CELEBRATORY BEACONS
Where the energy of the garden collects
Some spaces in a garden just have it. The fire pit everyone gravitates toward after dinner. The dining table that fills up on its own. The spot where conversations start and nobody wants to leave.
That's a celebratory beacon...and it's what this month is all about.
A beacon is a signal, not an instruction. It doesn't tell people where to go. It draws them there. And when you design one intentionally, it becomes the heart of your garden…the place where the energy concentrates and people actually stay.
Inspired by Ingrid Fetell Lee's book Joyful, this month's guide explores the idea of designing for gathering. We'll cover the seven most common types of celebratory beacons (fire, cooking, eating, seating, water, play, and pop-ups), how to give your beacon the right size and placement, and the design question every outdoor space should ask:
Where do I want people to gather and am I actually designing for that?
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The garden above is Lisa's in Des Moines, Iowa, the garden bottom left is located in Grinnell, Iowa.
THIS MONTH INCLUDES
Garden Design Guide #048: Celebratory Beacons
Two activity options: find a beacon or design your own
A Dimensions Dashboard to help you size your beacon
Related guides: Lines of Force, Patio Design, The Garden Floor
Two live sessions
GOODNESS FOR YOU THIS MONTH
Below you will find several items to help you learn more about CELEBRATORY BEACONS. From written words to video to applied activities to our Design Library to group discussions. Explore our topic from different angles and gain a new perspective. Click below to download a PDF of your Garden Design Guide and activity. Further down you will find a demo video, a bonus Dimensions Dashboard, links to our community, plus two live sessions!
VIDEO: DESIGN A BEACON DEMO
This video shows how I design and draw a celebratory beacon for a backyard.
RESOURCES in our DESIGN LIBRARY
Below are some past Garden Design Guides, plus other resources to help you with this month's topic.
LINES OF FORCE
This Garden Design Guide explains a technique to build strong geometry and lines in your landscape, while also unifying it with existing architecture.
PATIO DESIGN
A patio serves as a bridge between the house and the garden. More than just a paved surface, it extends your living space, blurring the line between inside and out.
THE GARDEN FLOOR
The garden floor is where life happens…where we walk, gather, and play. It’s the starting point for spatial design and establishing structure in your garden.
CELEBRATORY BEACON DIMENSIONS
Just like the rooms inside your house, your celebratory beacon needs to be the right size. That's where these dimensions come in. Start with function. A dining table needs room for chairs to pull out. A fire pit needs space for a circle of seating. Let the function determine the size…not the other way around. These are in both Imperial and metric.
CONVERSATION GARDENS
This book, written by Lynn Kuhn, is a wonderful way to look at designing outdoor spaces...with a focus on encouraging conversations. Below is a link to her book and a video of her discussion with our group.
TEMPLATE LIBRARY
Are you looking for some furniture, planters or people to add to your drawings? Check out some options below.
OUR COMMUNITY
Don't forget to hang out with us this month.
Check in to share your activity. Try it yourself and/or learn from the submissions of your peers. No need to stress. Just enjoy!
ACTIVITY:
Design a Beacon
This month, you'll find an inspiration photo, plus explore designing your own celebratory beacon. Choose one or do both. Submit your activities below.
Do you have a question?
Do you have a question on this month's topic or another design question? Let's all learn together!
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Click below to add it to our community.
Moved closer to a goal?
Share your win with us.
Tell us what you’ve done this month that got you one step closer to your dream...we’re ready to celebrate with you!
LIVE SESSIONS
We have one Monthly Meetup this month. This will be recorded in case you can't make it (then posted right back here). Check out all UPCOMING MEETUPS here.
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I'd also love to meet with you in a Design Discovery session with three of your peers. Check for available dates here.
How to Make Profit the Priority in Your Business
Revenue growth feels good, but without profit, it's a missed opportunity to build real wealth. In this workshop, Parker Stevenson (CEO of Evolved Finance, author of Profit Pillars) shares the simple financial framework that helps online business owners turn revenue into lasting profit. No finance background required.
Learn more when you click below to RSVP.
Add your questions about bookkeeping, taxes and/or finances in general to our GOOGLE DOC.
Monthly MeetUp
Let's catch up on this month's topic, plus share our activities. I can't wait to see you!
Tuesday, October 27
Noon PT | 1 PM MT | 2 PM CT | 3 PM ET
London: 7 PM GMT
Sydney: October 28 at 6 AM AEDT
I'd love your feedback once you've devoured all this goodness.
Drop me a note at the email below and let me know what you loved and what could be improved. Thank you!
Please contact me at hello@papergardenworkshop.com
