July 2022: Garden of the Month

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Ashland Garden Club

128 E. Nevada

The garden of Kim Larson and David Minter at 128 E. Nevada is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July 2022. When they purchased the property in 2002, the front yard was almost entirely huge juniper bushes and the back was dominated by a large concrete pad with a laundry line plus a photinia hedge. David tore out the junipers by tying a line to the roots and dragging them out with a truck.

Initially, Kim, who loves to work in the yard, created gardens in both front and back without an overall plan but discovered they were very high maintenance. Bonnie (Criswell) Engelhardt of Shooting Star nursery advised the couple, who have two children, on plant selections that would prove much easier for maintenance and require less water. Sage Hill Landscape installed much of the hardscape from a plan developed with Jane Hardgrove. Kim and David average less than two hours per week now, doing all the maintenance themselves.

Among favorite plants are older hellebores that line the walkway beside the house on the eastern edge of the property, autumn ferns, coral bells, and hardy euphorbias. Kim has transplanted shoots from a passionflower vine that they thought had died, and was pleased to discover them doing well in their new location.

They keep chickens in a charming coop and use their droppings in the compost they regularly manage.

Kim, especially, finds joy in gardening. She says that it is therapeutic even to weed and prune, but planting too to make things beautiful.

Article by : Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Coordinator

Photos by Larry Rosengren.

June 2022: Garden of the Month

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Ashland Garden Club

780 Walker Street

Lorraine Vail’s and Ed Smith’s garden at 780 Walker Street is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for June 2022. It is a very special garden in many ways, not least of which is the couple’s desire to share the beauty and knowledge they have gained through creating this garden.

They started with a nearly blank slate in the Fall of 2013. Lorraine took an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) course at nearby SOU, taught by professional landscape designer Fran Adams, during which she submitted a design for the OLLI courtyard garden. Completing that assignment earned the homeowners complimentary consultations on their home garden from Adams and from Seth Barnard of Solid Ground Landscape. Ultimately, Solid Ground installed the hardscape and did the initial planting, working from Lorraine’s design. Solid Ground continues to consult on design and provides seasonal assistance although Ed and Lorraine take care of it day-to-day, averaging ten hours a week.

A second phase began during the pandemic when the couple had time on their hands. During this phase, Ed, a talented woodworker, completed the attractive fence and added gorgeous gates in 2020. This allowed them to plant without worrying about deer preferences. They have had problems with bears trying to climb the fence (and doing significant damage in the process). The side garden provides a more intimate space for relaxation and contemplation, and is very colorful at this time of year.

A unique and charming feature of this Japanese-inspired garden is “The Garden Box;” a display case that they installed to inform passersby about the garden. Changing the contents frequently allows them to describe specific plants, share photos, and enchant with poetry about the garden.

Both Lorraine and Ed enjoy the many changes in the garden throughout the year and look forward to seeing changes between years as plants change and mature. An important aspect of their design is contrast in color and texture. Among the couple’s favorite plants are horny goat weed, the variegated leaves of which stay beautiful all year; spirea in its many forms; brunnera; and weeping redbud.

Peruse the Garden Box and peek through the gate to enjoy this special place.

Last photo by Lorraine Vail, taken in the Fall. All other photos by Larry Rosengren, taken this Spring.

Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Chairman

May 2022: Garden of the Month

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Ashland Garden Club

The beautiful and colorful landscape at 595 Great Oaks Drive is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for May. It’s the home of Gerry and Sherwood Goozee, located at the southwest corner of Great Oaks Drive and Mountain Meadows Drive.

Sherwood has been gardening here for nine years, moving from a 42-acre ranch near Ukiah, California where he planted 100 trees. At 94 years old, Sherwood has slowed down a little but he still mows the lawn! Sherwood now has help from their friend Denise Moffatt who weeds and plants as directed by Sherwood. He says he still loves “playing in the dirt.”

Sherwood is an artist (check out his gorgeous paintings of flowers and other things at https://goozeepaintings.weebly.com) and it shows in his love of color in the garden. Azaleas, rhododendrons, Irish roses, and—right now—dogwood flourish. Two eastern oak trees anchor the yard. Early in their residence, Sherwood removed many large bushes that he felt had not added much to the overall display. He certainly got it all right.

Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Chairperson

Photos by Larry Rosengren. Some photos were taken in May 2021.

With thanks to Marilyn Love, AGC Member, for the suggestion. And thanks to Viki Ashford, AGC Member, who installed the GotM sign.

Spring Flowers at N. Mt. Park

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Ashland Garden Club

A dedicated group of AGC members have been planting and gardening North Mountain Park’s Heirloom Garden for years, The Club calls them ‘The Heirloom Gardeners’. The community of Ashland enjoys the Heirloom Garden in all seasons, but spring is especially delightful.