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Bears love their garden too By Ruth Sloan Updated: Jun 06, 2022 03:37 PM A A 5 View all photos A Japanese-inspired garden on Walker Street is Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month Lorraine Vail and Ed Smith’s garden at 780 Walker St. is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for June 2022. [Photo by Larry Rosengren] Vail and Smith started their garden with a nearly blank slate in fall 2013. [Photo by Larry Rosengren] A unique and charming feature of this Japanese-inspired garden is “The Garden Box,” a display case they installed to inform passersby about the garden. [Photo by Larry Rosengren] The couple have had problems with bears trying to climb the fence (and doing significant damage in the process). [Photo by Larry Rosengren] Solid Ground Landscape installed the hardscape and did the initial planting, working from Vail’s design. [Photo by Larry Rosengren] Lorraine Vail and Ed Smith’s garden at 780 Walker St. is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for June 2022. It is a very special garden in many ways, not least of which is the couple's desire to share the beauty and knowledge they have gained through creating it. They started with a nearly blank slate in the fall of 2013. Lorraine took an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute course at Southern Oregon University, taught by professional landscape designer Fran Adams, during which she submitted a design for the OLLI courtyard garden. Completing that assignment earned the homeowners complimentary consultations on their home garden from Adams and also from Seth Barnard of Solid Ground Landscape. Ultimately, Solid Ground installed the hardscape and did the initial planting, working from Lorraine’s design. Solid Ground continues to consult on design and provides seasonal assistance, although Ed and Lorraine take care of it day to day, averaging 10 hours a week. A second phase began during the pandemic when the couple had time on their hands. During this phase, Ed, a talented woodworker, completed the fence and added gates in 2020. This allowed them to plant free from worries about deer. They have had problems with bears trying to climb the fence (and doing significant damage in the process). The side garden provides a more intimate space for relaxation and contemplation, and it is very colorful at this time of year. A unique and charming feature of this Japanese-inspired garden is “the Garden Box,” a display case they installed to inform passersby about the garden. Changing the contents frequently allows them to describe specific plants, share photos and enchant with poetry about the garden. Both Lorraine and Ed enjoy the many changes in the garden throughout the year and look forward to seeing changes between years as plants change and mature. An important aspect of their design is contrast in color and texture. Among the couple’s favorite plants are horny goat weed, the variegated leaves of which stay beautiful all year, as well as spirea in its many forms, brunnera and weeping redbud. Peruse the Garden Box and peek through the gate to enjoy this special place. Ruth Sloan is the Ashland Garden Club Garden of the Month chairman. The club has been selecting gardens of the month, from spring through early fall, since 2000. Nominations are gratefully received at [email protected]. Check out the club’s website at ashlandorgardenclub.org for information about meetings.