Gardening continues even in a pandemic! Ashland Garden Club members are still weeding and caring for the Heirloom Garden at North Mountain Park. It’s easy to social distance in the garden.
Jeanne Arago, Allison Koenig, Kristina Lefever, Michael Dawkins, & Alison Chandler. And, taking the picture: Viki Ashford, Heirloom Garden Coordinator
139 N. 2nd Street, Ashland, OR
Local artist and educator Judith Ginsburg developed and maintains the lovely garden at 139 N. 2nd Street which has been selected as the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July 2020. The property was purchased as a rental in 1988 and completely remodeled in 1996. The existing garage was converted to Ginsburg’s artist studio in 2001. Although living elsewhere in Ashland, she comes to the studio most days and has done the regular maintenance in the garden since then. She is currently planning a move into the front cottage.
In the 1990s, Judith had Landscape Architect Steve Potter create a plan for the garden. Much of the hardscape remains from that plan, but only a few plants. In 2016, Solid Ground Landscape redesigned the front yard, and in 2018, they did the back, always accommodating Judith’s preferences for plants and color. Since then, she has personally added to and subtracted from the plan. Solid Ground workers come twice a month to do standard maintenance. Ginsburg averages about an hour a day on garden care. It is truly an artist’s garden.
There is a gorgeous fountain, the sound of which does its’ best to mask the noise from the Post Office, the back of which is across the alley from the studio. To encourage birds, there are many bird baths and bird feeders. There are a lot of places to sit and relax throughout the back and a raised bed for veggies in the side yard.
On the back fence, there is a thriving climbing hydrangea, which is notoriously difficult to establish. There is a large and healthy wisteria shading the back porch and an old but still glorious lilac in the parking strip. Several Hypercium inodorum are stellar additions to the front garden. Ginsburg often has passersby ask or leave notes asking for identification of those plants. They are a shrub (a relative of St. John’s Wort—a common groundcover with yellow flowers) that has berries that range from white through pink and orange to red. Among Judith’s favorite plants are peonies, hellebores, and tulips.
There is a little bit of everything here and well worth strolling by.
Article by: Ruth Sloan, Ashland Garden Club
Photos by Larry Rosengren
Near Hunter Park
There is a spectacular garden near Hunter Park that is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for June. The residents have lived there for 40 years, and had done smaller renovations in the past.
The owners re-landscaped about three years ago after they incorporated the back of another property nearby. The property boundary was legally redrawn at that time. The result is a very large garden, especially for the neighborhood.
Laurie Sager, Solid Ground Landscaping, and Tim Ferguson did the work in 2017. The workmanship throughout the property is exquisite: The metal and wood work of fencing and gates, the concrete retaining walls, and the gorgeous stone walkways and patios are impeccable. The deep red color of the metal is unexpected and just right.
An unusual feature is a geometric pattern of concrete pavers beneath a Japanese maple tree surrounded by “Brass Buttons” ground cover. A charming blue star creeper surrounds stone pavers in the front. 
A large Liriodendron (tulip tree) dominates the front yard and a Douglas fir shades portions of the back. Most of the mature rhododendrons are holdovers from earlier gardens here. Ornamental grasses are placed judiciously, particularly in front. Peonies are featured in front and back. A wonderfully diverse selection of plants are perfectly placed throughout the yard. 
Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Member
Photos by: Larry Rosengren.
110 8th Street – Ashland, Oregon
The selection committee for the Ashland Garden Club’s garden of the month program first noticed the beautiful garden at the corner of C and 8th streets over a year ago. When we went by again in September 2018 we knew we had our September 2019 Garden of the Month. By September, most gardens are starting to fade, at least, and some are downright shabby, but not Kelly and Jeff Straub’s gorgeous place at 110 8th Street. Kelly’s diligent work shows to good advantage all year. She keeps the planting areas well groomed, and always a delight to see with blooming plants.
The Straubs purchased the property only two-and-a-half years ago. In the short time since then, she has transformed the neglected yard into a showplace. In the interim, she broke first one wrist and then the other, making the work doubly difficult. But she has had help. Neighbor Jack Crawford has been instrumental with assistance, as a source of seeds for many of the plants that grace the garden, and for design consultation with Kelly. Jane Hardgrove of Bearclaw Services designed the back garden which is also gorgeous if somewhat more utilitarian with patios and raised beds for produce. Until recently when City of Ashland crews finally solved the problem, the Straubs also had to cope with flooding following serious rain storms.
A special quality of this property is that the “parking strip” (the area between the sidewalk and the street) is especially wide, making the sidewalk appear to go right through the heart of the front and side yards. This does two things: It makes the parking strip more versatile as a desirable planting space and it also makes pedestrians feel a part of the garden. Being a block from a popular coffee shop also increases foot traffic, and Kelly enjoys interacting with passersby as she works in the garden. Understandably, she gets a lot of positive feedback.
The stunning display of coreopsis is just coming to an end this year, but the rudbeckia, echinacea, and gaillardia are still going strong and their similar flower form makes an interesting combination. Earlier in the year, foxglove put on a fabulous show, and hellebores star in the winter. Zinnias are a standout in the back yard, where they are protected from deer.
Other favorites include daphne, euphorbia, catmint, erysium, and bee balm. A vibrant purple, walkable verbena stands out in and around the walkway from C Street. Even the small area around the fire hydrant on the corner is lush with low succulents.
The street tree on the C side is mimosa which is blooming now. Other especially large trees on the property include cedar and ponderosa pine. A dogwood is one of the few smaller holdovers from previous owners, and the Straubs recently added a crepe myrtle.
Article by: AGC Member Ruth Sloan Photos by: Larry Rosengren
Gleaning is good, because so much usable produce goes to waste! Check out how to get involved with Neighborhood Harvest in Ashland.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
About Neighborhood Harvest:
“Neighborhood Harvest is an organization dedicated to harvesting fruits, nuts, and other produce that would otherwise go to waste from yards, gardens, and farms in and around Ashland, Oregon and sharing the abundance with the community.
We will only harvest fruit that has not been sprayed with pesticides. At least 25% of what we harvest is donated to local hunger relief organizations, 25% goes to our harvester volunteers, 25% we offer to the home owner, and the remaining 25% we sell or trade to support the organization. ”
To date, we have harvested over 10,000 pounds of fruit, most from within 15 miles of Ashland.
To learn more about the organization, or inform us of possible harvest sites, please call or e-mail.
541 708-1807 – info@neighborhoodharvest.org