Hello Lisa.

Welcome back to another edition of The Pencil Case...where each issue offers a design idea or drawing tip to help you see your garden with fresh eyes. This week, we’re exploring the quiet power of odd numbers in planting design. It’s a simple concept, but one that can bring rhythm, unity, and intention to your work. ♥︎

We're covering a related concept right now in our membership, The Garden Design Collective via The Blocking Method. I'll dive into this more towards the end of our newsletter. You're welcome to jump in and join us.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Have you ever heard the design tip to plant in ODD NUMBERS? It might sound simple, but it’s one of those small shifts that can make a big difference.

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Three. Five. Seven. Not because even numbers are wrong, but because odd numbers create visual movement and groupings that feel natural and intentional. There’s something about them that gives a garden a sense of ease and flow.

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Think of it this way:
One plant feels like an accent.
Two can look accidental.
Three becomes a group.
Five or more becomes a statement.

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Odd-numbered groupings help your plants read as a composition, not just individual specimens sprinkled about. 

THE ODD IMPACT

Here’s why odd numbers work so well in planting design:

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They feel more dynamic. Even numbers tend to split our attention. We try to find the center, and the composition can start to feel stiff or static. Odd numbers naturally create off-center groupings that are more interesting to look at...and more like what we see in nature.
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They help you mass plants. Instead of placing a single plant here and another one there, using three or five of the same plant helps it read as a unit. It’s massing...and it makes a garden feel generous, lush, and full.
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They create rhythm and repetition. When you repeat those odd-numbered groupings throughout a bed, you create a pleasing sense of movement. Your eye flows across the space. It feels alive.

ODD EXCEPTIONS

And of course, there are always exceptions. Sometimes a single dramatic specimen is exactly the right move. But when you’re aiming for harmony, flow, and fullness...massing a larger group of plants can make a bigger impact.

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One plant on ether side of your entry is also okay. Think of it as a group of one on either side. Two "onesies" is a great way to frame and bring attention to an area.

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Once you reach nine or more plants in a group there isn't a need to follow this rule anymore, since our eye can't count quickly with larger numbers.

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So next time you’re sketching or planting, try grouping in threes or fives (or more!). Notice how it changes the feel of the space. It’s a simple shift with big impact.

Let's do this!

Have you played with odd numbers in your garden? I’d love to hear how it’s worked for you. Please share by hitting reply to this email or tagging me on Instagram.

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Learn the Design Tool Behind Beautiful Plant Groupings

If you're curious about massing plants and using odd numbers more intentionally, you're in luck...this month inside the GARDEN DESIGN COLLECTIVE, we're diving into the blocking method (and yes, you can join us!). It’s a technique we use in elevation drawings to help organize and mass plants visually. We’re practicing how to draw these plant groupings in both elevation and plan view.

And there’s more on the horizon: In July, we’ll explore the beauty and principles of Japanese garden design, plus in August, we’ll learn how to draw gardens in two-point perspective

Our membership is open now through June 13, 2025. If you’ve been thinking about joining, now’s a lovely moment to do it. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GARDEN DESIGN COLLECTIVE.

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If you know someone that needs design inspiration, please feel free to share this newsletter. Anyone can subscribe right here. I also keep a VAULT of past issues in this secret location.

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All my best to you this lovely spring season,

Lisa 

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PAPER GARDEN WORKSHOP

Thank you to Mandy Orgler for designing the lovely graphics in all these newsletters.