Category: Southcentral Alaska

Even shaded area can be colorful

sebigelow

Even shaded areas can be colorful If you are looking to incorporate color, beauty and low maintenance into areas of your yard that may be shaded, I hope you consider Astilbe, a perennial from the Saxifragaceae family that flourishes in shady areas and/or containers. Typically described as “a beautiful, showy flower atop glossy, fern-like foliage,” they can add color and texture to places where full-sun flowers fail to thrive. Astilbes are native to mountain ravines and woodlands, blooming mid-spring to late summer in zones 4-8. (For zoning questions Jeff Lowenfels Read More …

Seed Starting for Beginners Part 2

sjkesting

Time to light it up! The little plants are pushing their shoulders out of the soil. Within hours, they will be pushing skyward in a life saving race to find the sun. It is very important to put the light on them quickly so that they do not get too leggy in their sun worshiping pursuit. I like to purchase the fluorescent lights at the local hardware store. They are typical “shop lights” and come with a plug. Unless you are an electrician, be careful not to buy the ones Read More …

Touring Gardens for Design Inspiration

Melissa

The Hook Last week I was lucky enough to stumble onto an article previewing the local garden tour. Emphasis on preview because I had not yet missed the tour. As I continued reading the article I was further delighted that it was nearby and I had no plans that could not be moved. The descriptions of the gardens were what hooked me in though–nearly each garden featured a potential solution to a problem I had been trying to solve in my garden on my own. Brilliant! Garden design and landscaping Read More …

Tank tops, flip flops, and greenhouse-free tomatoes

Kori

Climate change is no joke, and I am certainly no expert on the subject. Many of us have read various reports, observations, and predictions about the consequences of a changing climate on Alaska and Alaskans’ ways of life.   This post is not intended to be a debate or manifesto on climate change, but one component of this year’s garden did get me thinking particularly deeply about the Alaska climate and weather and gardening. That component was the gift of two tomato plants and the fact that I do not Read More …

All in the Family: Propagating a unique variety of Colorado Blue Spruce from cuttings

Mimi Corneliussen

My father-in-law is a long time wholesale nursery owner in Oregon. He learned the trade from his nurseryman uncle, who also inspired the Waconda Blue, a variety of the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) that is now living in my family’s backyard in Alaska. The original was selected in 1977 for its very blue hue. Cuttings were taken and the Waconda Blue was established. A child of the tree was given to my husband in the mid-80s. He transplanted it in 1992 in Wasilla and it’s still growing beautifully. We’d Read More …

My Version of Companion Planting

smbowman2

People may say, “I did this…” or “I built this…”, but do they really mean they did it all alone, by themselves, with no help? “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” –Mother Teresa I don’t do much all by myself, that is why I need to give credit where it’s due and share  one aspect of my life: My Version of Companion Planting. According to Oxford Dictionaries, a companion is defined as a person or animal with whom Read More …

Easy Blanching for Winter Feasting

Jenna Miller

The Wonders of Food Preservation As delicious as fresh produce straight from the garden can be, most of the time we hobby gardeners have too much to eat all at once, and we must choose what to do with the extra! Some give their surplus garden bounty away. The other day, a co-worker of mine offered to buy my extras from me. But the best choice in my mind is to preserve them for winter eating! There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing I have a freezer full of Read More …

Growing Garlic in Alaska

sjkesting

Growing beautiful and tasty garlic in Southcentral Alaska is easy and fun! I now grow so much that I have enjoyed giving it as gifts. The dried bunches are very cute tied with a bow.   The Alaska Botanical Garden performs a growing garlic class each fall. I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Much of the information in this post, I gleaned from that class and through my own experience. I also recommended the book Growing Great Garlic: The Definitive Guide for Organic Gardeners and Small Farmers by Ron L. Engeland Read More …

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em Join ‘Em

kkneill

Our house was built in 1991. A cute little cottage on five beautifully wooded acres in the foothills of Lazy Mt. According to our neighbors, the original owners had landscaped the yard beautifully. I could see some of the remnants of flowers and berries mixed in with 10+ years of neglect. I have been battling weeds and tree shoots since we moved in! While doing research on how to naturally eradicate these weeds, I kept running across articles suggesting there are many of these weeds that can be used for Read More …