New garden picture, taken last week. I hope I do this right with photobucket

Ang, that's just beautiful! I had a gardening business for many years, and my perrenniels never

looked like that. (pe-ren-ni-el: a plant which, had it lived, would have come back every year)

And we can't grow peonies in SoCal at all.

There must be something magic in those long Alaskan winters.

 
We split it with the neighbor, who helped, and we had 2 smokers going for 2 days.

Lots of smoked salmon, and we left about 4 of them in fillets and froze. Silvers are in and we'll be fishing for those this weekend. I would love to smoke some more of those.

 
Joe, we had really good snow cover last winter---a nice blanket for the sleeping beauties.

I had just one of those peony blooms last year and 6 this year. It is now 4 years old, so I hope it just continues to multiply. there are many plants that do not do well or at all up here, but the ones that do are very happy sleeping thru the winter and then basking in all the Alaskan daylight come summer. The plants I look for are cool weather/short season. I cannot have mums as perennials--too long of a season. Same with some daylilies---too long and need warmer temps to bloom. I get buds, but they often won't bloom. But, the small stella doro daylily loves it up here. As do Asiatic lilies, but I can't get Orientals(stargazer) to come back for me. Some up here have success with those in very protected and warm areas of their yard. I planted 2 apple trees last year, and I have about a dozen little apples. I hope I can keep them from the moose long enough for them to ripen! And yes, that is a broccoli plant near the cat's tail. I tuck those in here and there just for fun and yum. The other end of the garden has a big cage full of sugar snap peas that are just now ready to pick.

 
They showed this picture on the 10 o'clock news last night. I'm famous. LOL.

The weather segment always starts out with pictures from around the state that viewers send in. Mine got picked for last night.

 
Richard, long post

I have no master plan. Honestly, I started with bare ugly dirt(new construction) and had the retaining wall built with a few boulders strewn around(now almost hidden---I have major thinning to do next year)in the bed. I started with about 2 dozen plants, then every year added more and split the established ones, scattering the colors around for a tapestry of color. I throw on some composted manure mixed with bagged dirt every spring for a new layer. that's about it. some years I sprinkle on an all purpose fertilizer, but I didn't this year.
My old reliables are:
delphiniums
native geranium
siberian iris(bearded iris rots, sigh)
Asiatic lilies---lots of these
stella doro daylily
campanula---bells, small and large
trollius--yellow globeflower, and the later orange variety
bleeding heart
anemone(these will take over)
dianthus, pinks. even the "annuals" came back this year
shrub roses and one regular rose called Winnipeg Parks which winters over pretty well
the blue plant is catmint. very hardy and blooms all summer
peonies,take about 3 years to establish
arctic scabiosa and winter asters
astilbe and artemesia and hostas
shasta daisies, lots of volunteers this year. I have no luck with rudbeckia coming back.
native ferns--lots of volunteers
climbing sweet peas and gladiolas are started from seed/corm each year, and nasturtiums.
blooming shrubs are potentilla and pink spirea
columbine and poppies and viola usually re-seed
In the rock wall I have dianthus,creeping jenny, spurge,edelweis, lamium, nasturtiums, to name a few and a lovely wildflower shooting star.
I fill-in with annuals, petunias, pansies,snapdragons,marigolds and dianthus are some of my favorites. and yes, that is broccoli near the cat's tail. I fill in here and there with it, and I have a cage of sugar snap peas just ready to pick. Those and some rhubarb and strawberries are about the only edibles. One year I planted brussel sprouts and was waiting for the first frost to sweeten them up, but the moose got the entire batch, so no more of those, although they are stunning in the garden.

 
Visitors are always thrilled with our Bird of Paradise, Calla Lillies and Bouganvillea...

I take them for granted and wish I could grow peonies. lilacs, apples and rhubarb. But I have to admit a big bouquet of Bird of Paradise on Christmas is pretty cool.

So many perenniels here have to be treated as annuals because they never get the rest they need to come back.

 
That's so neat! It's just a beautiful garden. I did see so many beautiful flowers when

I was in Alaska, the ones I was familiar with were larger than normal. I probably couldn't take the winters, but I think coastal Alaska in late July was one of the most beautiful places I've seen.

 
Well, I can see why. It is beautiful. I love your placement of flowers...

I second the request for the names of the flowers.

 
Ang, thanks for the list

I had a perrenial garden at my previous house and it was so much work I decided to go for a more low maintenance landscaping approach when I moved. But your garden is so beautiful, I'm tempted to start again. See what you've done! LOL

 
That is so beautiful. It really looks like a successful planting. Wondering how long

it took you to get it just right???

 
What a lovely picture.....

I've returned home to a dry and windswept garden and a bill of $400.00 for watering up to when I left...You picture lifts my heart!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top