RE: Anchorage, setosa, and Iris Encyclopedia

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Mark, et al.

I probably have at least a thousand pictures of gardens and garden plants in Anchorage.  Mine and others I have seen on tours.

They are all about a megabyte in size, so I will just send one for now that I took on July 31, 2011. 

This is a small part of my garden with Iris pseudacorus leaves (almost 5 feet tall) in the center and I. versicolor flower to the right side of the picture.  I was disappointed that the versicolor flower was so small relative to the foliage and much smaller than all of the other seedlings I could have chosen to plant there.  (All of my versicolors are from the SIGNA seed exchange and grow well here.) 

The grid on the trellis is 6” squares (made from concrete reinforcing wire) and about a foot off of the ground so the red Lychnis is about 6’ tall.  There are two paths with pavers in this picture, but the plants have already taken it over one and most of the other.  (I had just planted this section in the fall of 2009 with what I thought was plenty of room, then I had to quickly pop a few things in “temporarily – just for the winter” that have not been moved yet.  I have healthy soil, so things grow quickly.)

I see the blue poppies (Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’) have a few blooms left just behind the bright pink Phlox.  Asiatic lily buds nearby, and a cream-colored filipendula I did not plant behind that.  Behind that is purple-blue Campanula latifolia (which I really like except that I does not last more than a week.)  Behind that is a white Valerian, I think its name is.  To the right of that is clematis not blooming yet, and Artemisia ‘Silver King’.  The Iris versicolor flower and then Trollious chinensis (which reseeds nicely, but unpredictably here and there.)  in front of that is Astilbe ‘Finale’, Primula florindae, and deadheaded Aconitum ‘Ivorine’ with Sedum ‘Black Jack’ at its feet with a hot pink Lewisia cotyledon blooming in front of that.  (Icelandic poppies need to be weeded out, it see.)  I did not get around to harvesting the Chamomile either which will haunt me next year!!!)  There is also two plants of French Tarragon and leaves of Primula denticulata showing.

The yellow is Lysimachia punctata that I also like but it does spread.  Behind that is the white flowers of Clematis recta ‘Purpurea’ leaning over the path and against the trellis and near the red Lychnis chalcedonica. 

To the left of the lowest yellow Lysimachia is our native Geranium erianthum (which also reseeds readily) and Sedum telephium (??) that also reseeds.  The iris leaves are also from SIGNA seed (05J069 from the siberian ‘Mary Louise Michie’ - named for a National Garden Club President and why I wanted it) that flowered very nicely two weeks earlier.  Behind that is Peony ‘Red Charm’ which looks much better in real life than it does in this picture and the reds do not clash as much as it looks.  (Then again, maybe in real life I don’t mind since I am usually looking down on the peony and then up for the lychnis.  I never noticed that before, so I guess it does not bother me.  We love LOTS OF COLOR, EVERY COLOR, all at once!!! EVERYTHING is intense in Alaska when summer comes - after seeing only white for 6 months.  Then when the snow comes, the calmness is appreciated for awhile.)

Across the driveway is the purple Companula glomerata which is a very aggressive creeper and reseeder.

Not sure what you wanted to see? But this is a sample and example that we can grow more than we really have room for.  Many people are surprised that we have so many plants blooming all at once (and growing together) that are probably more spread out in areas with a longer summer or shorter day length.

We have had a few hard frosts, but not everything has died.  And we have not had snow yet, but it is half way down the mountains and could come any day.  We do not usually have a fall much more than 2 or 3 weeks, but this year it is longer and warmer than usual. 

We are stuck in a jet stream pattern and getting the tail end of tropical storms (that are hitting the Philippines.)  But since Anchorage is in the rain shadow of the mountains, we are not getting much of the rain, just the warmer air mass.  Not warm, mind you, just warmer.  The days are about 40*F for the high (for about an half hour) and then it drops back down to high 20’s or low 30’s at night.  Like I said before, this is the “hot chocolate gardening season” – or also, known as the “scurry to get everything done before winter comes” that everyone experiences.

 When it does snow, we all take a big breath and relax.  (or get the last bulbs in!!  J )

Debbie

Near downtown Anchorage, AK

USDA zone 3 or 4.