The homeowners at 623 Prim St. carefully chose plantings that are colorful, conserve water and are resistant to deer and fire
By Ruth Sloan
Elysian Graham and Lou Martinez bought the handsome house at 623 Prim St. in 2020 and promptly set about reimagining the front landscape. This is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the month for September.
Graham and Martinez hired Banyan Tree Landscaping and landscape architect Lucretia Weems to do the job. Among their primary goals were to achieve easy maintenance for their steep yard, conserve water and make the garden deer-resistant.
They also wanted a subtle color palette, but to feature color and interest all year, and to be pollinator-friendly. They have achieved all this and more.
Only the large sweet gum tree on the left side of the garden and the thicket on the far right side, which is seasonally favored by deer, remain from the original yard.
Overhead sprinklers were replaced by a drip irrigation system. The rock retaining walls and graceful stairs were added.
Ornamental grasses are highlights at this time of year and on through the winter. As the homeowners and designers of this garden have done, the Ashland Garden Club urges gardeners to take care in choosing ornamental grasses that are not fire-prone, and to remove dead and dry growth.
The couple handle all the maintenance themselves and, as busy professionals, they are grateful that their yard is so easy to care for. Elysian particularly likes the guara and Lou likes the Japanese maple.
The Ashland Garden Club has been naming Gardens of the Month, from April through September, since 2000. Nominations are gratefully received at aogardenclub@gmail.com. Check out the Club’s website at ashlandorgardenclub.org for information on meeting times and places.
