Georgeson Botanical Gardens - Fairbanls

After visiting the Museum of the North, Judy, Jerry and I moved on to the Georgeson Botanical Gardens, which are also a part of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The gardens belong to the School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Department of Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences. Just about covers it all, I'd say. Being from the farming country in Wisconsin originally, Funks were really excited to see the farm buildings at the garden center because they were exactly like the ones they grew up on, in and around. Ah, a touch of ole home...

It appeared to me that a large part of the gardens were used for experimental purposes, creating different colors of existing flowers (i.e. lavender daises) and ruffles on pansies. Even the bugs like the one on the geranium plant looked a little different. Note white spot at top of body (below).

Much of the garden has been given to specific people and organizations to plant and care for. Bob Wheeler from the Cooperative Extension is studying how well composite wood products made from local white spruce hold up to long daylengths, frigid winters and contact with garden soils, using accessible beds and composite wood raised beds. This is a GREAT idea for gardeners who can no longer bend down easily.

The cabbage may not be as big as they grow them in Anchorage and Palmer, home of the Alaska State Fair and giant vegetables, but it looks plenty big to us.

Somehow I don't think the original color of the flower left was a soft pink leading to the darker pink with a bright yellow stamen and pistils.

I know I have never seen a pansy with ruffled edges before. I like it though and the flower
looks more delicate.

Left is a sampling of a portion of the garden area, which now covers several acres with potential for more planting space. 300 annual flowers are being trialed this year. Truran Memorial Herb Garden volunteers experiment in growing annual and perennial herbs. The Ohlsen Family Food Garden has a variety of trials on coriander and comparisons between heirloom and hybrid produce. Peony flowers in Alaska bloom in July and August and varieties are in trials to determine which ones might be useful in a cut flower industry. The Weavers & Spinners Guild plant a garden with annuals and perennials that may be used as natural dyes. There are shade gardens, pond and wetland gardens and a children's garden.

This daisy to the right almost looks like it has the head of a sunflower and it will pop out is sun flower seeds any time now.

Oh yes, and this delightful Lesser Weasel was so much fun to watch as he scampered in and out of
the gardens, then take off for gardens elsewhere
only to return again to the vegetables. Not easy
to capture a good picture of this moving target.

This waterfall and surrounding pond was design by 4-H children from Denali Elementary School. It is a great example of a small backyard wetland.

We come to the children's garden complete with a semi-quasi log cabin tree house. Excellent scare
crows to keep out all the ravens.

This beautiful bush is truly that, a trailing pine bush, not a fallen down pine tree. The needles are long and compact. It would make a very good planting for berms and gravel gardens such as this one.

Because the gardens are part of an overall farm, the domesticated reindeer was near the barn.








This is a great garden to visit when in Fairbanks.


BBFN, Karen and Don