Local Garden Tour: May 19, 2018

soroptimist logoSave the Date!
Saturday, May 19, 2018
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
16th Annual Garden Tour
View six beautiful, unique gardens in the
Jacksonville/Central Point area – become inspired!

Tickets $20.00

Purchase tickets at the following locations from

April 16th – May 18th

Judy’s Central Point Florist
337 East Pine, Central Point

Southern Oregon Nursery
2922 S. Pacific Highway, Medford

Blue Door Garden Store
130 W. California Street, Jacksonville

Penny & Lulu Studio Florist
18 Stewart Avenue, Medford

Eufloria Flowers
449 E Main St, Ashland

On the day of the tour, tickets may be purchased only at:

The Schoolhaus Brewhaus
525 Bigham Knoll Dr, Jacksonville

All proceeds support community service projects of SI North Valley

Questions: email: gardentoursinv@gmail.com

Keeping Mosquitoes at Bay!

According to a study in Japan, mosquitoes are attracted to people with blood type “0” mosquitoe2more than any other blood types. They also discovered mosquitoes identify blood types though skin secretions before they pierce the skin. No matter what blood type you are, mosquitoes are a nuisance to everyone this time of year.  Below are a few suggestions which may help you keep mosquitoes at bay.

Eliminate standing water throughout your property! Look for standing water in strange places like a hole in a tree, clogged gutters, empty pots & saucers, wheelbarrows,  gardening buckets,  tarps covering lawn furniture & mowers,  plastic bags,  old tires, discarded bottle tops,  low places in your yard where water can pool.

Feverfew

Feverfew

Plant Repellents: These plants reportedly repel mosquitoes: Citronella, Lavender, Feverfew, Catnip, Rosemary, and Pennyroyal Mint. So, plant them in containers on your deck & patio and throughout your flowerbeds.

Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal

Essential Oils: Apply a combo of these essential oils to your skin: Lavender, Tree Tea oil, Citronella, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Clove, Peppermint, Rose Geranium, and Pennyroyal Mint.

Tip: Try tossing some Rosemary stems, or Lavender on your grill while barbecuing, it not only flavors your food, but it could keep away mosquitoes, too.

Mosquito Dunks: Dunks are bacterial insecticide, which kills mosquitoes, but is not harmful to birds, or other wildlife. Put them in pot saucers, fountains, and birdbaths to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them.

Predators: Conserve healthy habitats for natural predators like bats, dragonflies, spiders and fish. Place a Bat house in your yard and…leave those spiders alone!  Mosquitoes are Arachnids’ favorite food; they eat hundreds every night like Bats.

Birdbaths: To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your birdbath, change the water regularly, and/or buy an agitator to keep the water moving. You can put Mosquito Dunks in birdbaths, too; it is not harmful to birds

Make a Trap: Fill a small container with water, add soda pop or fruit juice, then some drops of liquid soap. This will trap fruit flies, too

Use Fans: Mosquitoes are weak flyers! Place a fan in your outside sitting area to blow mosquitoes away.

Cover up! Wearing lightweight long sleeves, pants, and shoes makes it harder for mosquitoes to bite you.  Also choose light colored clothes, like whites, pastels, and tans, because mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

Good Luck! ~Carlotta Lucas

Garden of the Month: October 2016

The gardens at 170 Logan Drive are the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for October. Chris Eberhardt and Gene Miller bought the property in 2008, and the gardens then were nice enough. But in 2013, they decided to re-landscape to update and unify the property, and to make it deer resistant. They refer to certain sections of the garden, and the adjacent v-shaped plot at the corner of Logan and Scenic, held by the property owners’ association, as the “deer highway.”  They hired Solid Ground Landscape Inc. to develop a comprehensive plan and provide regular maintenance. Solid Ground included a pathway for the deer to encourage a certain route.

The back is on a steep grade, dotted with tall oaks, from a lovely balustrade terrace, with rhododendrons and daisies providing seasonal color. A charming and private outdoor “room” featuring Japanese maples, was created just outside the hexagonal dining room that was previously exposed to the street. A yew hedge provides much of the privacy. This room has a more formal look than the rest of the garden, with its manicured boxwood border. In addition to specimen plants, the front features drought-tolerant grasses and large boulders, some of which are indigenous to the property. Enormous pots, filled with gorgeous plants, flank the front door.

Photos by Larry Rosengren