Category Archives: AGC Garden of the Month

Garden of the Month: September 2012

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As we approach autumn, it is such an unexpected pleasure to see the gorgeous display of blooming plants in Ronald Doyle’s garden at 945 Hillview Drive. In addition to more than 150 roses, currently in bloom are coreopsis, petunias, anemones, Jupiter’s beard, gaura, honeysuckle, ice plant, zonal geraniums, and a stunning display of giant phlox. A well-established crepe myrtle tree is just beginning its annual show. Other trees in the front yard include flowering crabapple, tulip tree, Japanese maple, and a giant cedar that anchors the corner at Ross Lane.


Ron has been gardening here since 1985. Much of the property was just gravel when he moved in. Some of the garden design is by his late wife, Eva-Maria vonChamier. He uses TID water for irrigation. Two dump-truck loads of soil and amendments have been brought in. The garden paths are of hazelnut shells, which he first saw at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. Presumably the sharp edges of the shells discourage snails and slugs, but Ron has good reason to believe otherwise. Well, it looks really good! There is a very large and graceful metal arbor in the back yard that Ron designed, based on something he had seen in France. The magnificent display is contained in the relatively small lot of 90’ x 130’.

The fragrant roses are an amazing array of varieties and colors, including a very large Cecile Bruner that has finished blooming. Other plants that are past the bloom stage now but provide color at other times of year are rhododendron, azaleas, lilac, mock orange, oriental poppy, lilac, iris, daphne, bellflower, clematis, and lilies. Ron has tomato plants in a raised bed, grapes, and a recently installed raspberry patch. Both a Granny Smith apple tree and cherry tree grafted to supply five varieties of the fruit are in the back yard. An especially lovely oregano fills in among flowering plants in the front.


If Ashland Garden Club members would like a guided tour during the first half of September, just ring the Westminster chime doorbell and, if Ron is home, he has graciously offered to show you around.


— Ruth Sloan

Garden of the Month: August 2012

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Hidden Springs Wellness Center:
In the dog days of August, the cool, green garden at Hidden Springs Wellness Center can be a blessed relief from the acres of asphalt at Ashland Shopping Center.
Accessed through a sweet gate at the top corner of the shopping center parking lot, the one-acre Hidden Springs garden offers a large pond with blooming water lilies and visits by waterfowl, including a blue heron, plus at least one giant koi (the heron tends to eat the koi).  The pond is fed by springs and a pump powers a recirculating stream meandering up to the Wellness Center designed by Jim Bowne.  Ian Wessler of Wessler Design Associates did some of the initial landscape and pond design.  Cottonwood trees complete the pond’s rural feel.
 
Rod and Brooks Newton bought what is now the thriving Hidden Springs Wellness Center in 1999.  It had been a private home, but thanks to the adjacent shopping center, part of the lot was zoned commercial.  Now the center is home to 14 wellness practitioners, including therapists, coaches, massage therapists, naturopathic doctors, and a fitness center.  It also hosts classes and workshops.  You would never know that the Tidings building and the shopping center are right outside, so well have the plantings grown, including Japanese maples, Mugo pines, a Kwanzan cherry tree, and beeches.
When the Newtons took possession, the pond was there, full of cat-tails and blackberries.  With the help of friends, they pulled out the blackberries by hand; no chemicals have ever been used in the garden.  Then they hauled in huge rocks from their Ashland home to dot the property.  Original fruit trees and ponderosa pine continue to thrive.  The garden is made even more inviting by small picnic tables, a swinging tree chair, and a bench by the pond.  The garden is open to the public; the gate is never locked.  The Newtons simply ask visitors not to interfere with Wellness Center activities.  Workers from the shopping center who’ve discovered the gate enjoy their lunch breaks there.
For the past ten years, Paul Garber has taken care of the garden.  Many people have also contributed in trade for classes, workshops, and wellness services, including construction of a little Japanese bridge over the stream as you first enter the garden.  Elizabeth York of Ashland has donated much of the plant material.
As the Wellness Center has been enlarged and remodeled, the gardens surrounding it continue to be upgraded.  A raised bed for herbs is currently under construction by the new fitness center.
– Julia Sommer
 
 

Garden of the Month: July 2012

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From the Street
354 Wrights Creek Drive :
A shady oak glen in front of the home of Linda and Tony Fern at 354 Wrights Creek Drive has been transformed into a colorful and imaginative, peaceful garden.  The Ferns have graciously opened their garden to Ashland Garden Club members during the entire month of July!  They ask only that you enter and exit via the wooden gate at the front, taking care to latch the gate as you arrive and depart.  The handsome iron ring twists to operate the latch. With any luck, you will catch Tony gardening. He’s out there a lot and his hard work is much in evidence.
Along the Driveway

Tony does most of the work, selecting, positioning, planting, and pruning the plants.  Initially, Bonnie Baird designed the hardscape and perimeter plantings about ten years ago, but Tony has made all the subsequent choices.  A crew comes in regularly to help with cleanup, dead-heading and raking.  Tony designed and built the front gate as well as the pergola on the left side of the house.  He designed the complex of decks, stairs and bridges at the front of the house.  The deer fence has been in for only about a year, so the garden is now only in its first year of unfettered growth but it already looks well established.

The gorgeous garden replaced a lawn that previous owners had planted.  The process of substituting the lawn took two years, accomplished about a quarter at a time to reduce shock to the oak grove that shades the property.  When the garden was being established, the Ferns had 80 yards of compost brought in.  Since then, 60-70 yards of bark have been distributed twice to help retain moisture and reduce weeds.
 The Ferns added a recirculating pump to the little waterway that follows a naturalculvert, piped under neighborhood driveways, that ultimately joins Wrights Creek.  The stream bed has been lined and artfully bordered with rocks.  Art pieces abound and colorful plant supports add to the cheerful ambiance.  Colorful flags mark spots where Tony plans to add bulbs in the Fall, knowing those plantings will not interfere with an abundance of bulbs already in place but not currently visible (wish I’d thought of that!).
Asiatic Lilies
Right now, Asiatic lilies are putting on a spectacular show throughout the garden.  Tulips and daffodils have come and gone for the year.  Perimeter plantings concentrate on natives and drought-tolerant plants, including cotoneaster, ceanothus, Oregon grape, rockrose, Russian sage, smoke tree, and manzanita.  Other parts of the garden include lilacs, daphne, Japanese maple, pieris, and Mexican orange.  Laurels include English, Portuguese, and mountain.  Redbud trees and strawberry bushes, one recently replaced, flank the inside of the front gate. Double-potted bamboo screens the hot tub.
Japanese Umbrella Tree
 Among some highly unusual
and beautiful plants are a Japanese umbrella tree and broad-leaf ceonothus.   
There are, of course, ferns—both animal and vegetable.
— Ruth Sloan

Garden of the Month: June 2012

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1390 Romeo St.:  AGC members can preview this AAUW tour garden on Friday, June 8, between 9 and 11 am at 1390 Romeo St. in the Millpond area.    (The AAUW tour is June 10 2012)

Tammy Van Eycke and Kevin Casey, relocating from Albuquerque, moved into the new home on a double lot in the summer of 2005.  They were especially attracted by the year-round Roca Creek that runs through the property and a large willow tree on its bank.
  In collaboration with Kathryn Casternovia of Elemental Design, Tammy (with some help from Kevin) has developed a half-acre miniature paradise, replete with pond and mini-waterfall (the goldfish have reproduced from 5 to 30), fruit trees, herb, vegetable, and flower gardens, roses and many other ornamentals, a grape and current arbor, kiwi arbor, hops, several types of raspberries, a strawberry-blueberry patch, and a goumi sweet scarlet berry bush.  Their two daughters, 6 and 10, enjoy pretend fishing in the pond and bouncing on a huge trampoline by the creek.
Tammy and Kevin hired Lomakatsi to restore the creek banks.  The creek now meanders prettily through the garden and into a neighborhood open space.  Carlos Sanchez helps with garden maintenance.

The property is protected by an 8-foot deer fence and lovingly created bamboo gates, but the deer still find a way in.  Everything is started in the greenhouse, and by the time of the tour, two beehives should sit near the creek.  Paving is made of reclaimed wood rounds.
When the empty lot across the street became available, Tammy and Kevin bought it with the intention of continuing its use as a community garden.  It is irrigated with well water and neighbors are welcome to use the garden as they please.  Currently it includes fruit trees, herb and vegetable gardens, and flowers.  Tammy has hired Jessie Jones to oversee the process;  massive soil amendment with horse and llama manure, compost, and straw is underway.  Tammy hopes the garden will also serve as an educational center for children and a neighborhood gathering place.
Kevin is co-owner of the Ayurvedic herbal products company, Banyan Botanicals, and Tammy is a massage therapist.
– by Julia Sommer

Garden of the Month: May 2012

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450 Lit Way:
Shannon Wolff’s beautiful garden at 450 Lit Way has been a fourteen year process. Shannon is the third generation in her family to garden in Ashland. Her grandfather moved here in the 1940s and raised vegetables on land behind the Presbyterian Church. Her mother has always had a garden, and still does, and Shannon continues her mother’s tradition of planting daphne as close to the entry of the house as possible.
When Shannon moved into her house, the roses were already growing, but not much else. Her former husband built the raised bed for vegetables on the right side of the front yard. Other than that, Shannon has done all the planning, planting, and weeding in her organic garden herself with occasional help from her son, Sam, and her daughter, Gracie, both students at Ashland High School. Shannon’s garden reflects the fact that children grew up here. A birch tree in the front lawn has a wonderful fort in it. Her daughter used to make potions from the lavender and mint still growing in abundance in the middle garden. The swing set allows a great view of the vegetable garden.
Pasque flowers (Pulsatilla) are a favorite of Shannon’s, and she has a wonderful collection, many of them from Kathy Allen’s rock garden in Central Point. Another favorite is the jasmine that covers a trellis outside the kitchen door, creating a wonderful, and delightfully scented, place to relax after a long day of teaching at the John Muir School.
 The daylilies in the front yard came from a farm Shannon visited in New England about ten years ago. They’re not blooming yet, so be sure to walk by again in June!
Shannon’s garden, including the middle garden (not visible from the street) which is brimming with strawberries, rhubarb, spring bulbs, flowering trees and shrubs, will be open for viewing from 
10:00 AM till Noon Sunday, May 6th.

submitted by:  Terry Tobey

Garden of the Month: April 2012

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826 Holly Street-
It’s daffodil time! If you are eager for a touch of spring stop by 826 Holly Street (on the corner of Liberty) and you’ll find the home and garden of Carol Walker. If you’re lucky enough to catch the sun shining, the view will be all the more golden, but just a hint of what’s to come as more buds unfold. (The pictures don’t do it justice.)

Beginning in 1994, when Carol purchased the home, there were few daffodils to be seen, only lawn and the occasional grazing deer – regretfully, now more often than occasionally. Looking for drought and deer resistant plants, Carol began with 250 daffodil bulbs ordered from White Flower Farm in Connecticut. The lawn was removed, the daffodils planted and the front yard saw the first of many improvements.

Today the yard is filled with daffodils – many different varieties to assure blooms from February into May. In addition, Carol’s front yard is planted with other deer resistant plants – lavender, rosemary (seen cascading over a small retaining wall) crocus, grape hyacinth and sage. Interspersed among these are Japanese maples, kwanzan cherry, blue spruce and a giant douglas fir ringed in Oregon grape. Pathways meander throughout inviting a closer look.

Carol, originally from Sussex England, inherited her love of gardening from her father. “Their” touch can be seen throughout, including Carol’s “Garden Art” – bits and pieces found here and there, adding charm and interest everywhere one looks.

In the back and side yards, protected from the deer by a high, elegant fence, can be found even more to make a true gardener smile – poppies, tulips, cowslip (most waiting to bloom) surround an antique bird bath, a beautifully shaped aspen and more cherry trees. The highlight – as soon as our spring warms up – is an amazing wisteria covered arbor. Carol has done nearly all of the work herself, adding more daffodils each year from local sources. No chemical sprays are ever used and water is conserved as much as possible.

You may view the front yard at any time. In addition, Carol has agreed to show her side and back gardens to AGC members on Saturday, April 14th from 11:00 to 2:00. Seeing all of this loveliness will be a great reminder that warmer, more colorful garden days are just around the corner.

by Kaaren Anderson