Jaquelyn Street

24 Jul Jaquelyn Street

Quiet, rural-feeling street.

Homes built mostly in the 1990s.

Meet a gardener who loves bright colors.

This is a quiet street near Siskiyou Blvd, Tolman Creek Road, Clay Street and Takelma Way. As I walked the length of Jaquelyn Street in July 2023, I saw many other people walking and bicycling this rural-feeling street as well. The first houses were built here in 1979, the most recent in 2011. Most were built in the 1990s. You will see photos of geometric and colorful yard art, flowers and open space waiting to be developed. I will conclude by describing my visit with a creative gardener who loves bright colors.

North end of Jaquelyn Street

I began my walk from Takelma Way, at the north end of Jaquelyn Street.

Part of a very walkable neighborhood

With the lack of direct connections with any busy auto-filled streets and the open fields that are still not developed with housing, Jaquelyn Street still has as bit of rural feeling. Both times I walked along the street, other people were also out walking and bicycling.

Little Free Libraries have sprung up all over Ashland. They add to the neighborhood feeling, as people share their gently used books with each other. This Little Free Library has a bit of inspiration on the side.

Two open lots on Jaquelyn Street 

Here are photos of the two open lots on Jaquelyn Street, one large and one small.

I have seen many versions of “please pick up after your dog” signs in streets all over town, but I have never seen one quite like this.

A couple of houses that caught my eye

Flowers on Jaquelyn Street

Tree talk

Ashland has chosen a Tree of the Year each year, since 1988. I have photo essays about a few of our Trees of the Year, including the two trees in this photo. Taken in a front yard on Jaquelyn Street, the photo shows a small, thriving Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus) and a smaller, dead Monkey Puzzle tree. I researched and wrote about both of these types of trees.

Tree of Heaven is an invasive species that crowds out native trees where it is allowed to spread unchecked. You can learn about it at my photo essay: “Tree of the Year 1989: Tree of Heaven.”

Monkey Puzzle tree is a very unusual tree with as very unusual name, and there are only a few of them in Ashland. If you want to learn about the tree and how it got the name “Monkey Puzzle,” check out this photo essay: “Tree of the Year 1990: Monkey Puzzle tree.”

South end of Jaquelyn Street

At the south end of Jaquelyn Street, it stops before the Ashley Apartments. A path makes a pedestrian connection with Siskiyou Blvd, but cars have to go to Tolman Creek Road or Clay Street to access the boulevard. 

Yard Art 

The brightest yard on the street

885 Jaquelyn Street has a beautiful, art-filled garden. I talked with the home owner and garden goddess Alejandra during Jaquelyn Street walk on July 23, 2023. Before I headed out the door on the 23^rd, my wife told me, “I wish you good serendipity today.” Walking by Alejandra’s garden just as she was out watering was certainly sweet serendipity for the day. 

I introduced myself and told her I had taken many photos of her garden a few days before. I exclaimed at the lively, colorful art in her yard, as well as the warmth provided by the bright red doors. Alejandra replied simply, “I love color.” She added that many people taking walks along Jaquelyn Street will stop to admire the garden. If she is out front, they tell her that her garden lifts their spirits and brightens their day. She laughed as she suggested maybe that’s why the plants are so healthy, because they “feel the love.”