Hello Lisa.

Welcome back to another edition of THE PENCIL CASE! Each issue explores a fresh theme to inspire new ways of thinking about garden design and graphics.

⚘
This week, I’ve been thinking about ORANGE...a color I once found intimidating. It’s bold, warm, and full of energy, and yet it has a way of surprising you. Sometimes the colors we least expect to love end up shaping the mood and personality of a garden in ways we never imagined.

.....

The garden images above and below are all from my garden in Des Moines, Iowa.

ORANGE IN THE GARDEN

I’ve always been drawn to cooler colors like greens, blues, and purples. Orange, on the other hand, felt a little…intimidating. But when we moved into our blue house, I decided to give it a chance in the backyard. Part of the inspiration? Tommy’s love of orange. So why not...I decided to give it a shot.

⚘

Orange brought warmth, playfulness, and a new energy to the garden. In my latest blog post, I share how we’ve layered orange across foliage, furniture, planters, and more...and why this “foreign” color now feels completely at home.

⚘

Read more here: ORANGE IN THE GARDEN

INSPIRATION

Speaking of repeating colors… I recently wrote an article for Garden Gate Magazine on Repetition in the Garden (Fall 2025 issue). It’s full of ideas on how repeating shapes, materials, and colors can give a garden rhythm and flow. Click here to grab a copy.

⚘

Did you catch my past color posts? You can check those out here.

⚘

We also covered color a bit in our 10x10 Garden Design Tips email series. Learn more here.

⚘

What's a color you’ve discovered unexpectedly works in your garden?

.....

The garden above was designed by Greenhaven Landscapes in Lake Bluff, Illinois and the garden below left was designed by Patrick Anderson in Fallbrook, California.

Welcome to our newest members in The Garden Design Collective! If you’d like to learn more about landscape design (and color!) we'd love to have you join us in early December. Join our waiting list here.

⚘

If you know someone that needs a bit of garden 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.

⚘

Keep surrounding yourself with color, creativity, and good company.

From the studio + garden,

Lisa 

PAPER GARDEN WORKSHOP

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