160 Scenic Drive
On a hot July day, what could be as cooling as the sight and sound of running water in the garden? The garden of Cheryl Briggs’ home at 160 Scenic Drive is the Ashland Garden Club’s July 2016 Garden of the Month, and it has water features in two places among a small forest of shady trees. Previous owners installed the recirculating waterfalls, stream, and ponds on a steep lot.
Briggs has owned the home for five years, and she added the steps, walkways, and driveway with design help from Jeanine Strum of The Seasons Color. Briggs has weekly maintenance help from Carol’s Colors. A major project in the recent past removed ivy from the slope leading from the street. There is a stunning view of the valley and hills to the East, from a deck that has huge pots with masterful combinations of small plants.
Rhododendrons and azaleas abound in the shady areas. Also featured are Japanese maples and camellias. The major trees are Douglas fir and cedar. A photinia hedge lines the street. Elsewhere in the garden are a Cecile Bruner and Lady Banks roses, dogwood, wisteria, magnolia, and madrone.
Ashland Garden Club members mulching the Heirloom Garden at North Mountain Park
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.
~The following tools are used & recommended by Ashland Garden Club Members~
Japanese Hori Hori Knife –Used for weeding, digging, cutting roots, dividing perennials, removing plants from pots. Unbelievably versatile!
Nejiri Gama Garden Hoe (Japanese garden hand tool) Narrow end pushes deep into the soil helps with weeding, planting seedlings, aerating the soil, making seed trenches, and breaking up clods & soil.
Hand Plow Ho-Mi Digger (short-handled) A Korean tool that’s an all-around hand-digging tool, useful for planting, weeding, rock-removal and finding irrigation lines.
Sheep Shears – Large long blades are useful for clipping & trimming small shrubs .
Long Handle Gardening Fork Dividing perennials, digging out trees, shrubs & perennials, Easier on the back when using long handle as leverage.
Garden Bucket Caddy Slips into a plastic bucket and holds garden tools.
Flexible Buckets – Great for hauling weeds, plants, hand tools around the garden.
Felco Pruners – Pruning, quality pruner, replaceable blades & parts, easy to sharpen. Right or Left handed offered. Felco 7: Is a ergonomic heavy duty pruner with a spinning handle, great for people with a arthritic thumb.
Florian Ratchet Pruner Ratchet-cut mechanism increases hand strength, prunes branches up to ¾ Inches in diameter, has a Lifetime Warranty. Right or Left handed offered.
Kneelon Knee Pads – Flexible, Waterproof, durable, machine washable.
CircleHoe– For weeding & cultivating close to plants.
Hoop Hoe, Stirrup Hoe, Action Hoe – All Similar hoes for weeding around plants.
Winged Weeders – For weeding, cultivating, edging, aerating and making furrows.
Balling Spade – Ideal for cutting deep and slicing through roots.
Potlifter – Lifts 250 lb – Saves your back when lifting pots or rocks. Also sold: Pro Potlifter for lifting 350 lbs.
Yard Butler Rotary Cultivator or Garden Weasel Cultivator (collapsible handle available) – Weeds, aerates, detachable center tines work between plants & rows.
Leaf Luster Digital Soil Thermometer – For measuring soil temperature for germination and transplanting
Leaf Luster Soil Tester – Contains tests for ph, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels.
Rapitest PH Meter – easily checks the pH level of your garden soil and potted plants.
Mico-tip Pruners – aka Floral Pruners- For deadheading & pruning smaller plants & flowers.
Fiskars Softough Mico-Tip Pruners- Awarded the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation for a design that is easy-to-use for people with arthritis or limited hand strength.
Roto Digger Auger- Uses: Planting bulbs, bedding plants, seedlings, deep water aeration, fertilizing trees & shrubs.
Corona AC 8300 Sharpening Tool – 5-Inch super carbide file for sharpening straight edge tools.
Fiskars Softouch Weeder (7060) – Ergonomic weeder with forked tip cuts deep to remove weeds by the root.
Corona Clipper Razor Tooth – 10″ Folding Pruning Saw – Sturdy, easy to use, easy to store. Lifetime warranty.
Tru Temper Miniature Shovel – For planting bulbs and weeding.
Tru Temper Narrow Garden Fork – D-handle – For digging and mulching.
Yard Butler RKT-1000 Rocket Weeder – Pull weeds from the roots, organic weed control, ergonomic handle, ejector button pops off the weed-keeping your hands clean.
Gardex or Garden Home Leaf Scoops- Multi-purpose hand-held leaf scoops.
Southern Charm
Plant Name: Verbascum (mullein hybrid)
Cultivar: Southern Charm
Plant type: Perennial
Height: 2 ft
Bloom Time:Late Spring to Mid-Summer (then again in the fall)
Flower Color: Pastel Rose to Ivory
Exposure:Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Normal to Sandy
Water Needs: Drought tolerant once established
Attributes: Large 1.5” showy flowers, deer resistant, two bloom times , Silvery Foliage
Note: Does not self-sow
Uses: Cutting garden, Perennial Garden
USDA Zone: 5-9