PLANTING FLOWERS
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The ClubHouse: Archives: PLANTING FLOWERS

Alaskagal

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 05:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
HELP!!! I want/need to plant some flowers around my yard and don't even know where to start. I am a gardening/flower idiot. I live in Alaska (obviously) and we have only had warm weather the last couple of weeks. We had a huge snowstorm on May 2nd so I know I am not way to late, but what can I plant now. Where should I go for more info??

I would love to plant things that would come up every year - like my tulips. I love daisies too.

Any help/advise appreciated

Whoami

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 05:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
My mom is a retired botanist, and I asked her. But she needs a bit more info about your climate. For instance, how long is your "warm season" and when is it? Also, how long is the "cold" or dormant season? Maybe even average temps will help.

She did say maybe some other bulb plants, like a daffodile might work. Also, things like lilacs NEED a dormant season to thrive.

Alaskagal

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 05:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Okay well our warm season is Mid- May to Mid August. We have daylight right now for 16 hours and get up to 20 hours in Mid June so things grow fast in short periods. In the winter it can get down to neg 30 but we get quite a bit of snow that stays all winter usually in Dec we have atleast 4-6 feet on the ground. We really don't have much of a spring or fall. Average temp this time of year is low 60's although right now we are breaking records with 70-80 degree highs. June and july are usually our warmer months with 60-mid 70 degree temps. Late July and August are rainier and sometimes cooler. Sept it's rainy and can snow by end of the month. We usually get our first permanent snow around Halloween. But October and November are usually pretty cold 30 degree range.

Tess

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 07:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Alaskagal, I'll have too look and see what growing zone you are in but there are perennials like Shasta Daisies that might do for your area.

Teatime

Thursday, May 23, 2002 - 07:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Shasta daisies, I love those! Mine have Alaska in the name so they MUST grow there, right?!

Hit your local nursery/garden center. I think they usually carry only those plants that will grow in your particular area. For Anchorage you should see peonies, phlox, primrose, and bleeding hearts, among others. These are all perennials so you can enjoy them for years. The garden centers will have "bedding plants" of annual flowers also, these are little plants already started for you so you can have some instant "oomph" for the yard while those perennials are learning to love their new home. (Perennials-plant them once, enjoy for years. Annuals-plant each year, can't handle frost.)

I strike up conversations with the garden center employees (a good center has knowledgable people working there) and I talk to all the other people wandering around. There's always a friendly pro in there somewhere. You shouldn't need too much stuff to get started: your beautiful plants you picked out, a shovel to get them in the ground, possibly a bag of composted manure to go in the planting hole first, and a miracle-grow type product to keep 'em going strong. You may not need the manure, depends on your soil. Black and crumbly's best, earthworms are a great sign. (Composted manure and other soil-amenders are sold there too. It looks/smells like dirt).

Happy flower gardening! Here in my area we are not able to put our annuals out yet, maybe another week or so. It's been cold, saw a little snow 5 days ago. But the same perennials I listed here are up and thriving. So you are getting started in plenty of time, Alaskagal. Enjoy.

Oregonfire

Thursday, May 23, 2002 - 08:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm planting columbine seeds this weekend, plus crimson sunflower seeds and liatrus bulbs (tall thin purple flower). Will be using some kind of fertilizer when I plant.

Since putting in fertilizer spikes, the soil has improved a bit. I also bought a flat hose off the telly that will arrive in the mail in a few weeks. I'm petty excited about that--much lighter and easy to carry.

Just felt like sharing after the "Gardening tips" thread! :)

Whoami

Thursday, May 23, 2002 - 09:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I gave Mom the weather info, and she said she'd "think about it." She's still in bed, and I may be about to take my computer back to the shop, so I don't know if I'll be able to get on for a while. Didn't want you to think I was abandoning you. Will check in later, but it looks like you have lots of knowledgable folk here so far!

Alaskagal

Thursday, May 23, 2002 - 02:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks for all the help everyone! I'd love to hear what kind of flowers you all have.