Soil + Ink Landscape Design

Soil + Ink Landscape Design Custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision & values while promoting biodiversity.

The native lawn is now two years old! 🎉She looks a little different than she did this time last year, in fact she's way ...
05/29/2026

The native lawn is now two years old! 🎉

She looks a little different than she did this time last year, in fact she's way LESS full than she was then.

I've spent a lot of time over the last year removing ALL of the wild strawberry plants. They just scrambled OVER everything instead of between, and killed a lot of their neighbors. Really, save the strawberry vines for areas without other plants where people will never walk (those vines will reach out and grab your feet to trip you up!).

I've also removed most of the little bluestem, as much as I could ID last March. It's too big for this scale. Don't worry, I transplanted them into the meadow.

Unfortunately, that means I've opened up some gaps and disturbed some soil, so now I have quite a lot of weeds popping up. However, it does look like maybe some of the Danthonia is finally getting a chance to sprout (seeded again last fall).

Plants added this spring:
Siline caroliana var. Wherryi 'Short and Sweet' (wild pinks)
Erigeron pulchellus var. pulchellus 'Lynnhaven's Carpet's (Robin's plantain)
Viola walteri 'Silver Gem' (prostrate blue violet)
Uvularia grandiflora (bellwort)

Next experiment: I think once the Penstemon is done blooming I'll try cutting at least part of it back... Curious to see what happens when it's cut to 8" or so. May do about half so I have a side by side comparison.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

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Update at the Log Wave Garden in Carlisle!'Blackbeard' Penstemon is having her moment alongside the salvia, punctuated b...
05/26/2026

Update at the Log Wave Garden in Carlisle!

'Blackbeard' Penstemon is having her moment alongside the salvia, punctuated by alliums and yellow baptisia. At the moment the only plant that did not make it has been the Calamintha nepeta, although the battle with the rabbits eating the echinacea is always ongoing.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

🌿

04/30/2026

🌿 Design Delivery Day! 🌿

This is a big plan for my ambitious native plant enthusiasts and DIYer clients!

In the front yard we will be replacing all of the remaining lawn with a carex matrix along the sidewalk and a perennial garden nearer the home. We will extend their existing walking path throughout the space, connecting to the shared side garden with the neighbors.

In the back yard they will be installing a pond and waterfall, which will be connected visually to the rain garden via a dry stream bed. They will enter the garden by crossing over a stone slab bridge where they will find a stepping stone path wandering throughout the space. A second tier on the slightly higher level towards the back gives them space for a sunny patio area overlooking the whole garden and pond. Larger shrubs and a tree provide some privacy from the neighbors. The remaining space will include a dead hedge, compost area, and a food garden space.

If I were planting these gardens myself, or at least citing plants for an installer, I would not take the time to draw every single plant on the plan. Rather, I would decide on the plant composition and how many of each plant wwas required for each area, and simply cite them on planting day. However, these clients will be installing on their own, and decided they would like to have a specific guide with every single plant laid out in its place for them to follow. I have provided them with reusable laminated planting plants to use on planting day. These can get smudged and dirty and then wiped clean to remain legible.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

🌿

Made w/ Trace

04/27/2026

Following yesterday’s post… here’s the plant key color layer creation for my upcoming native matrix planting delivery. These can then be copied and pasted over each of the plants in the plan.

I really need to start saving these off to a universal plant key to use on all projects.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphinois, Adam’s, Perry, and Franklin counties.

Made w/ Trace

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04/26/2026

Draw - Copy - Paste paste paste paste paste.

Native matrix planting almost ready for delivery!

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire fora more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

Made w/ Trace

🌿

Log Wave Garden sign is up!So grateful my lovely friend, cycling buddy, artsy crafting queen, and fellow plant lover off...
04/25/2026

Log Wave Garden sign is up!

So grateful my lovely friend, cycling buddy, artsy crafting queen, and fellow plant lover offered to put my sign up in her garden.

I can't take credit for the Log Waves, but I can for the planting design. Entering year 2, she's gonna be amazing!

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

🌿

04/24/2026

The springtime meadow: Zizia season!

She's pretty cute at the moment, but I must admit I am not so enamored with the meadow any longer. She's kind of a beast to have so close to the house. She'd be great at a further distance.

I'd love to replace her with a more organized style of garden at this point, but funds for that are limited. I may try mowing her back early in the season and see if that helps to restrict her height any at all.

Either way, it has been a good experience. Unfortunately, as soon as I planted her, my clients lost interest in meadows! So any knowledge I have gained has not been put to use at all. So far.
C'est la vie!

Have you had questions about how to manage your garden or landscape? Don't need a full landscape plan but still need som...
04/21/2026

Have you had questions about how to manage your garden or landscape?

Don't need a full landscape plan but still need some advice?

Soil + Ink offers on site Garden Coaching services including:
🟢 General advice for bed & plant layout
🟢 Plant suggestions
🟢 Pruning recommendations
🟢 Problem solving for specific site issues
🟣 Optional post-session add-ons including Homeowner's Guide, maintenance plans, local resources, custom plant libraries

Garden Coaching $125/hour.

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Adams, Perry, and Franklin counties.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

💛 Yellow tulips make me the happiest.It's a great time to think about what spring bulbs are missing from your garden and...
04/11/2026

💛 Yellow tulips make me the happiest.

It's a great time to think about what spring bulbs are missing from your garden and start making a plan for next year!

Spring blooming bulbs are ordered in the summer and planted in the fall. It's so easy to forget all about them and miss your window for ordering before the bulbs you want sell out.

Let's make a plan now so you're all set!

🟡 These reliable golden rebloomers are 'Roi du Midi'. They're a bit smaller for me this year, so they may be due for some division and bulb food.

🟣 What can Soil + Ink do for you this season?

🟢 Soil + Ink Landscape Design: Elevate your outdoor space with our custom landscape designs that reflect your unique vision, values, and desire for a more vibrant, sustainable future.

🌿

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Carlisle, PA

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