Comments

1. 
   perenniallycrazy 04/08/2014

   Wowza!!! Now, that is Poppy heaven. Barbara, can you share your secret to nurturing these beauties?

2. 
   gloriaj 04/08/2014

   Simply beautiful. Please what is the name of the pink flowers with the yellow center in the first photo

3. 
   flowerladydi 04/08/2014

   Barbara,,,, those 'blues ' are just fabulous!!! From what I have read on these,, they require moist shade,,, yet your photos do not appear to be in the shade.,, what conditions are yours in? And,, is that a Cypripedium ( lady's slipper )?, I LOVE it!
   Also,, you cat is adorable,,, almost thought she(he ) was another rock!,,, she blends in so well! Lovely,, just Lovely! Can't wait for our bulbs to bloom!,,we finally have some scilla just starting but still no daf's etc.,,, very late spring this year! Thank you for sending!!

4. 
   GardeningRocks 04/08/2014

   Barbara, your gardens are beautiful! The absolute opposite of what I imagine Alaska to look like! And the poppies are stunning. Well done!

5. 
   Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 04/08/2014

   Stunning! Somebody please hybridize heat-tolerant, blue meconopsis! Barbara, what are the multicolored little flowers with the statue and (I think) Astilboides in the lower left photo? Thanks for sharing more beautiful images of your garden!

6. 
   bee1nine 04/08/2014

   Gorgeous poppy collection...and what a fine beauty to behold
   is the lady slipper orchid.- Lovely exotic specimen!

   Tim- The little multicolored flowers along side the statue
   appears to me to be a Torenia ('Wishbone Flower'). That grows as an annual.

7. 
   meander_michaele 04/08/2014

   Goodness, Barbara, what an exuberant abundance of flowers ...the state tourist bureau should come to your place and do a photo shoot! When does your spring growing season typically begin and when does that wave of blue poppies come rolling in? What an amazing sight! I thought it was interesting that your enchanting blue color comes in a double ruffled petal configuration as well as the single...you are extra blessed!

8. 
   Wife_Mother_Gardener 04/08/2014

   Thanks for sharing again, Barbara! Your poppies are amazing!

9. 
   tractor1 04/08/2014

   Holy poppin' poppies, Batman. With all that red, white, and blue they can be planted to make a great American flag. That lady slipper is a gorgeous specimen. And I love your precious kitty. Thank you so much, Barbara.

10. 
    GardenersWK 04/08/2014

    Gorgeous Meconopsis! I am trying to grow the blue ones from seed right now for the first time! I am seeing no germination yet and I've been waiting for 5 weeks so far. I love the first shot with the mix of perennials and colors. I also love the sculpture that can be seen behind the slipper orchid! Thanks for sharing these gorgeous views Barbara!
    GloriaJ: The pink flowers with the yellow center are Pyrethrum Daisy (sun: Chrysanthemum coccineum or Tanacetum coccineum) or painted daisy. I have some in the garden and I am planning to start more from seed today.

11. 
    GrannyMay 04/08/2014

    Beautiful Meconopsis betonicifolia, Barbara! I have never seen the purple or the blue double before. Is the lovely single white poppy also a Meconopsis? We can grow the yellow Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) very easily here, and with luck, in the right spot in the garden, also the M. betonicifolia. I grew some from seed once and they did well until one hot sunny day cooked them, before I was able to plant them into the garden! My favourite orchid is the lady slipper, how great to grow it in your garden!

12. 
    user-7006902 04/08/2014

    Is that a Lady's Slipper?! Gasp!

13. 
    NevadaSue 04/08/2014

    Barbara your garden is amazing. I'm always blown away with the beauty of the flowers in Alaska they are so large and full of blooms. Your poppies are wonderful and I love that lady slipper it is so unique. Spring will soon be here for you and I hope you will have more beautiful pictures to show of your time enjoying your garden.

14. 
    GrannyCC 04/08/2014

    Love the Blue Poppies. I haven't been able to get them to grow here near Victoria, B.C. However the Butchart Gardens always has a beautiful display so maybe I should try again. Your garden is gorgeous and shows what can be done in a cooler climate. How long is your growing season Barbara? Do you start a lot of things from seed?

15. 
    appaloosa 04/08/2014

    What is the name of the red flower in the top right picture?
    All the poppies are beautiful.

16. 
    GracePeterson 04/08/2014

    Growing Meconopsis is NOT easy! You are definitely doing something right. Absolutely gorgeous photos. Also, I almost missed the kitty photo bomb in the first photo. What a sweetie. Every garden needs a cat. :)

17. 
    BarbaraKMiller 04/08/2014

    Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Meconopsis grows well here in sun or shade. They love super rich soil, in fact you can use straight aged cow manure. In the Himilayas, they grow in yak dung. They also love moisture and cool weather, nothing over 85 degrees. Shade is a must in the lower 48, with lots of moisture and manure. The white form is M. 'Alba'. The double form is a mistake, later flowers where not double, I must admit.
    The flowers with the statue are Mimulas, an annual with an exotic look. My kitty Tora is no longer with us, sorry to say.
    Our growing season is about 120 days, May 15 to Sept. 15, if we are lucky. But things come up fast and get down to flowering and producing seed before its to late. Remember we get up to 20 hours of sun per day in the summer, the plants grow round the clock. The angle and quality of the sunlight here seems different, I think that is what makes the colors so vivid.
    There are a lot of terrestrial orchids that grow here, Cyprididium, bog orchids, rattle snake orchid, and Callypso orchid just to name a few.
    Today's weather report is for 6" of snow and i still have at least a foot on the ground. Ugh!

18. 
    cwheat000 04/09/2014

    The purple poppies with the blue, are a combo I have never seen, and boy are they a stunning duo. Your garden makes me want to visit Alaska during one of those 20 hour days.

19. 
    wildthyme 04/11/2014

    Barbara, your Alaska garden is so rich in color and variety! Thank you for sharing your photos with us!