Hello Lisa.

Welcome back to yet another edition of THE PENCIL CASE! Each issue focuses on a theme to encourage a fresh look at garden design and graphics. This week let's be inspired by the quirky beauty of REPURPOSED PAVING. ♥︎

A BIT OF CHARM IN THE GARDEN 

This month in our membership, The Garden Design Collective, we are learning about cottage gardens. What I love about this style is that it evolved in private gardens by the homeowners themselves. The garden included an overabundance of shared plants (edible and ornamental) from neighbors and friends that were tucked tightly into small spaces, plus used local and repurposed materials to build fences, arbors and paths. It was a resourceful garden style filled with charm, quirkiness, personality and practicality. One of these charming and often quirky elements in the cottage garden included REPURPOSED PAVING...something fun that can be added to our gardens today.

THE QUIRKINESS OF REPURPOSED PAVING

Using repurposed materials in the cottage garden was a reflection of both the resourcefulness and frugality of the people who created them, which resulted in unique, colorful, and textured paving for walks and patios.

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Instead of sourcing new paving materials, repurposed paving involves taking materials that have been used before in previous projects—like old roads, sidewalks, and buildings—then giving them a second life in new installations. This can include old brick, stone, concrete, marble, tile or whatever else you find that can be placed into a useable, walkable surface. 

BENEFITS OF REPURPOSED PAVING

Using repurposed paving is beneficial for several reasons, including:

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Sustainability: Reduces the demand for new materials, conserves natural resources, plus helps reduce construction waste in landfills.

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Cost Savings: Can be less expensive than new materials since these are often given away or at a reduced price, though installation may be more challenging due to the irregular unit sizes.

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Aesthetic Appeal: Often has a charming, weathered appearance that adds character and warmth to an outdoor space. Repurposed materials come in various shapes, colors, and textures, for flexibility in creating unique patterns.

LET'S DO THIS!

Repurposed paving is perfect for the FLOOR PLANE of a garden room! To learn more about garden rooms make sure to join me next week for my:

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GARDEN ROOM MASTERCLASS

In this free masterclass you'll learn about the basic unit of landscape design: the garden room. You only need to attend one session from these options: September 17, 21 or 25. Learn more and SIGN UP HERE. 

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GARDEN DESIGN COLLECTIVE

This is our monthly membership where we focus on learning a new design topic each month, plus have an awesome community of designers around the world. Fall enrollment is open September 17-26, 2024. You're welcome to join the WAITING LIST or look for updates in this newsletter. This membership opens twice a year in March and September. 

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All of our classes are located HERE if you'd like to keep up year round.

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If you know someone that would benefit from this newsletter, please feel free to share. They can subscribe right here. I also keep a VAULT of past issues in this secret location.

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Cheers,

Lisa

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PAPER GARDEN WORKSHOP

Thanks to Mandy Orgler for preparing the images in this newsletter.