Ashland

As a place that has been named one of the top 5 places in the world to live, we are lucky to consider Ashland as a part of our neighborhood. Land use laws pack 3,000 individuals per square mile, which contributes to the cohesive feel of the town. It seems bigger than a small town of only 20,000 people.

Slow paced life, higher education levels, safe environment=great place to live!

The most outstanding feature of the town is the Shakespeare theater that sells 390,000 tickets a year to to performances that run from February through November. They have three outdoor stages and two indoor stages that feature four Shakespeare plays and seven classic, contemporary, modern ones.

They also offer backstage tours, lectures, workshops and other events.  I even see a youth chamber music group booked for June. Many people stay one week and see as many as 12 plays.

Two Trains Running

This year's line up includes The Taming of the Shrew, My Fair Lady, Cymbeline, The Unfortunates, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Heart of Robin Hood, The Liquid Plain, The Tenth Muse, A Streetcar Named Desire and Two Trains Running.

Southern Oregon University hold several cultural events, such as a Chamber Music series. With a little imagination, it's possible to find a number other offerings, such as the OLLI lectures, free to the public on a variety of interesting topics. 

The Ashland music calendar is jam-packed with events featured at the multitude of local bars and restaurants in town. 

Restaurants and stores line Main Street and give it that Georgetown feel

Lithia Park offers many recreational opportunities, but best of all, the 93 acres are laced with hiking trails. Ashland's location affords everyone access to their favorite outdoor activity - even skiing Mount Ashland in the winter. Bikers, hikers, swimmers, boaters and other outdoor enthusiasts can easily get tanked up with fresh air and a dose of fitness before enjoying their favorite culture and culinary delights.

Mount Ashland

It will take some juggling for us living in Williams, an hour away, but if you think of it, many people live an hour away from the Kennedy Center, Georgetown and downtown DC and still think of themselves as living in the nation's capitol. It's just a matter of planning and rethinking -- after all, we will be retired -- a completely new lifestyle with many more freedoms to turn to our advantage!

Berms - Front Yard Landscaping

I dream of having an undulating front yard with a variety of grasses and plants strategically placed to delight the eye and create a feeling of coziness.

From Lynn's Living Designs in Williams, Oregon

Above is an example in our neighborhood, so I am assuming that something of this sort is possible in my yard. You can see the lovely Applegate Valley hills in the background. Ahhhhh......

My first question is ....does she fence this in to keep the deer out?

Our front yard is pretty flat right now, so we will have to create berms.

The view from the porch- often with deer grazing

I will be looking for native plants that thrive in our climate, as well as adding color, and variation to the landscape.








Berms are basically man-made hills. If you use top soil for the entire hill, it gets too expensive, plus it doesn't compact well.

So, you first put in a bottom layer with fill (gravel, rubble, old asphalt)  to retain stability and to have it compact well.

Second, you apply an impervious layer of clay.


Third, a layer of top soil provides a medium in which plants can root and thrive.

Other considerations to take into account are drainage, slope and gradient, microclimate, design and plants.

A variety of plants, grass, and rock adds character to the landscape design.

I suppose, I will have to decide on a style when the time comes, more formal? more wild? based on what is affordable, what grows best with the least maintenance, and fits with the style of our home.

Personally, I like the wild and overgrown look that is actually planned and well-kempt.