In our design membership, we’ve been reading Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee, and one idea in particular has been lingering with me: her Celebration aesthetic of joy.

Celebration doesn’t have to mean balloons or ...

When I’m drawing… pencil moving slowly across trace, ideas taking shape…I often have a podcast playing in the background. Not something that demands too much attention, but voices that keep me company. Conversations about plants, places, process, and perspective.

⚘

Recently, I asked the designers inside my membership,

HAND-DRAWING AS PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS

As designers, our role is to solve problems and shape outdoor spaces that are both functional and creative. Drawing...whether quick pencil sketches or refined digital graphics...is essential to this process. It’s how we explore ideas, clarify concepts, and eventually communicate our thinking visually.

O...

TEMPTATION + DISCIPLINE

It’s plant sale season…the time when carts overflow and restraint feels impossible. I’ve been making the rounds, too, scooping up clearance plants for just a few dollars each.

But here’s the difference this year: I finally feel like I know what I need. It’s taken years to get focused and understand my garden’s patterns, i...