After a 3-year hiatus, the Ashland Garden Club Annual Plant Sale was back at Safeway’s parking on Saturday May 13th. Club member’s were selling plants and flower arrangements for Mother’s Day and sharing their collective knowledge on gardening. Even on this hot spring day the turn-out was great! Proceeds from this sale fund scholarships and donations to Rogue Community College and the SOU Farm.
Photos by: Carlotta Lucas and Lynn McDonald
Photos submitted by: Lynn McDonald, AGC Member
Hugelkultur (pronounced hyoo-gul-kulture) is a German word which means mound culture or hill culture. A hugelkultur is a sloped and raised planting bed filled with wood (large and small), organic materials, and topsoil. This gardening method has be practiced in German and European for hundreds of years.
 Reservoir Capacity 4/5/23: Emigrant Reservoir 43% full; Reeder Reservoir 61.3% full Get the most out of your water this season! |
| Early spring is the perfect time to get ready for the summer watering season. Performing a few important maintenance tasks now can help your landscape retain and improve water efficiency. Completing tasks such as aerating, amending soil, adding mulch and dethatching will sustain healthy soils that cycle nutrients, minimize runoff and retain water. When the time finally comes to start up your sprinkler system, these simple steps will help you get the most out of the water that you use. >> Aerating and amending your soil. Soil can become compacted over time, inhibiting water infiltration. Aerating your soil increases infiltration of water into the ground, improving water flow to the plant’s root zone and reducing water runoff. Raking in a layer of compost after aerating, feeds your plants and allows air and water to circulate more easily. >> Dethatching. Thatch is a layer of organic material between the green lawn and the soil. Thatch can act as a barrier that prevents vital water, air and nutrients from reaching roots. Spring is a good time to dethatch because conditions are optimum for rapid recovery and you are preparing the lawn for the coming growing season. >> Use mulch around shrubs and garden plants. This will help reduce evaporation, inhibit weed growth, moderate soil temperature, and prevent erosion. Visit the City of Ashland Fire Department’s website at www.ashland.or.us/resources for information on the appropriate types of mulches and where to use them in the landscape. You can also call 541-552-2231 for additional guidance on firewise landscaping practices. >> Plan ahead for a water-wise landscape. If you’re designing a new landscape or rethinking your current one, find helpful ideas on plants that are not only waterwise, but are also firewire, pollinator friendly, and deer resistant. Visit the City of Ashland’s Water-Wise Landscaping Website at www.ashlandsaveswater.org or call 541-552-2062 for more information. |
 Earth day 2023 Join in celebrating Rogue Valley Earth Day on Friday, April 21, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at The Farm on the Southern Oregon University Campus in Ashland! Visit exhibits to learn more about water and energy conservation practices and how you can use these methods to make your home more efficient. |
| This information was complied by the Water Action Team of the Ashland Climate Collaborative. |
Growing Tips: Sow in place in mid-spring. Plants require full sun, fairly warm temps, moderate moisture. Removing spent blooms prolongs the blooming season. Appicotta Cosmos is the winner of the Fleuroselect Novelty Award for its unusual color and sturdy stems.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds https://www.rareseeds.com/cosmos-apricotta
Article By: Christie Mackison, Shooting Star Nursery
Destructive deer and hot, dry summers are two very common issues in the Rogue Valley. Drought tolerant and deer resistant plants are a good combination to aim for because the qualities in plants that repel deer can often be found in drought tolerant species- such as heavy oil content, textured or hairy foliage, strong odors, and tough, less succulent leaves. The key to keeping drought tolerant plants happy and more unpalatable to deer is to give them the habitat they are used to- so don’t water them every day just because its 90 degrees!
No heavy fertilizing: Use only organic or slow release fertilizer if called for at time of planting. If the plants look yellow it is usually from too much water, not lack of fertilizer. Plus over fertilizing will attract deer.
Dedicate an area to drought tolerant plants: Don’t mix plants that need regular water with drought tolerant plants. Do not put them on the same irrigation system & timer or one group will suffer.
Do not over water! It’s best to plant drought tolerant plants in early spring or early fall so they can get established with the rains.
Once established many plants do not need summer water. They will only need an occasional deep soak.
Don’t plant them where they will get extra water from lawn areas or runoff from other irrigated areas.
Good drainage is usually essential but if you don’t have it, you’ll probably have to water even less.
Mound up soil when making new beds or planting a new plant. Create a berm. Plant drought tolerant plants on a hillside or slope.
Mulch with at least a 1″ layer of 1/4-inch gravel to keep dirt from rotting the crown of plant, it helps retain moisture during heat and keep plant roots warmer in winter.
For clay soil amend with 1/4 inch gravel (sharp edge, no fines) and compost, it will help break down clay over time.
Observe: Most plants need to dry out before the next watering- stick your finger a few inches into soil (well below mulch, which will feel dry), if it is cool and damp, don’t need to water yet.
Infrequent But Deep Soak: This trains plants to have deep roots, not shallow. Often a deep soak every 2 weeks in heat of summer is enough- easier to do with drip irrigation than sprinklers
Watering rule of thumb (depends on site and soil type):
1st year of planting water deeply once a week for first month of summer,
Then water once every 2 weeks for 2nd and 3rd month of summer
Water once a month the 2nd summer and don’t water again.
How to find drought tolerant plants:
Look to natives they can tolerate summer drought and winter wet
Look to Mediterranean plants- they have a similar climate to the Rogue Valley
Also cold hardy Australian and northern California plants, and hardy desert plants/succulents.
Get help from your local nursery!- at Shooting Star Nursery we’ve talked to countless customers and worked in our own gardens and have seen what works here in the valley.
How to find deer resistant plants
Deer can be very neighborhood specific so look around your neighborhood. Drive or walk around heavy populated deer areas like Ashland, Jacksonville, and in the hills of east Medford. Observe what has been chewed.
Read lists, but be ready to experiment
Use Liquid Fence, Plantskydd, or similar product on all new plantings to discourage initial browsing.
Use cages around most new trees to prevent antler damage and new growth chewing.
Deer damage can depend on the time of year you plant- deer are especially hungry in fall and winter they can graze on almost anything.
Use poisonous, strongly scented or sharply textured plants (grasses, sometimes prickly/thorny textures, fuzzy/hairy leaves, pine needles, etc.)
Talk to your local nursery- we know from our experiences and those of our customers and landscapers what has worked and what hasn’t.