I begged Barbara Miller for more photos of her garden in Anchorage, and she obliged. What a treat! Thanks, Barbara. But this is not nearly enough….Send more!
**Jeff (tntreeman) reminded me that we HAVE featured a garden in Arkansas (HERE), so we’re up to 47 states! Only Hawaii, South Dakota, and Mississippi to go! (How on earth do we not have a garden from Mississippi??)
——Winter is the perfect time to take a photographic stroll through the photos you took in your garden this year……and then send some in to me at [email protected]!
Want us to feature YOUR garden in the Garden Photo of the Day? CLICK HERE!
Want to see every post ever published? CLICK HERE!
Want to search the GPOD by STATE? CLICK HERE!
**Check out the GPOD Pinterest page, where you can browse all the post in categories…fun! CLICK HERE!**
Comments
Oh, my! These are absolutely WONDERFUL! Thanks so much for sending more photos. Indeed, a TREAT for us! (Ought to be featured in an advertisement featuring Alaska's beauty :-) )
absolutely breathtaking. i will never think of Alaska and snow/ice at the same time again and i'm blue with envy over those poppies. love all the photos but favorite is the rainbow shot.
The only thing I can say is thanks for sharing and send more.
THANK YOU Barbara for sending more!!! Your garden is gorgeous!!! I am smitten with the poppies!,,, both the blue and the grape,,,, and am going to try to find some seeds now and hope to ink out a spot in my already overcrowded yard.
Your photo of the garden in infancy is so great, what a great rainbow!!,,, and how fabulous to have all those windows in your house to look out at all that beauty!
Your front entrance too, is just so inviting,,,, everything is soooo lush!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it all!!!! Great Job!!!!
Without a doubt, pictures are worth a thousand words. These photos are a glowing and convincing testimonial to the beauty of Alaska. All the colors are so vibrant and the plants all look so robust and healthy. Your two different swaths of poppies are drop dead gorgeous. Thank you, Michelle, for nudging Barbara to share more and thank you, Barbara, for complying.
Pretty amazing. Great selection, great placement, great setting.
MORE!
Flowergrama writes: What a delight to see the lush gardens you have created...adore the poppies! after finishing the novel The Ravens Gift by Rearden last night, which takes place in the desolate Tundra region of the Yup'ik people, I was treated by your gorgeous landscape ....! The diversity of Alaska is amazing!
SCRUMPTIOUS! Oh, those poppies- both himalayan and Lauren's grape! Such an lovely setting and charming entry. I look forward to seeing more of your unique and splendid Alaskan garden, Barbara.
OMG! Those poppies are to die for!! I am in awe of your displays Barbara - thank you for sharing your work! I usually am guilty of quickly checking out the GOPD every day and not making comments, but blue poppies are just something I cannot let pass by without comment on the enjoyment they bring! Thanks again!
Just beautiful! I would not have imagined this absolutely lush garden in Alaska. I agree with wGardens that this should be on a "Visit Alaska" brochure. The poppies are so enchanting, that I want to reach out and cut a bunch for the dining room (they would be perfect!). Many thanks for sharing!
Wow! Everything is just breathtaking! I knew you could grow great vegies up there but all the flowers? I really thought the poppies were stunning. I will have to try to find some seed. Thanks for showing us more of your Alaska place!
I was mesmerized all morning by these pictures! Then I wondered what hardiness zone is Anchorage, Alaska and was shocked about the 5a result. Then the pictures of the poppies made me PURPLE with envy!! The Lauren's Grape poppy was at the top of my Must grow list in 2013 and I bought seedlings to make sure I do not fail to see the bloom. The color was right but the size of the blooms was nothing like Barbara's. I hope to get some more of these from the seed scattered!
All pictures show how talented and knowledgeable Barbara is. If my research on internet is correct, we are dealing with a Senior Horticulturist from the Anchorage's Alaska Botanical Gardens so there is much more that Barbara could share with us!
Barbara, beautiful photos and gardens. I had typed a long paragraph yesterday saying how much I liked the garden wedding picture (such a joyous family occasion) but it suddenly disappeared and i was too frustrated with my computer to type again. Thanks for submitting more photos. The poppies - gorgeous, the rainbow "before" photo, the lush vegetables, etc. Hope to still have more you can share.
Those poppies (both kinds) are to die for!!!!
So lush, and the sweeps of colour. Oh and those Meconopsis!
Beautiful! Love all the poppies (I have serious Meconopsis envy) and am in awe over the size of the strawberry plants and the vegetables.
WOW! I gave up on Himalayan blues but seriously crave Lauren's grape! Even if the blooms don't match yours, Barbara, you've shown me how to make a big purple splash! We are planning a trip to AK this summer and your post adds another layer of excitement and anticipation to my planning. I must now google public gardens an AK! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful, lush gardens!
I too have blue poppy envy. Did you start them from seed outside or in a green house. I have tried to start them but no luck but the people at Butcharts Gardens near Victoria,B.C. have no problem. Your colours are so vibrant and I didn't realize how well things would grow in Alaska. Your vegetables are huge. I presume you have a short growing season.
Michelle: How on Earth do we not have a garden from the Aloha State? With its fabulous weather one would think Hawaii would be the leader of the pack.
PS I've tried that link you sent several times, still no email.
PSS That's Mooch at ten years old, had to put her down yesterday, she was nearly twenty years old, a sad day.
Barbara, your beautiful place is a great example of what is at the 'end of the rainbow', truly stunning. Thank you for sharing you love of gardening.
Note to self-Plant More Poppies! Your garden is spectacular up close! Those blue poppies are one of those to die for accomplishments and you have so many! Love it all! ( I am liking the exclamation point key today!) Tntreeman very observant catching Arkansas.!!!
cwheat000: There's a link to check GPOD submissions by State, look at the area right above the top post, or go here: https://www.finegardening.com/item/24191/gardens-from-sea-to-shining-sea
Only thing is that area needs updating.
Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments. I will try and answer a few questions. The soil here is terrible, it's best just to bring in all your soil. I originally was given six Meconopsis plants, from that I started more from seed and they are coming up on their own in the garden as well. Seeds must be cold treated first for at least 30 days then they will take about 30 days to come up, patience is key. I am in zone 4 at 1000' elevation with good southern exposure. If your poppies are small, it your soil, improve it, that will help. Plus, I am no longer the Sr. Horticultist at the Alaska botanical Garden, but try to stay involved as much as possible. The Lauren's Grape Seed can be purchased at Chiltern seeds, they have blue poppies too. They buy their seed from me.
Tractor 1, I am so sorry to here about your beloved kitty. I had to put down my best buddy, my English pointer of 15 years, late this fall, so I think I can relate how hard it is. I am still very saddened. You sound like you a true friend to all the animals that come your way. The lives of our true blue friends is way too short. Once again, I am so sorry. Also, thanks for the link state by state. I have never checked it out.
I didn't know it was possible to have such a garden with the short growing season in Alaska!
Barbara,
You have a beautiful garden! And oh! the "touch" and love of a horticulturist. Your last answer to many questions I did read, and did take note...Zone 4, 1,000 feet....I was wondering if you could expound on two things...1) the amount of rain you receive, and 2)the micro-climates that exist on your property. I was truly amazed, and pleased! to see the size of your strawberry patch and vegetables. Maybe also, what is the length of your growing season? Many thanks and again, what a beautiful garden to share!
Teri, Anchorage would be a desert if it weren't so cold. We get little rain and when it does rain, it's just misty. I does not get wet under trees and barely wets the ground. So it does take some watering, but it's cool, so little evaporation. There are micro climates in Anchorage, low spots stay cooler. At 1000', it can actually be warmer than at sea level with more sun. Here you can grow many shade loving plants in the sun, Hosta, Meconopsis...
Our growing season is about 90 days, but 22 hours of sun in the summer makes the difference.
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