Despite high temperatures and local drought conditions, these fabulous flowers are on display in our landscape. ~Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member
Today in the Garden: July 29, 2021
Tag Archives: gardening
July 2021; Garden of the Month
1023 Linda Avenue:
The fascinating garden at 1023 Linda Avenue is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July. Owner Sandra Archibald is completely responsible for this garden, including design and maintenance. She does have a guy who mows the shrinking lawn in the back and helps with cleanup in the Fall.
The most remarkable feature of this garden is the living fence of weeping blue atlas cedar that Sandra planted in the northeast corner of the property a year or two after moving in late in 2007 and has trained along the deer fence since then, protecting her raised planting beds and the rest of the yard. She designed the curving paver paths and trellis along the front of the house. There are more curved paths and walls she designed in back as well as a charming gate and peaceful Japanese garden section.
This is her favorite time of year in the garden with coreopsis and poppies putting on a grand display. In Spring, large established iberris plants make a nice show against the conifers. Other times echinacea is a standout. As the back garden has become shadier over the years, she has added mini-hostas and plans to add more conifers since discovering the fabulous variety at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. She loves the Japanese forest grass she has in pots because it’s always beautiful, even when it dries out annually.
Sandra urges persistence in the garden. She adapts readily to the changing environment, trying things and sometimes moving and replacing plants that don’t thrive. She averages at least ten hours per week working in her garden all seasons except Winter. Her hard work and creativity are evident.
Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Chairman. (Thanks Kaaren Anderson for bringing this garden to my attention years ago.)
All photos by Larry Rosengren
The under-explored vegetable: Daikon Radish
Daikon Radish: There are over a hundred varieties of daikon radishes, but 
to most people in America this root is a vegetable of mystery. Daikon radishes are popular in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China, so in the states it is often found in Asian grocery stores, ethnic specialty stores or growers markets where large Asian-American populations occur. But, luckily for us, most of Ashland’s grocery stores carry daikon radish year round
Daikon radish is a member of Brassica family; a cool weather vegetable. This tuber forms a large cylindrical tap root 12-20 inches long and 2-4 inches in diameter. Its root pushes deep in the soil like a giant carrot, but leaves 2 to 6 inches protruding above the ground. Its skin is pale green or all white, similar to a turnip. The flavor is tangy with a crisp juicy texture, and depending on the variety, it can be a mild to fiery hot, like a horseradish. Its mildness or hotness also depends on growing conditions and the amount of water it receives during the growing season.
Daikon radish origins trace back to the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts. It found its way to Japan approximately 1,300 years ago where it became popular nationwide in the Edo period (1603-1868). Many varieties of the daikon radishes are near extinction due to the lack of commercial value, but a few specialty farmers, especially in Japan, are growing heirloom varieties for chefs and these prized radishes can fetch a high price. But the most cultivated daikon radish for the world market is the Aokubi Daikon, which is a milder sweeter variety. Japan produces 90% of the worlds Daikon radish crop, and they consume most of this crop as well.
In the United States there is growing interest to use daikon radish as a winter cover crop. Some of this crop is used for consumption, but most of it is plowed under to add nitrogen to the soil. Purdue University reports that daikon radish as a winter cover crop suppresses weeds in fall and winter, helps break up compacted soil, and because its contains a lot of water, it decomposes in a short period of time providing a flush of nitrogen for early spring crops.
Daikon radish can be consumed raw, cooked, or pickled. You can shred it to use in salads for a crisp crunchy texture and a peppery bite. You can add thin slices into miso soup, or braise it in thick chunks for stews. Boiling daikon chunks in water for 30 minutes then adding to a recipe allows the radish to absorb the flavors of the dish. Amazingly, this root holds its shape and texture after an hour of cooking. The tops are edible too; sauté in oil until wilted then add seasonings. Daikon Radish seeds are readily available because daikon radish mico-greens are popular.
To start your sprouts, soak seeds in a bowl of cool water for 6 hours, or overnight, making sure seeds are submersed. This softens the seed coat and promotes germination. Grow as mico-greens, or sow directly into the garden for mature vegetables. OSU Department of Horticulture states in Oregon daikon radishes require a full growing season to reach maturity and for the best root quality and development irrigate well to maintain uniform, vigorous growth. USDA Hardiness Zone 2-11
Daikon Radish Salad – https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1313-daikon-salad
Miso Soup https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1534-daikon-radish-and-abura-age-fried-tofu-miso-soup
Article by: Carlotta Lucas
AGC Gardeners
Gardening continues even in a pandemic! Ashland Garden Club members are still weeding and caring for the Heirloom Garden at North Mountain Park. It’s easy to social distance in the garden.
Jeanne Arago, Allison Koenig, Kristina Lefever, Michael Dawkins, & Alison Chandler. And, taking the picture: Viki Ashford, Heirloom Garden Coordinator
July 2020: Garden of the Month
139 N. 2nd Street, Ashland, OR
Local artist and educator Judith Ginsburg developed and maintains the lovely garden at 139 N. 2nd Street which has been selected as the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for July 2020. The property was purchased as a rental in 1988 and completely remodeled in 1996. The existing garage was converted to Ginsburg’s artist studio in 2001. Although living elsewhere in Ashland, she comes to the studio most days and has done the regular maintenance in the garden since then. She is currently planning a move into the front cottage.
In the 1990s, Judith had Landscape Architect Steve Potter create a plan for the garden. Much of the hardscape remains from that plan, but only a few plants. In 2016, Solid Ground Landscape redesigned the front yard, and in 2018, they did the back, always accommodating Judith’s preferences for plants and color. Since then, she has personally added to and subtracted from the plan. Solid Ground workers come twice a month to do standard maintenance. Ginsburg averages about an hour a day on garden care. It is truly an artist’s garden.
There is a gorgeous fountain, the sound of which does its’ best to mask the noise from the Post Office, the back of which is across the alley from the studio. To encourage birds, there are many bird baths and bird feeders. There are a lot of places to sit and relax throughout the back and a raised bed for veggies in the side yard.
On the back fence, there is a thriving climbing hydrangea, which is notoriously difficult to establish. There is a large and healthy wisteria shading the back porch and an old but still glorious lilac in the parking strip. Several Hypercium inodorum are stellar additions to the front garden. Ginsburg often has passersby ask or leave notes asking for identification of those plants. They are a shrub (a relative of St. John’s Wort—a common groundcover with yellow flowers) that has berries that range from white through pink and orange to red. Among Judith’s favorite plants are peonies, hellebores, and tulips.
There is a little bit of everything here and well worth strolling by.
Article by: Ruth Sloan, Ashland Garden Club
Photos by Larry Rosengren
Chelsea Chop
From Fine Gardening August 2019
“What is it?
The Chelsea Chop is a method of pruning that limits the size, controls the flowering season, and often decreases the flopping of a number of herbaceous perennials.”
Read all about it here….
What’s the Deal with the Chelsea Chop?
