Three Flowering Shrubs You Wish You’d Planted Last Year
It’s a cool, breezy Spring here in Anchorage, with partly cloudy skies and not much rain. The upside is thatContinue Reading
Author: Patrick Ryan
Patrick Ryan is an Alaska Master Gardener and the Education Specialist for the Alaska Botanical Garden. A retired elementary school teacher, Patrick is a member of the Anchorage Community Forest Council and sits on the board for Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom.
Book Look
Pat’s Favorite Gardening Picture Books Back when I was teaching first grade, I always included time to introduce stories intoContinue Reading
Landscaping With Native Plants
There are good reasons to include native plants in your landscaping, especially as here in Alaska, we continue to loseContinue Reading
Rooting Coleus In Water
An easy way to propagate many plants is to root the stems in water. Since I’m particularly fond of Coleus,Continue Reading
Loving the Lichens
The summer of 2022 saw a foot of rain in July and August in the Anchorage area, which may haveContinue Reading
Making a Garden Journal
Winter is a great time to think about gardens. The seed catalogs arrive earlier each year it seems, so weContinue Reading
About Amaryllis
I’ll wager you bought an amaryllis bulb around the holidays. Technically, the plant is in the genus Hippeastrum but isContinue Reading
Forcing Spring
Spring seems pretty far off here in the North, especially with wildly fluctuating temperatures, snow, ice and even rain. ButContinue Reading
How to Read a Seed Packet
Most seed companies offer good information right on the outside of their seed packets (or inside). Learn to read andContinue Reading
Ten Easy Garden Activities for Kids by Season
1. Flower Dissection All year. Using any available flowers, have children pull apart or cut apart flowers and examine theContinue Reading