Alaskawildflowers's Blog

The Russians are driving the world in terms of roses! With the advent of more and more Russians with more spendable income, they are out purchasing the US and all other countries. And the look they like is filtering down to the rest of the world. Which is why you might notice next time you buy, that the look of roses is changing. In fact, the new look is called a "russian cut" and what that means is, that the roses are a fuller bloom before they're removed from the plant. Don't let this scare you. The higher the petal count on a rose, the more open it needs to be cut to allow all those extra petals to open. It's sort of a cross between traditional hybrid tea roses (refers to the way they open like a teacup, not anything to do with their size) and garden variety roses. Try them next time you see them. You might be surprised at their longevity and size.

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  Here in the north, August brings a sense of pathos. The days are getting darker-- due mostly to the immense cloud cover, and the leaves are falling off the deciduous trees. Summer is definitely on the wane. I cheer myself up by bringing a bright spot of color inside. 99 percent of the time, it means bringing flowers home. One doesn't need to spend a bunch of money to make oneself feel better. Sometimes a single stem can do the trick. Several universities, Rutgers among them, have done studies on the impact of fresh flowers in your living space, and the effects are electrifying. Did you know that fresh flowers in your home makes you more patient and compassionate at work? And couldn't we all use more of that! One of my current favorites is hydrangeas. They are huge spots of color, and they remind me of my granny's house. They start off as a pastel in the spring, and as the bloom matures over the season, the color becomes more intense. There are a myriad of varieties now, so the shape, color and form of each individual bloom cluster can look totally new to you. They are very thirsty, so check the water level every day and replace as needed. The stems are tender and tend to become clogged easily, so be sure your container is spotlessly clean-- if it isn't clean enough you wouldn't mind drinking out of it, it's not clean enough for your cut flowers-- of any kind. And of course, cut with a sharp knife. A commercially manufactured preservative is best-- it has the correct amounts of sugar for the flowers and an antibacterial to keep the water usable to the flower. Any bloom should be displayed away from forced air-- computers, TV, fans, heaters. Forced air is dehydrating to the botanical, and cuts life. In these days of uncertainty and economic turndown, it is easy to deny ourselves the "extras." I know that I FEEL better with the indulgence of a stem or two, and anyway, aren't I worth it?

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  I watched a huge fungus grow about 20 feet off the ground in the hemlock behind our house. It kept getting larger and larger-- about the size of a beach ball. Then one day in the spring it broke into 2 pieces, and fell out of the tree. And I could see that it was built out of the insulation from the crawl space of our house, some moss and twigs. The walls were about 6" thick with just a grapefruit sized cavity in the center. Up until this year, the squirrels have treated our house like home depot. You know, sneak in, carry off a golf-ball sized chunk of insulation, cart it off to the woods, build a nest. In the fall, I usually just put a chunk of insulation in the carport and let them have at it-I figure it saves the insulation in the house. They pull off chunks, wad them up and keep stuffing it into their cheeks until they have a tight ball as dense as cotton balls, but a little bigger. Then they carry it off, head held high so the insulation doesn't get dirty, and pretty soon they're back for more. We've had predators come through before-- a lemming stayed one winter; there was a female ermine, and a cat adopted us this year, so the squirrels, stellar jays, chickadees, winter wrens, varied thrush, and others have sort of moved off. We enjoy watching both-- the wild and the domestic. Unfortunately, one usually doesn't get to watch them both at the same time. The kitty is a joy to watch because she's such an athlete. Her coat is mostly grey with some blonde and a couple patches of white-- if she sits still under the fern, you don't see her until she moves. When she moved in, the rustling sounds from the crawl space ceased. The only thing I'm not fond of, is the piles of tiny organs in pyres on the front porch.

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I won't say this has been the summer from H*E*double hockey sticks as far as weather goes, but it has been quite cloudy. And wet. And cold... It's august already, and as all good alaskans know, once the fireweed blooms out, there's only six more weeks til winter-- which makes the possibility of any more sunny weather seem practically nonexistent. So my best recommendation is, buy yourself some SUNFLOWERS-- any kind! They are great big spots of warmth and sunshine, and with proper care, they'll last until you're sick of them( 10 days or so). When I retire and live somewhere with a growing season, I'm going to grow pots of them all over the deck -- some for me, and some for the birds. In the meantime, sunflowers on my workstation!

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  We laugh when we tell folks we live in god's country, but we believe it's true. If you haven't been to Southeast Alaska, come; and come in April, May, or June (dryest weather, least amount of bugs, least amount of touri). Bring your sense of humor, your sense of wonder, and your boots & raingear when you come. EXPECT to see things that surprise and delight you. Even though this has been a rainier summer than most, the views everywhere one looks are spectacular. The meadows are vivid with color against the grey skies and the dark green of the evergreens. I have found, though, that with the extreme cloudiness, it is really important to conciously acknowledge the good things in my life-- some days it's reminding myself that I love the haircut my darling niece gave me; or I appreciate the color the hydrangea in the front yard has become as it has matured. Otherwise, it would be easy to become grumpy. And, it helps that I work in a place full of color and life. This week the sunflowers are amazing-- huge spots of saturated color, longlasting, and TALL. So here's to color-- all of it, because without the grey, the others wouldn't look so vivid.

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