Beach Creek Homes Subdivision, Ashland Oregon
It’s fascinating to watch how a parcel of land can be transformed into a community in just a few short years. Ten acres of farmland in Ashland’s Mill Pond district was conceived as a sustainable living neighborhood of fifty-three homes by KDA Homes with site development actively underway by July 2022. Four years later the landscape welcomes the gardener to take a closer look at the careful selection and layout of vegetation to enhance its natural setting. Beach Creek Homes off N. Mountain Avenue has been selected as the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July 2026.
In laying out the building lots and roadways, the developer, Laz Ayala, made a conscious decision to not construct any homes along Beach Creek, instead choosing to preserve the land as a community asset asking Lomakatsi Restoration to restore the ecosystem of native plants and enhance the wildlife corridor. Coordinating with multiple community organizations, including Jackson County Soil & Water Conservation District, more than two hundred native trees and shrubs were planted with the goal to achieve stream bed stabilization, erosion reduction, water quality improvement, and wildfire reduction.
More than four hundred trees were planted on this ten-acre site but placement ensured that view lines of the surrounding hills from each home were preserved. Many of the street trees are columnar in nature, notably the Persian Spire Ironwood, Scarlet Sentinel Maple and Pyramidal European Hornbeam. Trees with broader canopies, such as the Rocky Mountain Glow Big Tooth Maple, Forest Green Italian Oak and Black Tupelo, provide striking fall color. Others offer up their beauty with springtime blossoms: the Satomi Dogwood, Pink Flair Cherry and Japanese Snowbell. Smaller in stature but nonetheless appealing are the Coral Bark Maple and Lace Leaf Japanese Maple with its graceful weeping habit.
And while consistency of both architectural and planting design is evident throughout the community each front garden is a testament to the collaborative nature of the design process: home owners working with KDA or landscape designers or both to achieve the desired results. Drought tolerant and bee-friendly native plants are encouraged but as each gardener knows a
garden is always a work in progress! Rockrose, salvia, euphorbia, yarrow, blanket flower, liatris, cone flower and Russian Sage all provide abundant blooms!
The plant palette in the Beach Creek common areas strives to be in compliance with Firewise Ashland Guidelines and KDA was commended by AFD for use of river rock as a ground cover rather than mulch. No large conifers were planted in the development and ornamental grasses were planted primarily in the medians, a minimum of ten feet from the foundation.
However, it is in their private gardens behind the fence or gate that home owners have been given the opportunity to express their individuality.
Ornamental metal gates and privacy fencing throughout the HOA are especially distinctive and further enhance the landscape design experience.
In addition, a recently completed community garden with raised beds and an inviting seating area will encourage community gatherings with a pot luck planned at the end of summer.
But it all began with a vision, to aspire to “live lightly upon the land.” Inspired by the setting with its views of the rolling hills an architect set to work and crafted homes that the like- minded would appreciate. Landscape designers reinforced those principles which in turn were nurtured by the home owners themselves. In a few short years those street trees will cast shade over sidewalks. Pollinators will find the nectar necessary to sustain their brief lives and hopefully the salmon will find their way upstream in Bear Creek. Neighbors will come together to share their harvest bounty. And music and laughter will carry over the night air bearing witness to a community supporting one another in their common endeavors.
Submitted by Elizabeth Essex with appreciation to Marko Bey with Lomakatsi Restoration, Marni Owens with KDA Homes, Lucretia Weems with Lucretia Weems Design and Sandi Paris, homeowner. All photos by Elizabeth Essex.
The Ashland Garden Club has been selecting Gardens of the Month from spring through fall for more than twenty-five years. Nominations are gratefully received at gardenofthemonth@ashlandorgardenclub.org. Readers are invited to check out the club’s
website at ashlandorgardenclub.org for information on meeting times and places.