70 30 Design Studio

02/02/2026

Just because a design uses primarily native plants doesn’t mean the garden style has to be “naturalistic”. This is an initial sketch for a small, oddly shaped yard that has a drainage easement AND an electrical utility box. The client likes geometric, modern design and wants to get rid of her lawn. A fun new challenge!

Pro tip: Reach out to us garden designers *in winter* so that by the time spring comes, everything will be ready to go!

01/19/2026

As spring beckons folks might get ancy to cut back dead stems. While a few plants genuinely do better when cut back to the next closest bud (like hydrangeas), most perennials do not need to be cut down to the ground level. In fact, it's hurtful to our environment and more-than-human kin to give them a buzz cut. Don't be worried - embrace the new science! It might feel a bit strange at first, but a strategic cutting of just a few stems to give a loose orderliness allows our native bees and other insects to have a safe space to develop or be dormant. Cutting 70% of the old stems between 15-24" in spring allows insects to find them that year. New growth will come up between the dead stems, covering them within about a month. I do this in my own yard, and it's amazing how fast the old stems dissapear in the new foliage once the growing season gets going. Leaving the stems up *over multiple years* allows for insects to complete a full life cycle.

This Xerces infographic is very helpful. If you're not sure how to create a more structured look, watch my pinned post on Instagram about how to strategically cut stems to feel less nervous about the neighbors' opinions.

01/09/2026

This seaside goldenrod is earning its Latin name of Solidago ‘sempervirens’ - aka ‘always flourishing’ or ‘evergreen’. Or in this case, a lovely mauve-purple instead of green as the cold weather sets in. It didn’t start blooming until October, and it just won’t quit. They are cheerful unruly banners amidst the winter gray. You can find Seaside goldenrod's spikes of yellow along the sand dunes of the Chesapeake Bay from Sept - Jan.

The planters behind it are made from salvaged filing cabinets that my artist colleague and I designed to echo the lines of light on the nearby river. They bring a calm but consistent energy for the winter months, when they re-emerge into view after most of the plants die down.

10/29/2025

10/28/2025

When you have a small space, it can feel hard to know where to start to create a wildlife-friendly spot. This all-levels-welcome workshop will introduce 10 landscape design ideas especially suited for small spaces combined with ecological knowledge. Whether you are working with a balcony, patio, small yard, or even your first garden bed, there will be at least one technique that will work with your space.

We’ll then look at photos of each other‘s spaces, and brainstorm where some of these design ideas could be implemented into each space. Includes a take home handout. Hosted by the great folks at Southern Branch Nursery

November 2, 1 to 3 PM
South branch nursery
$15
Registration required
Link to the Facebook event and the registration link in the first comment.

Looking forward to helping you take your space from blah to beautiful!

10/15/2025

Did you know that in winter chickadees eat between 10 - 60% of their body weight PER DAY - and then go into a hypothermic torpor at night in order to slow their metabolism? The human equivalent would be a 165 pound person waking up 15 pounds lighter.

Come with me on this free walk & talk to learn amazing techniques our more-than-human kin use to get through the darkest & coldest months of the year.

🌿 ERT Walk and Talk: Hey, I’m Sleeping Here! Winter Survival Techniques for Pollinators and Others

🎟️ Free & open to all ages!

Ever wonder how other species get through the winter? Join us for a free 90-minute Walk & Talk tour along the Elizabeth River Trail led by ecological landscape designer and writer Kelly Morse of 70 30 Design Studio. Explore the 4 main strategies animals, birds, insects, fish, and even plants use to survive the dark time of the year.

Come ready to walk, chat, and learn something new that will change how you look at green spaces in winter.

🟢 All ages welcome - family-friendly talk. Kids need to be able to walk 0.6 miles one way, a little over 1 mile if returning to the start
🟢 Comfortable shoes + water recommended
🟢 No registration needed, just show up!

09/18/2025

I am so proud to be a collaborator on this important project!

09/14/2025

Remember friends, if you are planning on being a bog witch for Halloween, you could branch out. How about a fen witch? Or a self-liberated maroon conjurer from the Great Dismal Swamp? And let’s not forget the tidal wetland wizard!

Did you know there are different kinds of wetlands? In addition to the tidal salt marshes you might think of, there are also swamps, bogs, fens, and freshwater marshes!
Image text:
Types of wetlands:
Marshes
frequently or continually inundated with water
characterized by emergent soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions.
tidal salt marshes or freshwater marshes.
Swamps
any wetland dominated by woody plants.
Bogs
spongy peat deposits
acidic waters
floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss.
Fens
peat-forming wetlands that receive nutrients from sources other than precipitation: usually from upslope sources through drainage from surrounding mineral soils and from groundwater movement
less acidic than bogs and have higher nutrient levels
Learn more about wetlands: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/classification-and-types-wetlands?

09/13/2025

So true!

09/13/2025

Last day to see Soundings: Soundmap for a changing landscape at Norfolk Botanical Garden before it is deinstalled and moved to a sweet location near the art department Old Dominion University. It’s a beautiful day to come out to the garden!

08/21/2025

70|30 Design Studio is proud to be one of the three collaborators who created this upcoming series to help our coastal community process complex feelings around climate change. All sessions are free - you just need to register ahead of time. Norfolk Botanical Garden has graciously agreed to host plus waive their entry fee for workshop registrants, as we want to provide as much community access as possible. Elizabeth River Trail is providing support and snacks (one always needs snacks). Session descriptions on the photos come from the NBG's fall DIG publication. This creative approach to fostering community resilience in the face of climate change and sea level rise is made possible from a grant by the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University

Visual Conversations: Art, Ecology, Healing series is in collaboration with artist from the ODU Art Department, Dr. Mary Roberts at the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Counseling and Art Therapy at ODU Counseling & Art Therapy, and 70|30 Design Studio.

Each session includes a presentation by an environmental thinker, followed by eco-art making on the grounds of the NBG. Participants will be encouraged to use natural and other provided art materials to develop an artistic response to the topic, content, or personal experiences with climate change.

Sessions are provided at no-cost to participants and no art skill is required. Additional information regarding the presenters and topics can be found in Facebook Events. Registration is required and you can register through the QR code or the link on the Facebook event page. #757

07/29/2025

We we've got some exciting news that we'll share soon!