Geneva Park Townhomes – 961-999 B Street, Ashland Oregon
Open Garden (for all of Ashland!) 11:00-1:00, Saturday, June 25, 2016
The Ashland Garden Club’s June 2016 Garden of the Month is the common areas of the Geneva Park Townhomes at 961-999 B Street. Built in stages, with the first sections completed in 2003, the complex encompasses 16 units, including a completely rebuilt farmhouse in front, at 961, and two one-story units immediately behind it that were originally outbuildings for the apple orchard that once stood on the land. Three apple trees that were part of the orchard remain as part of the landscape. This is a flag lot that opens up toward the back to allow a concentration of two-story units around the waterfall and pond.
The original landscape design was by Karen Marshall of Naturescape Designs in Medford. All of the hardscape, including a lap pool and recirculating waterfall and pond, the mature trees, and long-established plants were part of Marshall’s plan. Among the most eye-catching examples is a beautiful combination of four conifers, near the pond, that emphasizes differences of color and texture.
Since the original plan, a number of changes have been made, most recently a small project that takes advantage of the City of Ashland’s lawn replacement program. All of the recent changes have resulted in considerable savings in both water usage and labor to replace seasonal plantings. All of this has been accomplished through the guidance of Sherry Zalabak who chairs the homeowners’ association landscape committee and is the volunteer caretaker. A dedicated gardener, Zalabak now devotes an average of ten hours a week to the grounds. She plans carefully, to provide color year-round with perennials rather than annuals, and to enhance the variety of textures. Zalabak transformed one area with the beautiful combination of barberry and blue oat grass. Smoke tree, dogwood, and other dramatic plants have been added for contrast. As the gardens had been neglected for some years, Zalabak devoted over 1000 hours to their improvement over her first two years in residence, starting in 2012. Promak Landscape provides routine maintenance twice a month.
The Geneva Park Homeowners’ Association cordially invites Ashland residents and guests to come see the grounds on Saturday, June 25, from 11:00 to 1:00. The Blades of Grass trio will provide music. Limited parking is available on site.
Botanical names can be hard to pronounce, often a person has no clue how begin saying a plant’s name. Now, there’s help on Fine Gardening’s website using their ‘Pronunciation Guide’.
http://www.finegardening.com/pronunciation-guide/a
Zantedeschia albomacula
How do you say that?
364 Hargadine Street, Ashland Oregon
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 
ease 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 m
any 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.
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.
Note: Use only unwaxed paper cups for your seedling pots, so they will decompose when planted in the garden later.
Start your seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date in your location.
To get Started:
Buy seedling mix, or make your own [it’s cheaper] – See DIY: Seedling Mix Formula, on this Blog. Seedling mix is a soil-less mixture specifically made for sprouting seeds.
Poke three to four holes in the bottom of each paper cup.
Fill each paper cup with seed-starting mix, leaving 1/2 inch of space below the top.
Plant two seeds in of each cup. Check seed packet for seed planting depth; each variety is different. Cover seeds with seedling mix.
Sit cups in trays, or boxes, water, then cover trays loosely with sheets of plastic wrap.
This helps keep moist and prevents mix from drying out.
Place in a warm location, after two days, start checking cups daily, water if
Remove the plastic wrap when most of the seeds have sprouted.
Place trays in a warm sunny indoor location. If placed next to a window turn trays regularly for equal sun exposure.
Water on a regular basis, but don’t over water.
When plants have grown two true leaves, thin by snipping off the weaker plant in each cup.
After the last frost date in your area, “harden off” your plants before planting
To Harden Off Plants: Sit plants outside in a protected area for four hours, then bring them back inside. Increase “outdoor time “ by two hours each day. After a week of hardening off, you can plant the starts in your garden.