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A garden on the 'deer highway' Chris Eberhardt and Gene Miller in their garden. Photo by Larry Rosengren Thursday Oct 6, 2016 at 6:49 PM Oct 6, 2016 at 6:49 PM By Ruth Sloan Ashland Garden Club 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 relandscape 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 balustraded 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 area 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. The Ashland Garden Club has selected a Garden of the Month from April through September since 2000. Nominations are gratefully received at [email protected]. Check out the club website at ashlandorgardenclub.wordpress.com or come to the meetings at 12:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month, October through May, at the Community Center on Winburn Way.