Author Archives: Ashland Garden Club

Horticulture Report: Allium Moly

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Plant Name: Allium Moly (Yellow ornamental onion)

Allium Molly (2)

Allium Moly: ‘Jeannine’

Common Name: Lilly Leek or Golden Garlic
Plant type: Perennial bulb
Height:  18 inches
Spread:   6-9 inches
Bloom Time:   May – June
Flower Color:  Golden Yellow  2-3 inches
Exposure: Morning Sun, Afternoon Shade
Soil Requirements: Average well-drained soil
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy Flowers, Attracts Butterflies, Fragrant Leaf
Note:  Tolerates Black Walnut, Deer & Rabbit Resistant
Uses: Naturalize, Mixed flower beds, Borders, Cut Flowers
Native to: Southern and Southeastern Europe (Mediterranean)
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Horticulture Report: Nigella damascena

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Nigella (5)Plant Name: Nigella damascena
Common Name: Love-in-a- Mist
Plant type: Annual Flower
Height: 1.5-2.5 ft
Spread:   1-1.5 ft
Bloom Time:  May-August
Flower Color:  Blue with cultivars available in White, Purple, Pink, Rose
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average well-drained soil
Water Needs: Medium, but constant water
Attributes: Showy Flowers, Attractive egg-shaped Seed Pods, Self-seeds, Lacy Leaves,
Note: Flowers best in cooler locations, Flowers may decline in hot temperatures
Uses: Cut Flower Garden, Containers, Mixed Beds, Borders, Cottage Garden, Pollinator Garden
Native to: Southern Europe, northern Africa
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-11

Giant flower springs up near Ashland

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Much of the trip between Ashland and the Bay area via I-5 can be tedious, but now Ashland has its own novelty to rival the lineup of all those colorful tanker trucks at Truck City at the base of Black Butte near Weed, Moo Donna and Baby Moo as well as Priscilla the Dragon in fields south and north of Yreka. A wonderful, colorful sculpture by southern Oregon artist Cheryl Garcia has been installed on private land south of the freeway, just east of the Skylark complex, between exits 19 and 14. This whimsical installation of a giant (8’) red flower, with three bees hovering over it, is courtesy of Marge and Dave Bernard. The Bernards cannot see this sculpture from their nearby home, but they do have a smaller version (three red flowers, with one bee hovering) that is visible from their home. They chose simply to enliven the view for travelers along that stretch of highway; their good deed for passersby.

Dave Bernard commissioned the sculptures as a birthday gift for wife Marge who is a beekeeper. The installation was completed over Mother’s Day weekend. Cheryl Garcia’s work is well known in Ashland, not only for the enchanting metal flowers at Walker Elementary School but for other metal sculptures in private collections all over town. Garcia spent 200 hours creating this charming work. It is such a gift to the community and to travelers, for which Garcia and the Bernards are to be thanked.

Article by AGC Member: Ruth Sloan
Published in the Daily Tiding June 12, 2017
Photos by Larry Rosengren

Garden of the Month: July 2017

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59 N. Wightman
Looking at the garden at 59 N. Wightman, you would think a person who loves color and possibly an artist lives there. You would be correct on both fronts. Patti Browning has been living and gardening here since July of 2008. Hers is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July 2017. She has changed more than 75% of the garden in those nine years. The biggest trees, obviously, and the wisteria are in their original locations. Browning removed lawns front and back to achieve more planting area for blooming plants. Patti loves to design gardens or “co-create with nature” as she puts it. She likes to be intuitive, with paths and borders that meander. She says that “magic happens when you look beneath the way things appear to be.”IMG_2754

Browning has taken no horticulture classes but has been gardening since her early 20s. Color is most important to her, and very specific shades of color are critical to her aesthetic. She likes the garden to be harmonious, but with bright accents. She gets regular help with maintenance from Mariano Chavez who, by chance, left his business card for her to discover on the day she moved in. She calls him her “garden angel.” She adheres to principals of feng shui, plus does all she can to encourage birds.IMG_1702

Violas and pansies, along with lobelia, dominate the front garden for much of the year. Azaleas and rhododendrons provide bright seasonal color. Japanese maples, cherry and plum trees in the back, roses, nandina, rock roses, chrysanthemum, ferns camellias, lilac, gaura, peonies, shasta daisies, daylillies, and euphorbia are among the many blooming plants. Climbers, in addition to the wisteria, include clematis and a Cecile Bruner roseLR 4-17

A pond graces the side yard. In addition to the gorgeous plants, there are many sculptures, including Buddha, Quan Yin, a Madonna, a cherub, and a fabulous lizard. Colorful pennants add to the beauty.IMG_5992

Article by Ruth Sloan

Feast of Will: FLOWERS!

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Once again member’s of the Ashland Garden Club created beautiful table arrangements using flowers from their personal gardens for the Feast of Will.  Feast of Will is a Lion’s Club’s sponsored event which celebrates the seasonal opening of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Elizabethan Theater.

Keeping Mosquitoes at Bay!

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According to a study in Japan, mosquitoes are attracted to people with blood type “0” mosquitoe2more than any other blood types. They also discovered mosquitoes identify blood types though skin secretions before they pierce the skin. No matter what blood type you are, mosquitoes are a nuisance to everyone this time of year.  Below are a few suggestions which may help you keep mosquitoes at bay.

Eliminate standing water throughout your property! Look for standing water in strange places like a hole in a tree, clogged gutters, empty pots & saucers, wheelbarrows,  gardening buckets,  tarps covering lawn furniture & mowers,  plastic bags,  old tires, discarded bottle tops,  low places in your yard where water can pool.

Feverfew

Feverfew

Plant Repellents: These plants reportedly repel mosquitoes: Citronella, Lavender, Feverfew, Catnip, Rosemary, and Pennyroyal Mint. So, plant them in containers on your deck & patio and throughout your flowerbeds.

Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal

Essential Oils: Apply a combo of these essential oils to your skin: Lavender, Tree Tea oil, Citronella, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Clove, Peppermint, Rose Geranium, and Pennyroyal Mint.

Tip: Try tossing some Rosemary stems, or Lavender on your grill while barbecuing, it not only flavors your food, but it could keep away mosquitoes, too.

Mosquito Dunks: Dunks are bacterial insecticide, which kills mosquitoes, but is not harmful to birds, or other wildlife. Put them in pot saucers, fountains, and birdbaths to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them.

Predators: Conserve healthy habitats for natural predators like bats, dragonflies, spiders and fish. Place a Bat house in your yard and…leave those spiders alone!  Mosquitoes are Arachnids’ favorite food; they eat hundreds every night like Bats.

Birdbaths: To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your birdbath, change the water regularly, and/or buy an agitator to keep the water moving. You can put Mosquito Dunks in birdbaths, too; it is not harmful to birds

Make a Trap: Fill a small container with water, add soda pop or fruit juice, then some drops of liquid soap. This will trap fruit flies, too

Use Fans: Mosquitoes are weak flyers! Place a fan in your outside sitting area to blow mosquitoes away.

Cover up! Wearing lightweight long sleeves, pants, and shoes makes it harder for mosquitoes to bite you.  Also choose light colored clothes, like whites, pastels, and tans, because mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

Good Luck! ~Carlotta Lucas