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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, October 7, 2013

A Northern Garden Visit and Hedge Trimming Techniques




My sister's garden in Alaska is dressed in it's warm-colored autumn finery.

Birches along the driveway and  large expanse of lawn in the front of her property  create a park-like feel. 

Such a picturesque setting.

Must require a lot of work to keep everything looking so manicured.  Rumor has it that she has help.


Sure enough, here they are doing some hedge trimming.


It's great to have the little attachment to get into those hard to reach areas. 

So, the secret's out, my sister has garden help besides her husband.  I hear that they work for a song.


And are in great demand!  Here mom is off to work in the neighbor's garden.


Do you have help in your garden?    Happy New week all! 

Pictures taken by Dirce Spurrier.

24 comments:

  1. Moose! Where's the squirrel? Hehe. I guess it's hard to avoid wildlife, especially in Alaska. Maybe I shouldn't be so bothered by those pesky raccoons.

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    1. Most racoons will go away if you run outside in your bathrobe weilding a broom and scream at them; moose not so much.

      Boris and Natasha live with Hoover Boo in her Piece of Eden! You'd have to ask Moose where Squirrel went.

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  2. Oh gosh, imagine the plants those beasts could stomp into a flat pancake while they munch.

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    1. It's scary to think about. Fortunately, the sister has a large fenced area where she can garden moose-free.

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  3. Moose performing community service! Who knew?

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  4. I would never make it as a gardener in Alaska. Permafrost AND moose hedge trimmers? I suppose the meconopsis make up for it.

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    1. The whole state doesn't have permafrost. The endless summer days are pretty sweet. Gardening at midnight...Of course the drama of garden lighting is lost there because it never gets dark in the summer and when it's dark longer, no one wants to sit outside anyway. Meconopsis are gorgeous and no one grows tuberous begonias and delphiniums quite as well as gardeners in AK.

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  5. Now if she can only train them to wield rakes.

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  6. Fab autumn colours, and seeing those Moose reminded me of the show Northern Exposure!

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    1. What a fun show that was and it was filmed in Roslyn, Washington, about a two hour drive from where I live.

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  7. And I think deer are a problem in the garden. I imagine those moose could trample all my wire fences. I imagine in a short while the ground will all be a sea of gold under all those birches. What beautiful trees.

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    1. They can do some damage alright. My sister had a wooden wishing well in her front yard but because a bull moose kept attacking and damaging it, they removed and repaired it and will put it back once they don't see the bull anymore.

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  8. That's the landscape ideal in part of Albuquerque I used to live near...except the moose! But nice color. Those might make elk and certainly deer look tame!

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    1. One does not want to come between a cow and her baby nor does one want to even ask the time of a bull moose. People have been trampled to death.

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  9. I will never complain about slugs again.

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  10. Wow. that's some pretty cool help, and a good reason to have a simple landscape.

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  11. Wow. that's some pretty cool help, and a good reason to have a simple landscape.

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  12. Elk have been seen around some of the gardens I care for, but moose are far more intimidating looking! I would not shoo them away as I do our local deer.

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    1. Makes our raccoons and possums seem like not much of a problem at all. Although I've seen deer looking quite lost around town, I've never seen any or noticed any deer damage in my garden.

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  13. It looks like they do a pretty decent job on the hedge. What a wild place. The colors are gorgeous but it signals what comes next which is no fun at all.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.