Help! New to Alaska garden scene, what to plant?

Periodically I get an email from a new-to-Alaska gardener. It usually runs something like, “wow, I didn’t know people gardened in this forsaken hole. What are some plants that come back every year?”

Firstly, quite a few long-time Alaskans don’t seem to be aware they can garden here, either (93.56%, according to a number I just made up). Secondly, besides dandelions and a handsome crop of chickweed, I have cultivated quite a few easy care plants that an Alaska newbie should know about. “Easy care” meaning you aren’t doing the horticultural equivalent of burning money. I do that too, but don’t recommend it for beginners. Bad for morale.

1. Geraniums. Found a geranium at a home improvement store? Most likely a Pelargonium (an annual). Perennial geranium leaves aren’t as thick as Pelargonium leaves. Also, you won’t find true geraniums planted at the grocery store or gas station. You may, however find Pelargoniums there in abundance. I don’t judge.

If you place geraniums in full sun and do not water them, then no guarantees. Otherwise, I’ve found them to be cheerful in spring and early summer. Sometimes my Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ foliage actually gets a decent gold or even orange in the autumn.

2. Peonies. There is an explosion of interest in peony farming in Alaska. Apparently we have peonies in bloom at a time of year that no place else in the world does, hence a demand from the cut flower market. Point is, they do really well here with a minimum of care. Don’t bury too deep or plant too shady. You will stake and manure in spring, sorry.

3. Irises. They grow well here, almost too well. Trying to lift and divide a mature clump is quite a chore, but hey, I say that about everything. You’ll often see our own blue-purple native Iris setosa in gardens around here, but there are other colors and kinds.

4. Primula. I haven’t grown many primroses, but there are special interest garden groups devoted to them across the state. Lovely in spring. Some have interesting leaves throughout the summer, some not so much.

5. Monarda. Bee balm can get a touch of mildew on occasion for me, but very easy.

6. Hostas. Many sizes, colors, textures. They can do full sun here, but appreciate a good watering until established. And maybe after that, too.

7. Delphiniums. I hesitate to include these because to the absolute necessity to stake and hover for pests, but oh well. They can be magnificent in the English cottage-style garden and they are plenty hardy.

8. Poppies. Oriental, Icelandic, Himalayan, we love them all and they love us back. Also, the annual types won’t return for another show but have always reseeded well for me.

9. Sedums. Many different types and kinds. Raised beds are good because drainage is essential for longevity. Bonus points for a gravel top dressing.

10. Trollius. All kinds of yellow and gold colored flowers available. Pretty hard to kill and takes shade.

11. Aquilegia. Lovely for spring, beware leaf miners and sawfly larvae.

12. Lilies. Asian types are some of the easiest, drainage and soil prep important. Staking is usually a must.

13. Ornamental grasses*. Many different kinds are hardy here, the key being the words “cool season.” Grasses (like Miscanthus, Cortaderia, etc.) that are “warm season” growers do dreadfully or not at all in this cold place. Some easy-to-grow picks: Deschampsia (tufted hair grass) any and all cultivars (but ‘Schottland’ may be my fave), and Calamagrostis x acutiflora (feather reed grass), all cultivars I’ve seen are great (but ‘Avalanche’ might be the winner…for today).

*I ask you not to buy the variegated grass Phalaris ‘Feesey’s Form’ and then write me complaining it took over your yard. I do not recommend it except for contained plantings, like, um, containers. In fact I find it quite stunning in a container. Caveat emptor!

Good luck, new Alaskan gardeners! You can do it with a little luck, cash, back breaking labor, a snow covered winter and a long, sunny summer interspersed with drizzly days that water everything. Maybe an electric fence around the garden, too. Bears and moose also enjoy gardens in Alaska.

 

Any plants that new gardeners should not try?

Are the oldies goodies? You decide.

Every area has it’s classics, the plants that are de rigueur, be the home a cottage or manor house.  Sighting one of these standbys can conjure up feelings of nostalgia, reminiscences of the hardships endured by the pioneers to the area, and satisfaction at the longevity of perennials. 

Such plants can also inspire dread at the chores involved (pests, staking, fertilizing, etc.), disdain at the short flowering season and uninteresting foliage, and resignation at the futility of trying to introduce/try/share the joys of growing something new or different in the area.  But this is supposed to be a touchy-feely post, so I shan’t dwell on that last bit.  Onward, to Alaska’s most time honored perennials.

1. Delphiniums.  We grow these better than anyone, save perhaps the English.  A staking nightmare, but we can’t have everything now can we?  (Though a gardening staff would be helpful if you’re growing more than three.)  Watch out for Delphinium defoliators as well.  In many colors and flavors: white, green, blue, purple, pink.  Don’t even get me started on “bee” colors.  Lots of choices.

2. Trollius.  If it likes the spot, it may seed around a bit.  Emerges earlier in the spring, a bonus for Alaska when all we have to look at is brown dirt.  The classic yellow gold and orange colors are pretty common, but if you’re searching for something a bit less conspicuous, try the creamy ‘Cheddar’.

3.  Iceland Poppy.  Or Papaver nudicaule, for those that speak Latin. The Iceland poppy is so happy here, it seeds around in ditches. The most often sighted colors are orange, yellow, and white, but they come in a range of warm tones.  Buy in flower, as they are most often grown and sold as mixed colors.  Look out for the more unusual champagne, peach, or scarlet.

4. Siberian iris.  Many have a fondness for Iris sibirica, I must conclude, as I see them in nearly every Alaska garden. The Siberian iris will be here, along with cockroaches, and coyotes, after a nuclear annihilation.  It is tough.  We have a native iris also occurring in large numbers on the Palmer Hay Flats and surrounds, Iris setosa.  It is very lovely and occurs in purple and blue shades (and the occasional white).  Needs division pretty frequently to look it’s best.

5. Bleeding heart. Good old Dicentra spectabilis, never lets you down in the shade. Seeds a bit when it’s happy, too.  I had the white flowered form growing in rocky crevices at my old place.  So sublime in spring! Not much happening after flowering….

6. Geraniums, called cranesbills by some, are represented by four species here, including an introduced weed (thanks a lot!) from across the pond.  This pioneer plant, brought into the garden from the forest, is G. erianthum. Seen in light violet and occasionally white. I know it’s not PC, but I prefer cultivars like ‘Johnson’s Blue’.  I’ve found the native plants a bit sparse foliage-wise and shy of flowering.  [There, I said it. The native plant purists, with accompanying sharpened trowels and pitchforks, may now be sent for…. ]

7. Ox-eye daisy, or Leucanthemum vulgare, or whatever the taxonomists are calling it today. White flowering and often found growing in ditches. People often lift it (or the birds plant it) and it can become quite a nuisance in cultivation.  Don’t you be fooled. A weed.

8. Columbine, or Aquilegia. Very common, and very charming in a mix of colors.  Not much going on after bloom, except defoliators and leaf miners.  Hooray?

9. Pasque flower, or Pulsatilla vulgaris, is a spring bloomer, most often sighted flowering in white or purple, but also available in pink or red. I love the fuzzy look of this one and surprise, the seed heads are interesting as well.  Rather a shocking trait in a spring bloomer, at least to this jaded gardener.

10. Meadow rue, another one Alaskans grow better than anyone (why are all such plants requirers of arduous and complicated staking?), comes in a range of sizes. If you’re Latin, you call this one Thalictrum. There was a specimen of T.rochebrunianum (Lavender mist) at the Alaska Botanical Garden that must have been nine or ten feet tall.  Boy, did I feel sorry for the poor sap that had to stake that thing.  A lot of work for not much payoff, in my humble opinion. Try one of the smaller species unless you enjoy staking plants.

Luckily, at my new place, we’ve only numbers 2 through 4, so the staking chores are still nonexistent. Now what to do with the hundreds of Iceland poppies popping up everywhere?!  Guess I’d better get the hoe out, or have a plant sale….

What are the classics in your area, and do you like them? Alaskans, did I miss any?

Plant of the Month: June 2010

It was a tough choice this month, but the judges determined that Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ played both the crucial starring and supporting roles in the Last Frontier Garden.  One judge was overheard to say, '’Without it, this garden has the structure and dimensional qualities of a Monopoly board,” another: “no point in looking out the window between November and June if it wasn’t there.”  And my personal favorite, “it gives the illusion she knows what she’s doing.”  Don’t be too hard on those critical judges…this being the age of full disclosure and all, the “judges” are in actual fact, me.

Where: Full sun is ideal, but in my experience, part day shade is acceptable.  More upright in full sun.

When: Early spring (that’d be May here) through early to mid winter (December or January but depends on location and how deep the snow is), flowering begins in late June or early July here in Alaska.

How: Enjoys good garden soils that are irrigated, but can handle heavy clay and what the rain brings (we get about 16 inches of precipitation annually, by the way), I never fertilize and they look great.  Cut down in early spring to about two or three inches.

Why:

1. Nothing much happening in early spring here except the occasional bulb…and this grass.  The first perennial up and growing in my garden.  Covers ripening bulb foliage as it leafs out.  And honestly, who wants to look at those decaying daffodil or Allium leaves?

2. I’ve never had to treat for pests or diseases and never staked it.  Since I”m a low maintenance gardener (code for lazy), I could stop my list right there and be satisfied.

3. It looks good with any color as a neighbor, including toughies (OK, for me at least) like raspberry, scarlet, and orange-y gold.

4. Linear leaf shape compliments coarse leaf shapes like oriental poppies that can be difficult to place.

5. When used in quantity, can provide rhythm.

6. Moves in the lightest breeze, animating the garden.

7. Provides a pleasing rustling sound as it sways, that is if you can hear it over the neighbor’s annoying dog barking.  Quiet, Chester, quiet!

8. Seven reasons is all I do…if you’ve had experience with it and can add another reason, please comment.

Had any experience with this grass?  What was your favorite plant for June?

Plant of the Month: May 2010

Is this the beginning of something wonderful?  I don’t know, but I do know this: it is the start of one less post I must fret about per month.  Now I can be on virtual autopilot for one fourth of my postings.  (That might be a bit optimistic, now that I think of it.)  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still make an effort, it just doesn’t have to be some fresh, innovative, unheard of and clever topic.  Featuring my favorite plant for every month is a very worthy topic however, if for no other reason than to prove that Alaskans can grow at least twelve plants. 

So without further ado, my choice for “Plant of the Month: May 2010” is Bergenia.  Yes, that’s right, lowly Bergenia, or Pigsqueak as it’s also known.  Why not something flashier, or more exotic, you’re thinking.  Well, in zones 1-5, which cover most of my (rather large) state, we tend to go for sensible…it saves money.  How did I determine my winner for the month of May?  I scrolled through my vast quantity of (mostly terrible) garden pictures and I realized approximately one in four shots included a Bergenia. 

I’m not picky as to species or variety.  If it survives, chances are, it will perform well for me.  After checking my handy “master yard list” on ye ol’ Excel spreadsheet, I notice lines 27 through 35 are all Bergenia.  Nine entries on the computer rates recognition as a small collection, I suppose.  My favorite thus far: B. ‘Tubby Andrews,’ pictured below, in a group shot with Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue, some daffs, ferns, Sagina subulata ‘Aurea,’ and Alopecurus pratensis ‘Aureus.’  The flowers on this one haven’t been spectacular for me, but I am a sucker for unusual foliage.

Some quick stats and info on Bergenia in my yard:

Where: sun or shade

Why:

1. flowers in spring/summer,

2. one of the earliest perennials to flower in Alaska,

3. boldly shaped foliage that contrasts well with other perennials and grasses,

4. several flower colors available including purplish, pink, white,

5. the foliage on some cultivars turns red or burgundy in the fall,

6. tough plant, can stand some neglect,

7. good grief…how many reasons do you people need?!

How: plant and forget.  Well, not quite.  I do throw in a handful of compost or rotted manure at planting time and water well the first year to aid in establishment.  I tend to like large groupings, they have more impact and make decent ground covers. 

This plant is like that singer in the church choir.  No, not the one who is always a little flat, sings a beat ahead/behind of the rest, or the one who never attempts to blend their (rather too loud) voice.  We are referring to the singer who is always in the background a bit, never obnoxious, but always spot on, pitch perfect.  Bergenia is not the diva in my garden choir.

What was your plant of the month for May?  Or what plant did you take the most pictures of?

What (if anything) is still blooming in October?!

Bleak is the word. No trees flowering. A few of the rugosa roses are blooming, namely 'Hansa', 'Marie Bugnet', 'Henry Hudson', 'Wild Spice', Potentilla 'Abbottswood', and a newly planted dogwood, Cornus 'Prairie Fire'.

The list of perennials in bloom is longer, fortunately. Let's see, we have a couple of blossoms of Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', several Clematis macropetala varieties in a second wave of bloom, Phlox paniculata 'David', Geranium prostrate mystery variety (baby pink), Veronica 'Giles Van Hees', 'Alba', 'Mann's Variety', Achillea 'Paprika' and 'Terracotta', Penstemon 'Bashful', Gentiana semptemfida var. lagodechiana, Astilbe 'Feuer', Rudbeckia, a gold tufted mystery variety, Ligularia 'Othello', Monarda 'Marshall's Delight' and 'Petite Delight', Periscaria 'Blackfield' and 'Orangefield'. One grass that is still blooming is Calamagrositis brachytricha. It is new to me this year, so I am crossing my fingers. I am a sucker for ornamental grasses. They make my yard look dynamite in the fall, and the rest of the year, too.

Some annuals are still going strong. Re-seeders, my favorite types, include, snapdragons and sweet alyssum. The sweet peas are still good, none crisped by frost, and smelling delightful. In my containers I still have some lovely geraniums (Pelargonium), Lamium, Viola, Oxalis, Dahlia, petunias, a Nemesia or two, Fuchsia, and Euphorbia.

Container foliage plants that look nice today include ornamental kale, Lamium, brown sedge grass (Carex 'Red Rooster'), blue fescue (looks amazing!), Heuchera, Sedum 'Autumn Delight', and Oxalis.

July, it isn't. But I submit the colors and blooms of October are a miracle in and of themselves in Alaska and I am grateful. If you have taken a tour of your own Alaskan garden and find it a little short on bloom this time of year, take note. When the mail ordering frenzy of January rolls around, try to find some room for fall bloomers.

(It's official: today, October 2nd, was the first hard frost at my place.)

Now or later?

I got a call yesterday from an acquaintance desiring to know if this was the time to cut back perennials and whether it should be done at all. I told her it's optional: you can do trimming back now or later. But I recommended later. As in springtime.

For me, when temperature plunge, it's rather easy to choose later for any and all outdoor tasks. In Alaska, later also has a practical value. Perennials that are not cut back protect the crown and roots from exposure and frost heaving. Sounds a bit like what happens after a plant "all night-er." The point is, you want the temperature to remain steady around the crown. Usually the snow makes a great insulating blanket for us but occasionally we get a warm snap in the middle of winter and it melts away. Sunlight beating down on a beautiful 6 degree February day will warm up any exposed soil. Bad for plants. Avoid exposed soil in winter around perennials if at all possible. Leaving the dead herbaceous part of the plant intact increases the liklihood of survival, in my experience.

I do have a few exceptions to this "leave it" rule. If the plant was a diseased mess over the summer, cut it back. If the plant seeds around like it's going out of style (hello, Alchemilla mollis!), at least cut the seed heads back. And if the plant turns into a gooey mush at the first hard frost, well, I cut those unfortunates back, too (hello again, Alchemilla mollis, old friend!).

In the "cut back no matter what" category: peonies, to the ground, if you please. If you happen to mention to a peony grower that you did not cut your peonies back, prepare for some hyperventilating. They are frightened of that scourge of all things peony: Botrytis.

Next post: what is still blooming. Should be a short one.

Nepeta (catmint) before and after the shears, just for demonstration purposes. I usually don't cut this one back.