I spent the first week or so of July visiting my family in Alaska. My niece, bless her heart, took me to see several gardens. The Alaska Botanical Garden was one of these.
"Open Daylight Hours" means that they're sort of the Seven Eleven of botanical gardens during the summer months.
Although you may think that the Willow Ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska, it's actually the mosquito. Perhaps because I'm so bitter, I was only bitten a couple of times while in the state even though I used no bug spray. Upon arrival, each of us was presented with his own spray can and were advised to spray ourselves daily.
Just so you know, in addition to the signs, there's a warning in the pamphlet issued upon entry to the garden, " You are in BEAR and MOOSE country. Please report all bear & moose sightings to ..."
Sounds like a fun time, right? Fortunately, Alison had both her gun and her excellent aim along so I didn't worry. Of course, I didn't wander far from her either.
"The Alaska Botanical Garden (ABG) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1986, and opened to the public in 1993. Today, the garden occupies approximately 110 acres. We are in the process of building the elements of the ABG 'Master Plan' which specifies that much of the land will remain in a natural state, with individual gardens interconnected by trails through the boreal forest." For more information, check out the ABG website here.
Interesting foliage combination pots along the entry path.
The only Melianthus major I saw during my visit was in one of these pots. Understandable as they're annuals here. You may recognize meconopsis foliage in the ground on the left. Those pesky blue poppies seem to pop up everywhere here.
There had been an art show in the garden just before our visit so we got to see some fun pieces!
Heidi Banach, Alaskan stained glass artist extraordinaire created this piece from Fremont glass blown right here in my neck of the woods. Check out her store in Eagle River next time you're there or get a teaser on the website.
I especially liked "Fish Fertilizer" as a thought piece.
Now, on to some more plants...
Primula and Rodersia frolic with friends.
Love this twig edging!
Moving toward the Lower Perennial garden.
Meconopsis and Thalictrum make a great combination!
While we in the pacific northwest are pretty pleased with ourselves for being able to grow this holy grail of flowers, they seem to like Alaska even better. The plants are incredibly lush, loving the cool nights (what night there is) of this costal area.
Ooh, that deep pink peony will look stunning with the blue poppies!
NOID rose (I didn't look too closely) Notice the little black bugs? They seemed to like both roses and peonies but didn't seem to be doing any harm. No one I spoke with knew what they were. Do you?
Lovely peony resembling a poppy seed muffin - again with the cute little bugs.
Ah those poppies... These are nearly five feet high! Yowsa!
Tom, checking out the rock garden, got a little far from the group. Oops. I'll miss him.
I mean really, one can't just lie down on one of these bear dining tables and think that he won't be the main course!
More of the rock garden which is full of awesome alpine plants and tiny treasures!
Next, we'll explore a few more of the ABG gardens.
You were very brave, going where mosquitoes and bears abound. Those blue poppies catch the eye, looking almost not real.
ReplyDeleteThe wattle edging is a great idea. I like to border beds with it. Uses twigs that would otherwise be tossed, costs next to nothing except time and looks natural.
There seemed to be a lot of still alive people about so I wasn't too worried about bears. Surprisingly, the mosquitos weren't out in full force that day so it was quite enjoyable.
DeleteThose blue poppies are awesome. The whole garden looks so pretty and lush. Those art pieces are great, especially the ones with leaves.
ReplyDeleteFriends of ours are spending the summer in Alaska. They wear mosquito nets similar to beekeepers when they go out. It's been a tough year for tourists with rain and clouds too.
We lucked out and had sunny weather the whole time we were there. I hope your friends are enjoying their summer up there!
DeleteThat botanical garden is lovely, all those blue poppies just flowering now (or actually, in earlier July). Brave Tom, not the least worried apparently about encountering a bear. The rock garden looks interesting, though, so I don't blame him for wanting a good close look at it. I love all the great artwork, but especially the stained glass and the colorful balls with leaves on them.
ReplyDeleteFortunately we got to the garden just after the breakfast seating and well before the lunch crowd so Tom escaped unscathed. I visit Heidi's shop every time I go to AK. Her work is unusual and inspirational to me.
DeleteHow often does one visit a botanical garden accompanied by an armed guard? The lushness of the ABG is lovely. What does it looks like in winter? Just the structural elements remain I suppose. I prefer cement leafs in natural colors, but the greenish-blue iridescent one with the orb in the center is a head turner, as it the koi stained glass. You did say Tom can fall asleep anywhere...
ReplyDeleteIn winter the garden looks white. Everything is covered in snow. It's open year round during daylight hours. In winter you can take a quiet walk or ski through the forest. Like me, Tom can fall asleep easily. He falls asleep in gardens, nurseries, and the like while I'm way too excited to stop moving.
DeleteThanks for the photos that prove Zone 3 can be lush, at least during the summer. Indeed Tom does not look like he's being "bear aware"...
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed gorgeous but just wait, we visited an extraordinary garden in zone two about which I'll post soon!
DeleteTom got a t shirt with a drawing of a person talking to a bear which reads,
"Mister Bear, I'll have you know that I'm a vegetarian."
Bear: "Well I guess that makes me a humanitarian."
Just shows what a bit of good old pioneering spirit can get you.
ReplyDeleteOh wait, there's more!
DeleteI would very much love to have those blue poppies popping up everywhere in my garden. Wonderful artwork. As for bears, my suggestion is to carry a large salmon with you at all times - you could then throw it at any bears that appear and make your escape. There's a flaw in that plan somewhere, just don't know what it is ...
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I wonder why they haven't thought of carrying smelly and tempting food for bears?
DeleteNow that's a danger garden of a different kind! I never got to the botanic gardens when I was in Alaska - I'll have to plan another trip to correct that omission.
ReplyDeleteAny reason is a good one to visit Alaska again!
DeleteA botanical garden in Alaska, how cool! Your photos show how lush it can be there in the summer too. The variegated Filipendula caught my eye, major want. I wonder if there are other botanical gardens out there that you may also possibly see bears and moose...
ReplyDeleteOh, there must be other botanical gardens with bear and moose visitors in the northern U.S. and Canada. Heck, Loree had a bear in her garden in the middle of the city!
DeleteBeautiful garden! So many cool plants that just fry here. But if I'd seen a bear, I would have sh*t a brick. LOVE the stained glass.
ReplyDeleteI believe that's what Miss Manners says is the proper response to seeing a bear. We finally bought one of Heidi's pieces this time. After drooling over her new creations on each trip, it was a joy to actually take one home!
DeleteWhat a big, beautiful garden, and I love the art!
ReplyDelete