Tag Archives: landscape gardens

Horticulture Report: Armeria maritima (Sea Thrift)

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Plant Name:  Armeria maritima

Common name:  Sea Thrift
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – 1’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color:  Pink to White
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Infertile, Well-Drained Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 8 = Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Flowers; Drought Tolerant; Deer Tolerant; Attracts Bees; Butterflies.
Uses: Ground Cover; Edging/Border Fronts; Rock Gardens; Containers.
Note:  Deadhead to Encourage More Blooms.
Native to: Northern Hemisphere
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Board Member

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Horticulture Report: Sedges

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Plant Name:  Carex species: There are more than 1,500 species of these perennials.

Common name:  Sedges

Plant Type:  Deciduous or Evergreen Perennials

Plant Height:  12” – 4’

Plant Width:  10” – 12”

Bloom Time:  Varies

Flower Color:  Stems & Panicles of flower heads in short spikes. Provides Interesting Foliage and Movement.

Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade, some varieties will take Full Sun, (check specific plant’s preference)

Soil Requirements: Carex grow in soils ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 on the pH scale. Most average garden soils fall between a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0.

Water Needs:  Some like Wetter Sites, Some Drier Conditions. Check variety for water needs.    

Fire Resistant:  YES;  Zone 1 – 8;   Plant 30’+ from house

Attributes: Deer Resistant, Provides 3- seasons of Interest, Easy to grow, Low maintenance; Wide Range of Colorful Grass-like Foliage; Adds Drama to a Landscape, Adds Texture, Host plants for butterflies and skippers.  Beneficial to pollinators by providing cover in the winter. Excellent seed source for birds. Provides Texture and Movement in a landscape.       

Uses:  Carex species to suit just about any situation. Mass plantings, Ground Cover, Container Plantings, Rockery gardens, Lining Sidewalks, Edging Flowerbeds, and more. 

Note: May be Susceptible to Rust, Smut, Leaf Spot, Aphids.

Native to: Found Worldwide

Oregon Native:  NO

 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9, check variety for hardiness in your zone. 

  • Carex buchananaii
  • Carex glauca
  • Carex morrowii (variegated)
Carex Albula

Report by: Viki Ashford, and Carlotta Lucas, both AGC Board Members

Photos by Monrovia Nursery: https://www.monrovia.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=carex

Garden of the Month: August 2021

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House of Thai – 1667 Siskiyou Blvd

The August 2021 Garden of the Month from the Ashland Garden Club is the front of the House of Thai restaurant at 1667 Siskiyou Blvd.  The restaurant opened in May of 1989, after remodeling the building and starting the garden.

In the mid 80’s, Jit Kanchanakaset, a single mother of five came to Ashland in search of a safe, peaceful life her for family.  A strong-willed, energetic, and hardworking woman, she recruited her kids to help establish the eatery, and then later its garden. 

Ten years later, she met and married Phil Crompton.  They spent much of their time doing what they enjoyed most, gardening and giving back to the village in Buriram, Thailand where she grew up, by donating to schools, hospitals, and underprivileged families.  Jit passed on in April 2020.

The garden has evolved over time with gradual improvements.  There are large, well-established ponderosa pines along the eastern edge.  Gorgeous rhododendrons bloom beneath the pines in May.  Much smaller crepe myrtle trees line the western edge and bloom in August.  In between are a small fishpond and waterfall that were constructed by the contractor who was remodeling the building.  Blue herons have been known to visit the pond, hoping to catch the elusive fish.  Also there is a small lawn, plus a stunning Buddhist shrine. 

The colorful concrete and steel shrine, said to weigh 1000 pounds, was installed a little more than twenty years ago. Jit’s legacy lives on through her family as they continue her traditions while carrying on the restaurant. The family and staff offer respect to the shrine every Friday morning, honoring the house spirits and summoning goodwill.

Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Committee Chair

Photos by Larry Rosengren.

July 2020: Garden of the Month

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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

Garden of the Month: June 2020

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Near Hunter Park

There is a spectacular garden near Hunter Park that is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for June.  The residents have lived there for 40 years, and had done smaller renovations in the past.

The owners re-landscaped about three years ago after they incorporated the back of another property nearby.  The property boundary was legally redrawn at that time.  The result is a very large garden, especially for the neighborhood.

Laurie Sager, Solid Ground Landscaping, and Tim Ferguson did the work in 2017.  The workmanship throughout the property is exquisite:  The metal and wood work of fencing and gates, the concrete retaining walls, and the gorgeous stone walkways and patios are impeccable.  The deep red color of the metal is unexpected and just right.

An unusual feature is a geometric pattern of concrete pavers beneath a Japanese maple tree surrounded by “Brass Buttons” ground cover.  A charming blue star creeper surrounds stone pavers in the front.

A large Liriodendron (tulip tree) dominates the front yard and a Douglas fir shades portions of the back.  Most of the mature rhododendrons are holdovers from earlier gardens here.  Ornamental grasses are placed judiciously, particularly in front.  Peonies are featured in front and back.  A wonderfully diverse selection of plants are perfectly placed throughout the yard.

Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Member

Photos by: Larry Rosengren.

May 2020: Garden of the Month

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720 Forest Street

The wonderful garden at 720 Forest St. is a labor of love for homeowners Vicky Sturtevant and Alan Armstrong and is The Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for May. They have deftly combined edibles with ornamentals in this space they have gardened since 1983.

It is a heavily shaded lot, particularly the upper, forested quarter-acre parcel that they purchased separately. In all, they have a half-acre that they manage beautifully. The hardscape was designed by Covey-Pardee Landscape Architects in 2009. Eric Cislo welded the gates and Ted Loftus constructed the stone walls. The deer are kept out.

The couple enjoys being outside and are inveterate hikers, so they also love gardening. They devote a lot of time to it and it shows. Nothing is neglected. They follow the sun throughout the yard and throughout the year.

Grandparents of both instilled in them a love of plants and a tradition of gardening. Alan’s grandparents were farmers. Vicky’s had a large lot and grew all kinds of things, especially roses. There is a vigorous peony in the yard that came from Vicky’s grandparents. She speaks fondly of how much certain plants remind us of certain people. Happily, their adult son loves gardening, too.

Both Alan and Vicky are very knowledgeable about plants and have noticed that plants native to the Pacific Northwest, in which they have specialized, are beginning to struggle to survive and that now plants native to Northern California are more likely to thrive in Ashland. So it is to them they are turning their attention.

Visitors who walk or drive by will notice the great diversity of plant life in this garden. Among favorites of the couple are species rhododendrons (includes azaleas), Penstemons, Salvia, Agastache, and Marionberry. In May, dogwood, lilac, and rhododendrons make a stunning display.

Article by: Ruth Sloan, AGC Garden of the Month Committee Chair

Photos by: Larry Rosengren