the box and work with me.” 

A Process

Once spring arrives, the Herrs head outdoors. “We both love to be outside,” Kendra says. “We take care of everything ourselves,” she says of gardening, mowing, landscaping and upkeep. “It’s something we can do together. It’s inspiring when like minds work together.” She says adding the screened porch was one of the best decisions they’ve made. “It’s my very favorite,” she shares. “We’re out there from April through October. You get the advantage of being outside but don’t have to deal with bugs.” 

Window boxes filled with a variety of colorful plants decorate the two sheds and stand out against the gray paint.

Kendra, who grew up in Conestoga, points to her father and his sisters as being her inspirations where gardening is concerned. “Thanks to them, I just love to dig in the dirt,” she says. One of her aunts is Carol Mylin, who until her retirement was a floral designer and plantscaper (Carol’s Creations) in Manheim. Kendra embraces the notion that gardening is a lifelong learning process and has discovered that “the more you experiment, the more confident you become.” Her property is challenging from a gardening standpoint, as it requires both sun- and shade-loving plants. She points to working at Henrys’ Farm & Greenhouses in Holtwood for two seasons as an invaluable part of her education. “I learned so much from working there,” she says.  

Through Henrys’ Kendra also cultivated a good friend, Stacey Toomey. The two are kindred spirits from a gardening and decorating perspective and are fans of repurposing finds. “Creativity goes beyond decorating,” she explains. “I’m not a DIYer; I like to take things I find at barn sales and places like Tollbooth [in Columbia] and give them a new purpose.” 

Container gardens filled with shade-loving plants enliven the porch area of the she-shed.

One of her favorite destinations is The Old Lucketts Store in Loudoun County, Virginia. The store, which makes its home in a century-old general store in Leesburg, was launched as an antiques shop by Suzanne and Pat Eblen in 1996. Today, it’s home to more than three-dozen vendors who specialize in “vintage hip,” which is described as “old, new and cool.” 

Like many New England barns, Kendra’s she-shed is designed with overhangs, one of which tops an outdoor seating area, while a smaller one provides added protection over a doorway.

A few years after opening, the Eblens decided to host a market-style event in the parking lot of the town’s community center. The response from vendors and fans was overwhelming and Lucketts Spring Market became an annual event (moving for a time to open fields near the store). Covid prompted a pivot to fall in 2021 – Kendra introduced Stacey to Lucketts that year – and, because it proved so popular, Lucketts has made it an annual event, as well. They also found a new home for the extravaganzas at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville. Dates for the 2023 Spring Market are May 19-21; the Fall Market will be held October 13-15. The store also hosts an over-the-top Holiday Open House each November. Visit luckettsmarkets.com for details.   

Moonlight in … Strasburg

Apparently, Lancaster County isn’t the only place where barns are revered. Barns have been an integral part of the landscape in New England for centuries. Kendra and Matt have always liked the look of that region’s barns and worked with Trademark Contractors to bring that look to their backyard. 

Kendra loves vintage – as is evidenced by the glassware and candlesticks – and uses such finds to set the table for dinner parties and other events she holds in the she-shed. She also tops the table with flowers from her garden.

Like the no-nonsense, practical people who settled New England, the barns of that region reflect Yankee ingenuity, which is defined as the ability to make-do, improvise and cope with the cards they had been dealt (i.e., poor soil and harsh weather). As a result, the barns were built with practicality in mind. Doors were located on the gable ends of the structures and were often topped by overhangs that created a lean-to look and provided added protection from the wind and snow. The open interiors provided space for sheltering animals, crops and farming implements. Early settlers held religious services in the barns. 

A sideboard in the she-shed once saw service as a table in a mechanic’s shop.

Many barns were also outfitted with windows, which allowed for light and fresh air to be admitted. Practicality was later taken up a notch, as barns became connected to other outbuildings and even the farmhouse in order to provide easy access to the animals during inclement weather. Color-wise, New England-style barns were painted white, red and even charcoal. “They’re painted just one color,” Kendra adds. 

Kendra’s she-shed mimics New England-style barns. Sliding barn doors are located at each end. On one end, an overhang creates a porch-like enclosure. The doors at the other end allow for vehicles to be driven into the structure. Windows also dot the barn. Inside, the exposed wood and overhead beams provide a rustic ambiance for gatherings. “We can comfortably accommodate 40 to 45 people inside the barn,” Kendra says. “We’ve used it for several parties, a bridal shower, a 50th anniversary celebration and our daughter’s rehearsal dinner. The kids and their friends like to hang out in there, too.” (A projector can be set up for watching movies.) She’s also hosted a “barn sale” to re-home items she had accumulated. The barn was also on view last summer for a garden tour. 

Kendra “shopped” her home to find furnishings and accessories for the she-shed’s seating area.

Kendra’s barn also employs Yankee (or maybe more appropriately Pennsylvania Dutch) ingenuity from a decorating perspective. For example, the sofas and accessories were appropriated from the house. She spied the dining tables at Costco and figured the exceptional price was because they lacked chairs. She bought two and found chairs through an online source. The sideboard was fashioned out of a table that came from a mechanic’s shop. There’s also a sentimental touch: The American flag topped the casket of Matt’s grandfather. “Because of its size, we could never find a place to display it inside the house,” Kendra notes. “It’s a perfect fit out here.”    

Matt’s smaller he-shed also takes its inspiration from the design of New England barns. It’s used primarily as a tool shed and storage for garden- and maintenance-related items. The overhang shelters a potting bench that once served as a vendor stand at Fulton Market.

Matt’s garden and tool shed also takes its design cue from New England-style barns. “Everything that’s stored in there had been in the garage,” Kendra says. Now, tools and garden necessities are organized and easily accessible. Both sheds are enlivened with container gardens and window boxes that are filled with colorful flowers and plants. 

She-shed … a Lifestyle

Over the past 10-plus years, she-sheds have become backyard fixtures and are often described as the female version of the man cave. According to The Spruce, she-sheds differ from man caves in that they “are more about fulfillment,” as they are used for everything from listening to music to working on DIY projects, displaying collections, reading, exercising, tending to plants, hanging out with friends or simply getting away from it all. HGTV prefers to call such structures “me-sheds.” According to Crane Garden Buildings (UK), a she-shed has one purpose: “to make you happy.” 

A nook that is located between the screened porch and the garage provides space for another potting area.

During the pandemic, they took on the role of being a home office and many continue to fulfill that function.  

She-sheds became part of the landscape when creative women began retrofitting them out of standard garden sheds. Peruse the internet and you’ll notice that savvy shed builders (including the Amish) have taken notice of the trend and have tweaked their designs. Barns, small outbuildings, gazebos and garages are also being pressed into service. New construction (such as Kendra’s she-shed) is also an option. 

The screened porch was one of the first projects the Herrs completed. Kendra says it’s well-used, as the family relaxes and dines on the porch from April to October.

She-sheds no doubt influenced the advent of the newest addition to the backyard, the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) that creates a separate space (typically 800 square feet or so in size) that is ideal for guests, parents looking to age in place and even as a short- or long-term rental. 

She-sheds have also taken on a virtual life of their own thanks to Californians Erika Kotite (a former magazine editor and author of the book, She-sheds: A Room of Your Own) and Sabrina Conteras (an interior designer), who host the website, sheshedliving.com (plus other social media sites), and have been designing, building and promoting she-sheds for years. I guarantee that the projects seen on their sites will make you look longingly at the possibilities your own backyard can offer. 

The Herrs worked with Knutsen Outdoor in Conestoga to create the patio and firepit. Prior to the addition of the patio, the area was an expanse of lawn.

Kendra’s Favorite Greenhouses 

Henrys’ Farm & Greenhouses,
1258 Oregon Hollow Rd., Holtwood (self-serve stand, cash only) 

Hilltop Greenhouse,
1624 Lancaster Pike, Quarryville 

Hillside Acres Nursery,
940 Valley Rd., Quarryville 

Fisher’s Greenhouse,
311 North Star Rd., Strasburg

A bench on the screened porch was made from the footboard and headboard of a bed.

Matt’s grandfather crafted the cupola that decorates one of the flowerbeds.

Vivid colors now define old-fashioned plants such as coleus. When it comes to gardening, Kendra finds that “the more you experiment, the more confident you become.”

“I love to use things in unexpected ways,” Kendra says. Here, an old watering trough serves as a container garden. The potting bench was made from barnwood and hammered metal.

Pam Overly is convinced that gardening played a role in helping her overcome two serious health challenges. She also credits gardening for helping her to create a close bond with several neighbors. “It’s good for the body, mind and soul,” she says of her love of gardening. 

The view from the Overlys’ deck takes in the backyard gardens, adjacent farmland, New Holland and beyond. Pam and Neal purchased the property 30 years ago this month. Once nearly enshrouded with trees, they worked with an arborist to open the view and create a garden-friendly backyard.

Pam and her husband, Neal, purchased their hillside property east of New Holland 30 years ago this month. “It was all trees,” she says of the one-acre lot. To their disappointment, the towering trees blocked the gorgeous view from the house that, on a clear day, extends to Ephrata and beyond. To Pam’s dismay, she discovered the tree-shrouded lot was not conducive to gardening, either. They bided their time and remedied the situation three years later by having an arborist take down a selection of trees. Now that they had access to a view of the countryside, their next project entailed building an expansive deck on the rear of the house.  

A clean canvas now allowed Pam to create gardens on the property. She credits genetics for her green thumb. “All while I was growing up, I remember my grandparents having flowers,” she recalls. Their love of gardening filtered to the next generation and now obviously influences Pam. “It’s just a hobby I enjoy,” she explains. “I like to see things grow.” She’s also passing on her love of gardening to another generation, as she has taken her nephew, Jordan Bush (who authors the column, Foodographer), under her wing and shares her knowledge and plants with him. Jordan, in turn, is tutoring her on the joys of growing fig trees. 

Pam loves glass and the color blue and came up with a way to add both to the garden with wine bottles.

A love of gardening (and decorating) also influenced Pam’s career path – she was a 20-year veteran of the former Flower & Craft Warehouse in Blue Ball. She now works at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. 

Neal is also a gardener. He lays the foundation for Pam’s creative pursuits by helping her with the mulching and mowing. “We’ve put down lots of mulch, leaves and pine needles over the years,” she says of creating an optimal growing environment for the flowers and other plantings. They bounce ideas off each other and join forces to carry them out. Together they also create holiday planters for the entrance of Tyson Foods, where Neal is the groundskeeper. They also grow peppers, which Neal shares with the Hispanic employees at Tyson to use in their cooking. 

Bubblegum petunias are a summertime favorite of Pam’s. Here, they are displayed in an old wheelbarrow.

Over the past nearly three decades, Pam has created an ever-evolving seasonal palette that begins to bloom in the spring with daffodils, Virginia bluebells, tulips, primrose and bellflowers. But it’s in mid-summer, when the garden is at its prime thanks to daylilies, foxglove, hosta, hydrangea, ferns, yucca, coneflowers and annuals such as petunias. “Coneflowers and Bubblegum petunias are my favorites,” she shares. As fall approaches, sedum, mums, asters and other late bloomers add rich color to the landscape. A new endeavor is to incorporate the color blue into the garden with plants and garden art. “I love to see blue in my garden,” she says. 

Like many avid gardeners, Pam took advantage of the downtime that came courtesy of the pandemic. “I was off work for a year,” she says. “I got to really be out in the garden,” she says of those projects she finally had time to tackle.   

A sign pays homage to Pam’s tutor, gardening friend and neighbor, Fran Komancheck.

In addition to her family, Pam credits a neighbor, Fran Komancheck, for broadening her gardening horizons. “She’s shared so many plants and ideas with me over the years,” Pam notes. “Sharing is part of the fun of gardening.” Another neighbor, Nancy, is an avid gardener who shares her expertise and plants with Pam. The two have diverse gardens, as Fran’s sun-splashed environs bloom with larkspur, daylilies and other flowering plants. Nancy’s woodland garden features shade-loving plants. “We like to get together and make things like cement garden art,” Pam adds of the camaraderie gardening has created in the neighborhood. 

Of course, part of the fun of gardening is the hunt. Finding that rare, old-fashioned plant, the newest hybrid or an elusive houseplant is always a thrill. Pam says she is fortunate to live in an area of the county that is known for its small, family-owned greenhouses. “I just love to go to the greenhouses,” she says. “You just never know what you’ll find.” 

Pam loves hydrangeas and grows several varieties in her gardens. This hydrangea was transplanted from her father’s garden.

As for the decorative elements that define her gardens, they range from family mementos and farming implements to yard sale finds. Pam also loves glass, which is represented in the garden by a bottle tree, blue wine bottles inverted atop rebar, as well as her own creations.

Wildlife also figures into the gardenscape. Birds abound thanks to the open fields, the forests of the Welsh Mountains and the protection the remaining trees in the yard offer. “We even see eagles and red-tailed hawks,” Pam notes. It’s also not uncommon to catch glimpses of foxes and other critters along the treeline. The farm fields are a favorite gathering place for deer. “They will munch on my plants,” she says. 

Touches of blue come courtesy of glass garden art, a bowling ball and hydrangea.

When winter sets in, Pam becomes an indoor gardener. Houseplants fill her living room. Again, some of them, like a decades-old snake plant, are family heirlooms, while others are new finds. “I move a lot of them outside over the summer,” she notes. Her bay window, which receives the perfect amount of light, is used as an incubator for growing plants from seed. The sunny window makes her long for warmer weather. “I can’t wait to get back outside,” Pam says on a March day that held the promise of spring. 

Neal (left) and Pam Overly, with their nephew, Jordan Bush. Pam shares gardening advice and plants with Jordan, while he shares his enthusiasm for growing fig trees with her.

3 of Pam’s Favorite Greenhouses 

Black Creek Greenhouses,
211 E. Black Creek Rd., East Earl 

Hoover’s Greenhouse,
236 S. Farmersville Rd., Leola 

Leid’s Greenhouse,
159 Meadowcreek Rd., New Holland 

An old farming implement that belonged to Neal’s grandfather, looks right at home in Pam’s garden.

Coneflowers are at the top of the list when Pam is asked to name her favorite plant.

Pam’s fondness for glass is evidenced in a bottle tree.

A walking path meanders across the far reaches of the backyard. The tree-lined area provides the perfect environment for hosta and other shade-loving plants.

Touches of blue come courtesy of glass garden art, a bowling ball and hydrangea.