Below are some public gardens in the Anchorage Area.
An average annual temperature of 35.7 degrees Fahrenheit has not chilled the enthusiasm of the creators of this 11 acre garden including 480 species of plants, 92 of which are native. Anchorage's premier floral, located near the Benny Benson School at Tudor Road and Campbell Airstrip Road, is the newest public botanical garden in Southcentral Alaska. The gardens include wildflowers, perennials, annuals and herbs. Future plans include a rose garden, children's garden, rock garden and more nature trails. Gravel and wood chip trails lead through the native spruce and birch forest to planted garden areas. The garden plants are labeled so visitors can learn which plants do well in the shade or in the sun.
In the heart of our city the Log Cabin Visitor's Center is surrounded by bright annual flowers provided by the Municipality of Anchorage. Each year, the Municipality features a special heme. Information on the current 'theme' is widely available, and adds to the enjoyment. A flier, available in the Visitor's Center, lists the varieties planted. The flier also describes the Municipality's plantings in other locations around the city. Don't overlook the beautiful hanging baskets that adorn the light poles on that section of 4th Avenue during the summer months. They are always quite spectacular.
In the heart of our city the Log Cabin Visitor's Center is surrounded by bright annual flowers provided by the Municipality of Anchorage. Each year, the Municipality features a special heme. Information on the current 'theme' is widely available, and adds to the enjoyment. A flier, available in the Visitor's Center, lists the varieties planted. The flier also describes the Municipality's plantings in other locations around the city. Don't overlook the beautiful hanging baskets that adorn the light poles on that section of 4th Avenue during the summer months. They are always quite spectacular.
In the heart of our city the Log Cabin Visitor's Center is surrounded by bright annual flowers provided by the Municipality of Anchorage. Each year, the Municipality features a special heme. Information on the current 'theme' is widely available, and adds to the enjoyment. A flier, available in the Visitor's Center, lists the varieties planted. The flier also describes the Municipality's plantings in other locations around the city. Don't overlook the beautiful hanging baskets that adorn the light poles on that section of 4th Avenue during the summer months. They are always quite spectacular.
This is where the plant genies of the Municipality perform their magic, growing the rich variety of flowers that adorn the many public plantings around town. Located in Russian Jack Springs Park, it is the ideal place to take a walk with tropical plants. A great idea on a cool or rainy day! It is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Centennial Rose Garden may be found toward the west end of the Delaney Park Strip, between 9th and 10th Avenue, and near where "N" Street would run if it went through the park. The garden was built in 1967 to celebrate the centennial of Alaska's purchase from Russia. The hedge of rugosa rose hybrids are the only part of the original plant material. The roses planted inside the hedge are a trial of mostly shrub roses purported to be hardy in zone 3 and 4. Over a hundred varieties have been trialed since ca. 2005 to see if they are indeed hardy. Some roses die to the ground every year but grow vigorously to bloom again each summer while others are undaunted by most winters. A few volunteers from the Alaska Rose Society donate the roses, soil amendments, materials for the raised beds, trellis, and arbors and the time to maintain the garden. Currently, other plants, particularly spring blooming perennials and sweet smelling annuals are being added to complement the roses and fill in for roses that are growing more slowly than preferred in this public park.
Located at the far west end of Raspberry Road, inside Kincaid Park is a lovely terraced garden planted in memory of Anchorage skier Andrew Lekisch. Pink Malvas nestled against large grey boulders make a striking combination with other hardy perennials.
The campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage is another public place to view plants for Anchorage landscapes. Their talented gardeners and horticulturists have planted many unusual ornamental trees and shrubs to frame the many garden vignettes along the sidewalks of the campus.
These gardens to be viewed while driving, walking, or riding a bicycle are treasured for the sheer pleasure of their unexpected appearances, and are among Anchorage's many floral fixtures. The Municipality offers a surprise each year with the Hillside Picture at 15th Avenue and "L" Street. This type of floral graphic is rooted in the gardening traditions of the Victorian era. Gratitude is owed to the Anchorage Garden Club for the planting at the eastern end of 5th Avenue where it merges with 6th Avenue. Numerous other plantings are maintained by community volunteers in neighborhoods throughout the city, such as the Pioneer Home Garden at 923 11th Avenue and the Anchorage Senior Center at 1300 E. 19th.
