The Ashland Garden Club celebrated its first Fall meeting on Sept. 12 with a floral design 
project designed to bring happiness to the members as well as lucky people in the community.
project designed to bring happiness to the members as well as lucky people in the community.Members, under the direction of club member Molly Caruthers, created 40 floral arrangements that were then taken into the community and “abandoned” for others to find and take home.
The program is called The Lonely Bouquet. Each arrangement had a tag which explained that the bouquet needed a new home and the finder was encouraged to take it home or give to someone of their choice. Each arrangement also had an attached postcard addressed to the Ashland Garden Club which finders could use to write back to the club to tell us where their bouquet found its new home. Flowers were from members’ gardens as well as Fry Family Farms, LeMera Gardens, Albertsons and the Enchanted Florist.
The Lonely Bouquet program was begun by Emily Avenson, a young California woman who moved to Belgium and began a floral farm and florist business. When traveling she would make a small bouquet and put it in a glass jelly jar and abandon it with a tag explaining the Lonely Bouquet concept. In just a few years the movement has spread all over the world. The mission is to bring happiness…..one flower at a time. We hope it will spread much joy in Ashland and the surrounding area!
et five years ago and immediately set about reworking the small garden spaces. Two years ago, they were among the first to take advantage of the City of Ashland’s lawn replacement program. Throughout the process of developing the wonderful garden that they have today, they have had assistance from Regenesis Ecological Design of Ashland.
Most recently theirs was designated an official Pollinator Garden by Bee City USA of Ashland, and they have a pretty, new sign to prove it. The Hunsakers commissioned Nick David of Jefferson Woodwright to make a very nice frame for the sign, to coordinate with the craftsman architecture of their home. They have colorful Monarch caterpillars in residence, happily munching on various kinds of milkweed that they introduced to a side yard. Carolyn and Don, together, spend about five hours a week maintaining this beautiful garden.
This is a modest-size garden, with a front of 800 square feet, side yards of about 250 square feet each, and natural areas off the alley adding about 200 square feet more, but they have capitalized on the efficient use of space, with plants on trellises for height that also provide privacy. On one side, the garden opens out to reveal an inviting patio, just off the kitchen, complete with a refreshing water feature. On the other side, outdoor rooms were created with arbors and a variety of vines, including star jasmine and honeysuckle. On this side, a garden shed has a living roof, comprised of sedum, small primroses, bitterroot, and other small plants. A tiny solar panel provides power for the light inside the shed.
Near the patio in back, there is a concrete raised bed that has primarily edible plants such as cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, with mint, basil, rosemary, and marigolds to discourage unwelcome creatures. Larger, non-edible plants in this area include a Japanese maple, buddleja, anemone, Sochi Tea camellia, and euphorbia.
With seating and shade, there are several places to relax and enjoy the garden. The Adirondack chairs remind Leslie of her youth on the East coast. The overall ambience is of a slower, quieter time.
