Tag Archives: Garden of the Month

Garden of the Month: April 2016

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364 Hargadine Street, Ashland Oregon

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Vicky Huxtable, Fred Epstein, and their dog Mabel are enjoying the new gardens at their home at 364 Hargadine Street. Nearly completed only recently, the design and installation was by Solid Ground Landscape. Mabel figures prominently in the story of the landscape here: The path that ramps diagonally up from the street to the house as an alternate to the stairs, while an excellent idea for many gardening and design reasons, was Vicky’s idea to IMG_0411ease the old dog’s route. Mabel’s sister-dog was Molly who died suddenly just before the front yard was planted, and one bush that is featured there is a Miss Molly summer lilac. Both Vicky and Fred contributed creative ideas for the new hardscape. Fencing blends seamlessly with the charming 1902 cottage, which Huxtable and Epstein have owned for about nine years.

Outside the fences are mIMG_0417any deer-resistant plants such as hellebore, Japanese peonies, yarrow, pieris, euphorbia, sage, honeysuckle, sea holly, agastache, amsonia, artemisia, and rosemary. Inside the fences crepe myrtle, fern, azalea, camellia, hydrangea, candytuft, and many other plants bloom. There is a stunning Oklahoma coral-bark Japanese maple placed for dramatic effect and a paperbark maple equally well situated. Three redbuds highlight the meandering path through the side yard. Throughout the yard, many plants are drought tolerant and there is no thirsty grass anywhere.

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Despite the small yard and steep terrain, there are several places to sit and enjoy the views. Narrow yews have been placed strategically to block less desirable views—while not taking up much precious ground—and replace other hedges that were suddenly being eaten by deer.

Mabel and her caretakers have a lovely garden in which to take their ease.

Garden of the Month: July 2015

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Driving past 128 Wimer Street I often admired the beautifully landscaped front garden and the lovely home rising up from the street, but my eyes were always drawn to what lay just beyond the home. A tall deer fenfrontce marked the back garden and what appeared to be two “sheep” standing among the roses. I just knew there had to be something special behind that gate.

I met with Cindy Barnard, the owner, and was able to get a closer look at her garden and meet the not-so-real sheep that guard it. What I do know, is that there are no words to adequately describe the beauty of the landscaping or any pictures that can capture what you’ll find there. What I can tell you is that the yard holds two majestic trees – a Coastal Redwood (planted approximately 1906), a Douglas Fir and a stately oak – that have been there for many years. The Conrad and Lavina Mingus home, built in the late 1880’s, and at the time nestled in the middle of a small fruit and nut orchard, was originally designed to accommodate the harvesting.Pic 2

Cindy bought the home in 2006 and in 2007 began planning an extensive remodel.  Joanne Krippaehne (Madrone Architecture, Ashland)  was the architect chosen to redesign the home and Kerry Kencairn, the landscape architect, who, with the involvement of Cindy’s son, Seth Barnard of Solid Ground Landscaping, turned this property into the inviting garden it is today. After several planning workshops and sessions, the concept simplified into:  “bring the outdoors in and the indoors out.”  But, even as the project grew more complex than originally anticipated, it is now easy to believe that Cindy wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.Pic 3

The garden, originally on the Spring 2009 AAUW garden tour, contains a variety of trees and plants – old fashioned quince, a new Asian persimmon and two fig trees, hydrangeas, peonies, berry bushes, roses, hostas and so many others, too numerous to mention. After recently spending winter days at Hidcote  garden and Yew Garden in England, Cindy found joy in the winter color included in those beds and, after lawn removal, added a beautyberry bush (genus Callicarpa) to her back garden.   A thriving hand-watered vegetable garden and three compost piles take up a sunny location in the back of the property.

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Submitted by: Kaaren Anderson

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Garden of the Month: April 2015

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Spring has arrived (though, it feels like it began in January) and gardens all over Ashland are making us take notice. One such garden is found at the home of Beverly and Dick Gergen who moved into their Ashland home August 2003. The Gergens previously lived on six acres above Talent where they created large flower and vegetable gardens. After deciding a home closer to town with a smaller yard made more sense, they moved and set about creating the lovely garden you see.

Originally, the front held a flat, grass covered area struggling with large tree roots, all competing for water and nourishment. This also meant that people walking by looked past the yard and into the large living room windows. Beverly and Dick decided to create something more interesting for the passersby and to enhance their pleasant and friendly neighborhood.

Beginning in 2006 Ian Wessler, a friend, fellow Siskiyou Singers member, and garden designer, was asked to help convert the front into something more beautiful. As you will see, he definitely did! Working with Beverly and her vision, this Asian inspired planting is on its way to being a standout even beyond their immediate neighborhood.

Before planting, a berm of fertile soil, supported by huge granite boulders, was created and became the foundation for the plantings: Japanese maples, rhododendrons, several varieties of daphne (including a lavender color, currently in bloom), weeping hemlock, scarlet oak, fern-leaf false cyprus, dwarf Norway spruce, shore juniper, dogwood, skimmia, viburnum, Japanese snowbelle, enkianthus, helleborus, lamium and others.

Many Asian touches lie within the garden – a slightly tipsy crane greets visitors coming down the path, glass floats live near the water feature, bells hang in the trees, and beautiful pottery and lanterns nest among the shrubs. One clever feature I particularly liked is a “lawn” pathway, much easier to walk on than gravel, and small enough to maintain. Even an old family bear stands back among the trees, keeping watch.
Like so many other gardens in Ashland, this one was planted with deer in mind. Nearly all the plants are considered deer resistant, and except for a few nibbled azaleas, the choices appear to be working.  While the deer can take a lot of fun out of gardening, Beverly says, “the planting, pruning and general garden maintenance are therapeutic. When my garden is happy, I am happy.”

I know I’m happy, just looking at it.
by Kaaren Anderson