Check It out !
The Ashland Daily Tidings ran an article about
Ashland Garden Club’s Lonely Bouquet activity!
Read all about it here…http://www.dailytidings.com/news/20161003/ashland-garden-club-lonely-bouquets-for-ashland
Tag Archives: fun
The Lonely Bouquet
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!
Garden of the Month: September 2016
Garden of the Month: 448 Clinton Street
Carolyn and Donald Hunsaker purchased their house at 448 Clinton Stre
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.
In front, the sword ferns, azaleas, and rhododendrons close to the front porch plus a pink dogwood on the left are pretty much all that remains of the landscape as it existed when they bought the place. They have added a paperbark maple as well as heathers, yarrow, blue fescue, and other low-growing plants to replace the front lawn. Creeping thyme fills in the between the stepping-stones. Kinnikinnick fills the parking strip, since parking is not permitted on their side of the street. All the low plants in front are deer resistant.
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.
Throughout the garden, there are many roses, mostly climbers, including Portlandia, Westerland, Polka, Gold Badge, Night Light, Golden Gate, Abraham Darby, Joseph’s Coat, and Royal Pageant (Carolyn’s favorite).
This is a delightful garden full of pleasant surprises.
Submitted by:
Ruth Sloan
N. Mountain Park Workday: Mulching
Ashland Garden Club members mulching the Heirloom Garden at North Mountain Park
Table Rock Hikes: 2016
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Medford District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are sponsoring free guided hikes at the Table Rocks.
Hikes are FREE but reservations are required. Space is limited. Register online (link follows the info for each hike) or call the Medford District BLM at 541.618.2200, M-F 7:30 am – 4:00 pm.
Hikes are 3-5 miles roundtrip along a moderate grade trail and generally last 3-5 hours. Dress for the weather and bring drinking water (none is available at the site) and lunch or a snack. Restrooms are available at the trailhead. No dogs, mountain bikes or OHVs are allowed on the trail.
- Early Wildflowers – Saturday, April 9, 9:00 am – Upper Table Rock: Marcia Wineteer, botanist at the BLM will lead a hike to explore and enjoy the valley’s beautiful native flora and wildflowers of Table Rocks. Limited to 15 individuals. http://earlywildflowers.eventbrite.com
- Wildflowers Abound – Sunday, April 10, 9:00 am – Lower Table Rock: Barbara Mumblo, botanist emeritus with the U.S. Forest Service, Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District and member of the Native Plant Society of Oregon, will lead a hike to discover the dazzling array of wildflowers found on the Table Rocks. http://wildflowersabound.eventbrite.com
- Spring in Bloom – Sunday, April 17, 9:00 am – Upper Table Rock: Join Chamise Kramer, avid botanist and Public Affairs Specialist with the Rogue River National Forest, and Molly Allen, BLM Environmental Educator, to explore the valley’s beautiful native flora, wildflowers, and natural history of the Table Rocks. http://springinbloom.eventbrite.com
- Nature on the Rocks – Celebrating 30 Years of Environmental Education – Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Lower Table Rock: Join us for a fun filled day of activities, hikes, and interactive displays suitable for the entire family. Help us celebrate 30 years of successful community engagement and education on the Table Rocks. Public event, open to all. Please consider carpooling as parking is limited. A shuttle will be offered from Sam’s Valley Elementary parking area to the Lower Table Rock trail throughout the day. NO REGISTRATION NEEDED.
- Beautiful Butterflies & Incredible Insects – Saturday, May 14, 10:00 am – Lower Table Rock: Dr. Peter Schroeder, Entomologist and Affiliate Professor of Biology at Southern Oregon University, will lead a hike to observe and discuss the beautiful butterflies and other incredible insects that live on or flutter by the Table Rocks. On this hike, Peter will help you gain a deeper appreciation for how butterflies and other insects live and their essential role in the environment. http://beautifulbutterflies.eventbrite.com
- Powerful Pollinators – Sunday, May 15, 10:00 am – Upper Table Rock: Find out what all the buzz is about by joining Sarah Red-Laird, a.k.a. Bee Girl, who will explain why pollination is essential for our survival. On this family-friendly hike learn about the birds and the bees and their relationship with the wildflowers and trees that produce a rainbow of colors on the Table Rocks. Limited to 15 individuals. http://powerfulpollinators.eventbrite.com
Thank you for helping us get the word out about these fun, family friendly hikes at the Table Rocks!
CONTACT: Kathleen Kudo – sworegon@tnc.org
View the full hike schedules: TableRockHikes2016.eventbrite.com
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
All- My latest garden tour article has just been published.
Here’s the link–
Nan Quick
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers