Growing roses in Anchorage may sound intimidating, but it isn't. With no more effort than required for most container plantings, your summer can be filled with roses! Modern roses such as Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, and Grandiflora roses, and the smaller miniature and patio roses do very well as container plants in Anchorage and are capable of providing color throughout the summer.
More InfoA well planted peony can remain in one spot for 50 years or more.
Peonies prefer a sunny location, but will tolerate partial shade. Shady locations will also produce flowers, but it may take an additional 1-2 years to become well established.
Lilacs can be a wonderful addition to the Alaskan landscape. With a genus of about 20 species of deciduous shrubs and small trees found in woodland and scrub from S.E. Europe to E. Asia, there are nearly 40 different types available in local Alaskan nurseries. They have nice form, and offer up a very delightful, spring fragrance from the pyramidal or conical panicles of small, tubular flowers. The flowers make lovely aromatic bouquets for the spring gardener.
More InfoThere are several hybrid classes of lilies. It is useful to know the class to which a given lily belongs because the class determines its flower shape, its fragrance and, most importantly, its hardiness.
More InfoThe Primula family is large and varied with over 430 species found throughout cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. With some basic knowledge we can grow many species and hybrids here in our everyday Alaskan gardens.
To make this large group of plants easier to study, they have been grouped according to species that resemble each other, often hybridize with each other and usually need the same kind of care. These groups are called "sections".
There seems to be a persistent idea that ornamental grasses cannot be grown in Alaska. Hopefully, this article can dispel that notion and encourage Alaskan gardeners to give this dynamic and useful group of plants a try.
More InfoNative to the mountainous regions of Mexico, the genus Dahlia was named in honor of Anders Dahl, an 18th century Swedish botanist. From just a handful of original species Dahlias have been hybridized over the centuries into an amazingly diversified genus with plant sizes from 1 ft to 7 ft tall and flowers in almost any color imaginable, except clear blue, and blooms ranging from 2 to 12 inches across.
More InfoFor those big, beautiful nasturtiums you see around town, forget what the seed packet tells you about not fertilizing them. Start seeds in peat pots in April, water & fertilize as you would your other seedlings, then stand back & watch them grow! Be sure to give them enough room in your garden.
More InfoGarlic can be successfully grown in most gardens in South Central Alaska. It seems to do best in raised beds filled with fluffy loamy soil high in organic matter. It’s best planted at the end of our fall rainy season and after a hard frost if possible – generally late September to early October. There are many varieties of hard neck garlic which do well in our climate. Relatively low maintenance with few pests and diseases, garlic is a tasty addition to any Alaskan garden.
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