Revised: February 2026
Location, Shape and Size
An exciting step for anyone, anywhere — whether or not you think you're a gardener!
Every new year, we get so excited for each person who activates their co-creative garden and moves forward in partnership with nature. It's our honor to encourage and, when needed, assist you on this adventure.
We extend a special welcome to those who are gardening with their nature partner for the first time. We are rooting for all of you!
If you missed the first step, it's essential.
Don't do step 2 without it!
Start the Gardening Series at the beginning here.
In this session with nature, you're going to learn the location, shape and size of your garden.
That's it! Some of this may have already been identified in your DDP. If you're planning a patio or deck garden, you'll obviously be working within that space, but you still need to determine where on the patio those planted areas will be, and how much of the patio will contain plants.
How many containers will you need?
What kind of container(s)?
What size container(s)?
Will they be on the railing?
Around the border?
On the ground?
In the center?
In more than one place?
If your DDP involves an existing garden, you can work with nature to determine if you are to begin your co-creative work in just a portion of that garden this year, or if you are to change the shape or size.
Even if you're starting with a blank slate on your land, Machaelle's step-by-step instructions will make locating your new garden a breeze.
Be honest with yourself and nature if you have time constraints. You don't have to do everything with nature in every existing garden or a large garden this year. Allow yourself the freedom to learn how this works in a space you can commit the time to this season.
You will enjoy the partnership more, learn more and get farther ahead. You can always expand into more or larger gardens later — when you are ready.
Gut Gardeners
You have two pages of the Garden Workbook to read.
Start at the top of page 23 and read through the 5th paragraph on page 24.
You will be learning how to start and stop the conversation with your partner.
Then you will get the location, shape and size of your garden.
When you finish reading those two pages, do it!
2.0 Gardeners
You'll be reading about six pages.
Open your Workbook to Chapter 5, page 77. Read to the Stop button on page 82. You can break it down into three short sessions this week:
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Read pages 77-79 and do that.
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Read page 80 and do it.
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Read from page 81 to the middle of page 82. Then do it.
Returning Gut Gardeners and 2.0 Gardeners
Location, shape and size are the three aspects of a garden that tend not to change from year to year. Still, you are going to ask if there are any changes to your garden's location, shape or size this year. Follow the steps above.
If you significantly changed or expanded your DDP: You may find that the location, shape and size of your garden must change or expand as well.
Every step counts.
We encourage you to celebrate with whatever feels like a treat after you complete this week's step with nature — whether that's a cheerful mug of mint tea, a specialty coffee, a relaxing bath or a long (brr!) winter walk.
Celebrate that you now know the location, shape and size of your garden!
Your garden can be anything. Start now.
It's not the garden.
It's the gardening that counts.
— Hannah Gadsby's grandmother
