b sq. Design Studio Inc. is a Toronto based Landscape Design and Build firm that endeavours to create elegant and modern landscapes with a focus on sustainability and longevity for our work. “Plug and Play – the Pallet Garden” is our 5th feature garden installation for the annual Canada Blooms Garden Festival.

Recycled wood pallets were chosen as the primary material for this feature garden as they were a commonly available material that everyone recognizes but only as an industrial object. Our challenge was to take this common element and make it into something beautiful and interesting that could be dismantled after the show and then returned into the commercial market once again to function as shipping pallets.

The pallet garden is made up of 105 standard pallets that are all 5”high, 40” wide and 48” long and these were used to create the walkways, planter walls, a 12’ high playhouse with a roof deck, a water feature and a series of freestanding pallet herb gardens. The playhouse incorporates two door openings and a generous counter area making it a perfect informal playhouse with interior and exterior walls that are infinitely climbable.

This structure could be used by both adults and children for play activities, parties or just a fun hangout space.

The Pallet Garden has been a huge success at the Canada Blooms Garden Festival and it is a constant source of delight and surprise for visitors as soon as they realize that everything they are looking at has been made from shipping pallets.The use of shipping pallets as a garden element is a natural progression for b sq. Design Studio as they made their mobile design office made from a standard 8’ x 20’ Shipping container as their display for a number of shows in 2009.

This mobile container office was a big success as well and as a result b sq. Design Studio were asked to participate in international festivals in Singapore and Japan in 2010.

After the shows b sq. Design Studio has used the shipping container office as their mobile support office for the past three years extending the life of this trade show display indefinitely. At the completion of the show the display will be dismantled, the pallets will be returned to the warehouses and the plant materials will be relocated into permanent locations throughout Toronto. Overall feedback has been overwhelming positive as both visitors and other exhibitors can appreciate the creative use of these materials as they are briefly recycled into an innovative and creative garden display.