Fall migratory birds are starting to show up in my garden. I saw this Black headed grosbeaks at the feeder today. Rufous hummingbirds are competing with Anna’s in the garden. Rufous Hummingbirds travel from breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada to wintering sites in Mexico. All critters seems to be enjoying a bit of cool air, And finally the vegetable garden seems to be relaxing from the intense heat and starting to produce. I had a lot of male flowers on the cucumber plants, and finally I am getting some female flowers and some cucumbers. Goly Ostovar, AGC Member
Cleome, peonies, and Japanese maples line the walkway to the front door. Photo by Tim MacCurdy
Tim MacCurdy started gardening at 600 Liberty St in 2018 and this is now the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for August 2024. He lives here with his wife, Tricia, and son, Luca. When they first purchased the house there was little in the yard except a few trees. Now it is dense with food and ornamentals.
Cleome and echinacea, with yuzu in the background. Photo by Tim MacCurdy.
Tim has had an interest in gardening since he was a child, growing up in Atascadero California where his father inspired hard work on the family acreage. A kindergarten teacher, whose husband was on the botany faculty at Cal Poly, also encouraged Tim’s interest in plants to the point where Tim was known as the “flower boy” to other students and their families. Later Tim earned a degree at UC Berkeley in environmental sciences. When he was newly graduated, he started his own business tending other people’s gardens.
Lavender and bee balm by the mailboxes. Photo by Tim MacCurdy.
After world-wide travels he settled in Japan where, once again, his interest in plants and gardens was piqued although his primary concentration at that time was photography. He has plants now that are generations later of seeds he collected in Japan. Since his professional gardening days, he has gone on to pursue a career in medicine and now practices dermatology.
Peonies and ceanothus bloom along the walkway in May. Photo by Tim MacCurdy.
Tim does all the work himself in this garden. He estimates he averages two hours per day—more from May through September—in the garden and considers his plants (soil and structure) as part of his extended family.
The back yard is steeply sloped. Fruit trees, including persimmon, Asian pears, plums, olives, figs, and yuzu are dotted throughout the property. Among his favorite plants are cleome, nicotiana, echinacea, ginkgo, persimmons, and Japanese maples (some from seeds collected in Japan). Trees of all kinds have traveled with Tim and his family to homes in different parts of the western states.
Hachiya persimmons hang from the house rafters to dry when the MacCurdys first bought the house. Photo by Tim MacCurdy.
Given current climate conditions, Tim encourages gardeners to lean toward drought-tolerant plants. You should find “clues from your environment” and love your plants. He also suggests that you don’t always have to follow the rules of gardening and garden design, but instead you “should make your own rules.” He says, “engage with your garden, truly engage. Dedicate yourself to knowledge and spirit, and become an expert.”
Cleome and purple Shiso. Photo by Tim MacCurdy.
Article by Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Chair
On September 8, 2020 the Almeda Fire swept through the towns of Phoenix and Talent. More than 3,000 acres, and over 2,500 homes and 600 businesses were destroyed, including the Blue Heron Park in Phoenix.
In 2021, a grassroots-group of citizens in partnership with local businesses and organizations took on the task of rebuilding this park, and on Monday members of the Ashland Garden Club gathered to see how Blue Heron Park has truly risen from the ashes. AGC members donated pollinator plants to add to the park’s community garden.
Photos by Goly Ostovar, Lynn McDonald, and Carlotta Lucas
The Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for May 2024 is John Schroeder and Debbie Beck’s colorful yard at 719 N. Laurel Street.
Photo by Photo by John Schroeder
While the camellia has put on a beautiful show from late winter through early spring, it is fading out now and the gorgeous bright salvias, phlox, lupine, euphorbia, and candytuft are just coming into their own. The Japanese maple tree and barberry bush provide contrast with their deeper spring colors.
Photo by John Schroeder
John and Debbie have been gardening here since they purchased the property in the spring of 1983. When they arrived, the front yard had only the camellia and a deodar cedar tree that eventually got so large it overpowered the entire yard. Now that they have had that tree removed, the Japanese maple that they planted is thriving. The back yard was steeply sloped toward the back fence. You can see how much they have accomplished in the intervening years, all while working outside the home and raising two children.
Photo by John Schroeder
John is responsible for the overall landscape design and all the heavy work, including terracing the back yard and planning, and often building, walkways, and Debbie says she handles the details, including small cleanup chores such as dead-heading and weeding. John originally constructed the backyard terraces with railroad ties but when those wore out, he had pros install block retaining walls following his design. He built the stone stairs between levels.
View from the akebia vine. Photo by John Schroeder
Among John’s favorites plants are the Japanese maple, akebia vine, and camellia. Debbie favors daphne and rhododendron. They also have vegetable beds and blueberries in the back. The garden design features lovely vistas throughout with Asian touches of stone lanterns and a sculpture. The newish tree on the left side in front is an autumn blaze maple.
John Schroeder and Debbie Beck in a rare moment of relaxation.
Photo by Ruth Sloan
Article by: Ruth Sloan, Garden of the Month Chairperson
Lamium plants, also known as Spotted Dead Nettles, are deer-resistant ground covers that grow in a part- sun to semi-shade. Different varieties flower in white, pink or purple. Flowers are delicate and dainty. Lamium’s two-toned foliage provides interest, when the plant is not in bloom.
Perennial Plant, Height: 4-6″ Width: 15″-18″, Blooms early spring- early summer, USDA Zone: 3-9,
Lamium maculatum ‘Aureum’ is a cultivar with gold to chartreuse foliage.
