As most Garden Club members know, their gardens are not eligible to be AGC Garden of the Month. This is an exception. Carolyn Gale was invited to be April Garden of the month in 2020, before she had even considered joining. She declined for 2020, but said she would be willing for April of 2021. In the interim, she joined the Club!
When Carolyn Gale bought the house at 198 N. Wightman Street in the summer of 2014, the yard had been neglected. After spending the first year remodeling the interior, she has turned the property into a colorful and interesting site. Now her garden is the April Garden of the Month for the Ashland Garden Club.
Such is Carolyn’s attention to detail that she painted the exterior of the house to match the branches of a stunning magnolia that stars in the garden in April. She planned very carefully to assure that plants are in bloom twelve months of the year, using the book The Ever-Blooming Flower Garden: A Blueprint for Continuous Color as her guide. She spent nearly a year developing a comprehensive plan that features meandering pathways connecting the side and front gardens
Augustin Herrera and his crew installed the initial plants, irrigation system, and hardscape according to Carolyn’s thoughtful plan, and continue to do the heavy-lifting and some routine maintenance. But Carolyn spends a lot of time maintaining and improving her garden and it shows.
Plants that are not deer-resistant are confined to the fenced back yard. The back was also designed to accommodate her dog who likes to dig and eat green things. She devised clever ways of protecting her plants, such as elevating potted plants on shelves. She has had to resort to pots in some places in the front yard where tree roots interfered with the development of smaller plants.
Among Carolyn’s favorite plants are rhododendrons, heathers, camellias, hellebores, and irises. She planted 500 bulbs just last year. If you look carefully, you will see rainbow patterns and themed planting beds in the landscape, such as a recently added succulent garden with a seaside theme. This is a garden to revisit throughout the year to see the ever-changing display.
Photos by Carolyn Gale, except the photo of the new succulent garden which is by Larry Rosengren. Some of the pictures here are from previous years and months other than April.
Plant Name: Archtostaphylos uva ursi Common name: Kinnikinnick Plant Type: Trailing Evergreen Shrub Plant Height: 6” – 12” Plant Width: 10’ Bloom Time: March – June Flower Color: Pink to White Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade Soil Requirements: Rocky, Sandy, Acidic Soil Water Need: Low Fire Resistant: YES Attributes: Red Berries Succeed Through Winter; Reddish-Purple Fall Color; Papery, Reddish, Exfoliating Bark; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, & Other Birds; Larval Host for Butterflies & Moths; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant Uses: Large Scale Groundcover with Year-round Interest; Control Soil Erosion; Border Margin; Native Plant Garden; Rock Garden Note: Slow Growing; Trailing Stems Send Out Small Roots; Native to: Almost All of North America Oregon Native: YES USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 – 6
Plant Name: Ajuga reptans Common name: Carpet Bugleweed Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Plant Height: .5’ – .75’ Plant Width: .5’ – 1’ Bloom Time: May to June Flower Color: Blue Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade Soil Requirements: Moist/Humusy/Well-Drained Soil. Water Need: Medium Firewise: Yes; locate 30’+ from home Attributes: Showy Flower/Colorful Leaves; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees, Hummingbirds, Songbirds Uses: Groundcover; Containers; Rock Gardens; Spring Bulb Cover. Note: Cut Back to Ground after Flowering; Spreads by Stolons. Native to: Europe, North Africa, SW Asia Oregon Native: NO USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 10
Plant Name: Elaeagnus pungens ‘Clemson Variegated’ Common name: ‘Clemson Variegated’ Silverberry; Thorny Olive; Silver Thorn Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub Plant Height: 6’ – 10’ Plant Width: 6’ – 10’ Bloom Time: October – November Flower Color: White Flowers followed by Red Fruit Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade Soil Requirements: Tolerates Wide Range of Soils with Good Drainage. Water Need: Regular Firewise: Medium Flammability Attributes: Deer Resistant; Fragrant, Showy Flowers; Attracts Songbirds & Bees; Drought Resistant; Winter Interest; Variegated Leaves of Green, Gold, Yellow Uses: Background Plant; Wind Break; Screen. Note: Thorns Native to: China & Japan Oregon Native: NO USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 11
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener
Hellebore and Tulips
