Alaska Gardens & Arboretums
The growing season in Alaska may be pretty short, but its days are very long—and the enthusiasm is high. Because Alaska has such long winters and everything remains buried under snow for months, gardening is definitely a passion for some Alaskans. The reward, for waiting through winter, is that our extremely fertile soil makes for enormous vegetables and gorgeous, eye-popping gardens around the state. Just strolling through Anchorage, too, you’ll see plenty of gardens and hanging flower baskets—an explosion of colors.
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Gardens & Arboretums
Walk, hike, watch for birds or paint a picture at this living field guide of Alaska flora and fauna. The 110 acres are set in a birch and spruce forest, where you might even see a bear or moose. Walk the Wildflower Trail, relax in the Herb Garden, delight in the perennial gardens, or explore the 1.1 mile Lowenfels Family Nature Trail.
Tucked inside the lush Tongass National Forest, discover an Alaskan botanical garden unlike anywhere else in the world. A 2012 Reader’s Digest poll chose Glacier Gardens out of thousands of entries as the Most Interesting Landmark in America! Vibrant hanging gardens spill from 15-foot-tall upside down tree “Flower Towers” and elegantly designed landscapes compliment the natural beauty of the rainforest. Explore these unique gardens on a guided ...more
The first Sunday of August brings a special event to Homer: the opportunity to step into private gardens that showcase the uniqueness of Alaskan gardening and get some real insight into what it’s like to work the land in a place where the growing season is short and the days long. Some 400 people come to Homer from all over, some of them gardeners from other parts of Alaska, and others from outside the state who simply have an interest in ...more
Ever wondered what would happen if your garden had non-stop sunlight during the growing season? This is your chance to see what’s possible as you view everything from 50-pound cabbages to pansies the size of small children.
