Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month: 2397 Morada Lane, Ashland OR
The Rogue Valley greets us each spring with an abundance of color: the white pear blossoms in April, followed by pink cherry and redbud, before the magnolia, rhodies and dogwood tease us into summer. Much of this color is generated by ornamentals, designated as such because they were introduced to us from places far beyond the Rogue Valley and hybridized to thrive in our soils and climate. Our community is truly resplendent in its spring finery.
Another source of delight are the native blossoms that greet us each spring but you generally have to look closely, at your feet as you traverse the hiking trails in our valley. Some, selected carefully and with a bit of nurturing at the outset, can be grown in our gardens to admire and marvel at their ability to thrive. Planting native plants in our home gardens enhances local biodiversity, reduces water use and eliminates the need for fertilizer and pesticides, all important considerations for the responsible gardener.
This is ‘Fivespot’, Nemophila maculata, a California native that is often sold as seed. https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=5835
The garden at the corner of Tolman Creek Road and Morada Lane provided the owner, Julie Kierstead, with the diversity of terrain to hone her considerable skills. A professional botanist, the shaded stream bed, the towering conifers, and sunny corner property all provided her with opportunities to introduce some of her favorite natives. A published author of numerous botanical papers, Julie retired from the US Forest Service after more than thirty years conducting rare plant surveys for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The low yellow flowers are the native Oregon sunshine, Eriophyllum lanatum, obtained from Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds. The tall pink flowers in the front are native showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, host for monarch butterflies. The tall branched sunflower is an annual native tarweed, Madia elegans.
Julie started her garden at 2397 Morada Lane in 2020, removing a decrepit picket fence and existing plants she didn’t want. She set to work adding a custom metal deer fence (essential in Ashland!!) and hardscaping in 2021 and 2022. A handsome rock wall edging the paver patio sets the stage for the fine foliage and color in the beds above the retaining wall. Small seedlings have taken root in the crevices between the stones, softening the gaze. In the span of just three years Julie has accomplished wonders planting a variety of perennials, vines, annuals, bulbs and shrubs appropriate for our micro-climate. She grows numerous natives from Oregon and California as well as Mediterranean plants aware that her choices will provide a good season-long buffet for pollinators as well as food and cover for birds. Julie takes pride that nearly 70% are natives.
Penstemon ‘Margarita BOP’, bush monkeyflower, (Diplacus species), red and white forms of Jupiter’s beard, Centranthus ruber
Sitting in one of Julie’s faux bois chairs, one can appreciate the care and attention she has exercised in choosing plants that delight the senses. When viewed from eye level, every detail comes into focus: the colors and textures that play off one another, the stems that trail over the handsome rock wall, and the abundant insect activity that feasts on her pollinators. A small Trex deck in the side yard is shaded by a pergola supported by gluelam posts stained to enhance the chunks of laminated recycled redwood. Native Oregon grape hybrid vines planted along the fence provide both privacy and radiant fall color.
The vine is ‘Roger’s red’, a hybrid of the native California grape, Vitis californica and a European wine grape. The small tree in the center is a Chinese quince, and the silver foliage is Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’
After first preparing the site by removing invasive vegetation, Julie broke up the local soil to provide good drainage for her seedlings. Since native plants thrive in local soil no fertilizer was added but Julie supplemented with a good organic compost from a local vendor. Watering is by hand, so plants were chosen that are low on the water-needy scale.
The red flowers are native California-fuchsia, Epilobium canum, and seaside daisy, Erigeron glaucus, both readily available in the nursery trade
Plant selection is adapted as one explores the shaded back side of the residence. To supplement the vine maple, native hazelnut, oak leaf hydrangea and Oregon grape which were already well established when she moved in, Julie added flowering currant, ninebark and thimbleberry accented with cyclamen, hellebore, viburnum, Pacific coast iris and spirea. A network of decorative stone paths weave through the riparian vegetation, passing by a small pond created from the natural creek which flows across the property. The path crosses a small bridge before climbing the hillside via timber steps filled with tumbled stone steps stabilized to ensure safe footing.
A second story deck provides Julie with a favored resting spot to enjoy the bird life in the towering Ponderosa pines and Incense Cedar that shelter her home. Mature native oaks (Garry oak and Kellogg oak) are native to the site and host birds and squirrels. A variety of native shrubs from Plant Oregon were introduced to the site in 2023 to improve bird habitat.
Julie Kierstead’s garden is a testament to what can be accomplished in a few short years. There is no doubt that her long knowledge of plant material and careful site analysis definitely gave her an advantage. But we are blessed in the Rogue Valley to have numerous plant nurseries with knowledgeable staff to help the novice make selections. Get started on-line with excellent resources provided by the US Forest Service – Native Gardening Guide as well as the OSU Extension Service – Native Plant Gardening for information pertinent to your specific micro-climate. Fall to early spring are the best times to plant, when the temperatures are cooler and hopefully we have more rain. Your patience and hard work will be greatly rewarded.
Red and white flowered Jupiter’s beard, seaside daisy, Penstemon ‘Margarita BOP’, santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus). Faux bois chairs from Artist and Garden in Jacksonville.
In the meantime, take a hike and get inspired! At higher elevations where the temperatures are cooler there are still meadow flowers to enjoy well into summer. Check out the Ashland Hiking Club as well as the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy for organized adventures featuring our native wildflowers. You won’t be disappointed!
References:
- https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-1577-gardening-oregon-native-plants-west-cascades “Gardening with Oregon Native Plants West of the Cascades”
- https://oregonflora.org/ Oregon Flora, a Comprehensive Guide to the Vascular Plants of Oregon
- https://www.npsoregon.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/native-plant-resources-tableSiskiyou2025_1.pdf The Native Plant Society of Oregon-Siskiyou Chapter-maintains a list of sources for local native plants.
Submitted by Elizabeth Essex with appreciation to Julie Kierstead for sharing numerous photographs, making the selection difficult. And to Viki Ashford of the Ashland Garden Club for the recommendation.
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.