Mahonia eurybracteata – Soft Caress Mahonia
Broadleaf evergreen shrub with bamboo-like leaves. Fast growing. Height 4 feet spreading to 3-4 feet with a rounded shape. Blooms mid-fall through mid-winter with yellow flowers forming in upright clusters in the center of the foliage. Flowers are long lasting, lightly fragrant and produce silvery-blue berries. Plant in partial shade and in a sheltered area; it’s only hardy to 0°F. USDA zones 7-11.
Asters (Asteraceae)
Perennial. Asters come in a variety of colors and heights, and can provide a late-season source of pollen for bees and other pollinators. Plant in full sun. USDA All Zones.
Chrysant
hemums
Perennial. Varieties can be daisy-like, pompons, spoons, singles, decorative, anemones and standard. Flowers range in colors from white, off-white, yellow, gold, bronze, red, burgundy, pink, lavender and purple. Plant in full sun. USDA Zones 3-9 , hardiness varies with cultivar.
Pansies 
(Viola tricolor)
Annual. Pansies come in a wide range of colors and are a perfect flower for the winter landscape. This plant is durable and winter-hardy. Plant in full sun or partial shade. USDA Zones 4-8.
Russi
an Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Herbaceous Perennial. Woody multi-stemmed plant 3 to 4 foot tall with silver-grayish leaves. Small tubular flowers bloom on tall spires in blue or lavender. Drought tolerant. Plant in full sun, it likes heat! USDA All Zones.
Heavenly Bamboo (Nadina domestica)
Evergreen or semi-deciduous shrub. Leaves turn fiery crimson in the winter and has shiny red berries. Plant in sun or shade, but leaves color better in the sun. USDA Zones 4-10.
Witch Hazel (Corylopsis)
Deciduous shrub. For winter flowers, the Witch Hazel shrubs like those at the entrance to Lithia Park, put on a glorious display in Jan/Feb. Slow growing 8 to 20 feet tall, and as wide. Fragrant flowers bloom on bare branches. Flowers in yellow, bronze, orange, red-orange, copper-red or red. Plant in full sun or part shade, protect from wind. USDA Zones 4-8.
Burning Bush (Euonymus Alatus)
Deciduous shrub. Slow growing to 15 feet tall, and as wide; it can be pruned to be maintained as a shrub. Dwarf varieties grow 6 to 8 ft. Inconspicuous flowers in the spring. Leaves turn a brilliant flaming red in the fall. Plant in full sun. USDA Zone 4-9
Japanese Barberry(Berberis thunbergii)
Deciduous shrub. Grows 4-6 feet tall with equal spread if not sheared. Flowers appear in May. Fruits are red oblong berries persisting on the plant into winter. Leaves turn attractive shades of red and orange in the fall. Plant in full sun. USDA Zones 4-8
Note: Japanese Barberry has been labeled an invasive species on the East Coast.
Please read the following for possible alternatives for Japanese Barberry: http://perrysperennials.info/articles/barberry.html
Hypericum Mystical Orange™ (Hypericum inodorum)
Deciduous shrub. Grows multi-stemmed upright spreading branches. Height 3 feet. Produces bright yellow flowers early spring to mid-summer. Forms striking orange berries which last through the fall. The berries have become a mainstay in floral arrangements. Plant in full sun. USDA Zones 5-9.
Other Mystical series: Mystical Beauty™/ pink berries, Mystical Red Star™/red berries, Mystical Black™ / black berries.
Flowering Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Annual, cool season. Attractive ruffled foliage in variations of green & white, pinks, purples, and reds. Height 18 inches. Grows well in pots, group with other winter-hardy flowers. Plant in full sun or partial shade. USDA All zones.
CalendulasSnapdragon are also an easy to grow annual, and while most varieties are early summer bloomers, they often bloom again in cooler fall weather and provide blooms into winter.
Hardy Cyclamen
Perennial. A showy small autumn flowering hardy type of Cyclamen
USDA zones 5-7.
Helleborus (Christmas Rose) is also winter bloomers. USDA zones 4-9.
Both Hardy Cyclamen and Helleborus prefer a shady spot in the garden.
Berried bushes make a splash of color when planted in pots and one that comes to mind is the Beautyberry (Callicarpa), although be aware it will out grow its pot quickly. Plant in full sun or partial sun. USDA zones 6-10.
There are more, but this should get you thinking about fall color and winter flowers!
Gena Goddard
Mary Ann Wallace
Horticulture Committee
For more winter flower suggestions read AGC Article, “Mid-Winter Madness” :
https://ashlandorgardenclub.org//2011/02/mid-winter-madness.html
Over 60,000 plant entries, including cross references to alternate names. Listings for 330+ retail nurseries, both mail order and walk-in. Covers the entire western region of the United States, plus British Columbia. This book tells you where to go in your area to find the plants you’ve been looking for and which nurseries have display gardens – or – how to order those plants by mail, from anywhere in the country. Common name/botanical name index, cross-referenced to plants listed in the book.
Over stocked with zucchini?
Try out this crowd-pleasing vegan zucchini bread.
ZUCCHINIBREAD [Vegan]
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Ingredients:
1½ cup Sugar
½ cup Oil
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour [ option: 1½ white, 1½ wheat]
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Grated Zucchini
1 cup Chopped Pecans [or Walnuts]
¾ cup Water
½ cup Raisins [optional]
Mix all together- pour into 2 oiled & floured loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.
Bake 350 Degrees for 1 hour…………….This bread freezes well.
Are you seeing web structures like this on your tree branches?
Don’t be alarmed, these caterpillars are known as Hyphantria cunea or fall webworms. These webs are not tent caterpillars. Tent Caterpillars appear in the spring and are found on the outside of a much smaller web close to the trunk of a tree. Fall webworms enclose themselves inside their web with their food at the end of a leafy tree branch.
In Oregon, fall webworms are commonly seen in black walnut trees, willows, fruit trees and cottonwoods. Their silky webs are unsightly in the landscape and the fuzzy caterpillars inside are unpleasant to deal with, but they rarely kill a tree.
Control Methods:
Mechanical – On small trees and reachable branches, nests can be cut out and destroyed. Infestations need to removed as soon as you see the web, and before the caterpillars mature to their instar stage when they move outside the web.
Biological– The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis is effective against fall webworms and therecommendation is to spray the leaves just outside the existing tent so when the caterpillars expand their tent they will feed on the treated leaves and die.
Predators and parasites can be effective in controlling fall webworms. The Grange suggests breaking a hole in the web to allow birds, stink bugs, wasps, and other caterpillars to feed on the webworms. But, the Extension Service cautioned about using a high pressure nozzle to make an opening in the web as this action can disperse caterpillars onto other branches,spreading webworms throughout your trees.
Chemical– If you feel your infestation requires more drastic actions you should consult a pest-control specialist about chemical controls.
Please Read More Here….
Mail Tribune article:
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110814/LIFE/108140305&cid=sitesearch
Oregon State University Extension Service:
Julia Sommers’ August Garden of the Month article about Scenic Park has been published in the Ashland Daily Tidings.
Read Here:
http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110822/NEWS02/108220306&cid=sitesearch