Where Master Gardeners share their knowledge.
I really struggled to find a topic for this blog post. I wanted it to be something personal and relevant to my own gardening experiences. And that’s when I realized why it was so difficult for me to find a topic: I don’t have a garden and I am not a gardener. Not in the traditional sense. I live in an apartment in south-central Anchorage and my only slices of “land” are my east-facing deck and the counter space in my kitchen. I also travel extensively for work during the Read More …
Hydroponic gardening is what first interested me in gardening: the idea that one can take the essential ingredients for plant life, and apply them directly to that plant. A plant needs three basic things to survive: light, water, and nutrients. When using hydroponics you are feeding that plant directly through its roots without soil. There are many types of hydroponics such as Deep Water, Ebb and Flow, and Aeroponics — each one has advantages, and disadvantages of its own, but it comes down to personal preference when choosing a setup. Read More …
It’s October and the birch and cottonwood leaves color the ground yellow outside, while the annual flowers planted around Anchorage have been pulled up. The termination dust has already frosted the peaks of the Chugach Front Range, and it won’t be long before winter arrives. So what is a plant enthusiast to do during the dark and cold winters in south-central Alaska? One solution is to visit the Mann Leiser Memorial Greenhouse in Anchorage. Operated by the Municipality of Anchorage from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm daily, the two adjoining Read More …
Its that time! It is the time of year – time to appease our need for the smell of soil and the love of nurturing green life. Many people spend a fortune in plants at the box stores and green houses. Good for them, there is nothing wrong with that. However, paying $2-3 per cabbage plant makes me wonder why they don’t just buy cabbage at the grocery store. Not only is it expensive, but missing the seed starting is missing one of the best parts! Watching and nurturing the Read More …
Almost every time I go to Lowe’s I see Venus fly traps or pitcher plants for sale. Last week a colleague asked about mine–mainly how do I keep them alive? His son had convinced him to let him bring one home. Within weeks, the leaves were turning black, and no new leaves were forming. Unfortunately, other symptoms, such as rotting leaves, didn’t match those of a plant going into dormancy. I have been raising carnivorous plants for a few years now so after trial, error, and lots of research, I Read More …
At the end of a gardening session do you slowly rise to your feet, stretch, and feel the pains that toiling in the soil bring to your body? How many of us take the time to think about how the same activity level would affect a person with limited flexibility, one who is an amputee, or a person who is wheelchair bound? This summer I have been privileged to look at these issues from an up close and personal perspective. When we are young, bending, reaching, hauling heavy items, and Read More …
I’ve been thinking a lot about air quality lately. When I look out my cabin window, the familiar mountains are veiled behind a thick, smoky haze. For most of us, you don’t need to look at a map these days to know that Alaska is on fire. One glance out the window, one breath through your nose and it is obvious that the beautiful, hot, and dry spring created the perfect conditions for wildfires. Whether near or far, the fires in Alaska will affect each and every one of us Read More …
My quest for extending the growing season began after my move to Alaska in 2001. Raised in the Midwest I grew up eating tomatoes on the vine, toasted tomato sandwiches, and canning bushels of tomatoes. After all, tomatoes are SO easy to grow and very plentiful — right? Well, I see the smile on your knowing faces because after I moved to Alaska it took me nearly a decade to taste my first fresh tomatoes from the vine, and mind you it was not a plentiful bounty. A few years Read More …
In April, when the average temperature hovers around 20 above, and the snow glistens in the 12 hour sunlight, arctic gardeners like to start their seeds. Throughout the year, we wash out yogurt containers, sour cream and cottage cheese containers save egg cartons, paper towel tubes, and even those clear plastic takeout containers. We start seeds because the nearest greenhouse is 600 air miles away and we can’t afford to wait for the weather. While the kids are ice fishing, my husband and I set up two folding tables next Read More …