Kodiak Blessed With Many Wildflowers
Multitude Of Blooms Add To It’s Charm
By Beth Digree
When the long winter months
have passed and the sun begins to
bring warmth to the cold soil, one
begins to look 'orward to the great
joy of finding the first wild flow
ers blooming among the still
brown, dead grasses of the pre
vious year.
To the true lov«r*of (future and
all the beauty she brings to us wild
flowers have a charm unequalled
by any others, and Kodiak Island
is blessed with a multitude of
blooms from early spring until
autumn.
Many are tiny and are often
hidden, while others boldly flaunt
their bright colors from the shores
of the sea to the mountain tops,
but all are lovely.
Some people prefer seeing these
flowers growing in their natural
habitat, while others will trans
plant native flowers and shrubs to
their gardens to enjoy the results
year after year.
Despite criticism from those
who will disagree, we believe that
the latter group can do much to
ward preserving our rapidly dis
appearing wild flowers. All too
often one sees children clutching
handsful of wilted blooms that
nave oeen merauy torn trom the
soil and will soon be discarded.
Frequently adults, who should be
wiser, are equally guilty of these
useless, heart breaking waste of
loveliness. Civilization has en
croached into the forests and fields
so rapidly that many flowers are
becoming extinct.
During the past several years
we have successfuly transplanted
many varities of local plants, and
have been repaid a thousand-fold
for the time given to digging,
planting and caring for them.
Tiny blue violets, Grass of Parn
assus, azaleas and shooting stars
are some of the several kinds that
have responded to our efforts with
masses of color and beauty.
The shy yellow violet, usually
hidden beneath alders growing
beside a brook, will grow equally
as wel in a moist, shaded spot in
the garden. The shooting star, with
only one or two flower spikes when
dug, will expand into a mound of
glowing brilliance that lasts for
weeks. The creamy anemone; wild
iris; monkshood: pink daisy yellow
potentilla with it’s strawberry like
fereyv-gren leaves, growing from
tiny crevices in the cliffs along the
beach; the bluebell, also clinging
to the rocks—all these can be en
joyed at home.
The lovely limnorchis, usually
white but occasionally found in
green, is a terrestial orchid that
is easily transplanted, as is the
rare arohis aristata, a beautiful
rosy-purple flower. These two, with
spikes covered myriad tiny orchids,
are often mistakenly called wild
hyacinths but are true orchids. The
odd lady slipper does not take well
to transplanting, but may survive
if lifted with a large clump of soil
so that the roots are not disturbed.
There are wee saxifrages as well
as larger ones to be found in many
spots, especially among the rocks,
and the Jacobs Ladder, in both the
low and tall form, bloom over a
long period of time.
We must not forget the delicate
blue blooms of the Alaska state
flower. The forget-me-not; nor the
beautiful dwarf dogwood with its’
white blooms that are followed by
oright red berries. A true dogwood <
in miniature that makes a good i
ground cover. <
Nor should we forget the wild I
roses that grow in such profusion <
on the hillsides and along the t
roads. Not only are the pink 1
blooms beautiful, but the red hips
add a touch of color to the garden
when all leaves and blooms are
gone. The bushes can be pruned to
form a thick hedge or trained to
climb high against a building.
There are the purple wild asters
and the dwarf firewood, both add
ing splashes of color, but they
are both inclined to take over the
entire garden unless restricted,
and should be planted in spots
where they will not intrude.
Altho some people object to the
odor of the fritillaria, commonly
called “squaw lily” or “rice lily”,
they are an attraction in the gar
den with their unusual brown and
gren coloring.
Elderberry shrubs can be used
as a screening planting, with their
creamy-white blooms in the spring
and red berries that the birds
can enjoy during the autumn and
winter months. Many other wild*
shrubs may easily be fitted into
the garden, among them the blue
berry and high bush cranberry,!
both having attractive blooms as;
well as edible berries.
The list of plants and shrubs
is endless and each has its’ own
unique charm that can add mucdh
to the beauty of the home. Ferns,
too, add their own special note.
Those who love wild flowers and
would preserve them will be well
rewarded by many blooms in re
turn for just a little thought and
care, meanwhile sharing beauty
with passers-by. Mother Nature is
generous to these who love her
many faces.
Gardening
Orchids Growing
In Kodiak?
By Helen Hall
“Orchids growing in Kodiak?”
To the dubious inflection in the
newcomer’s voice, Kodiak Garden
ers can answer with a hearty
“yes” and whats more we enjoy
roses and radishes, calendulas and
cauliflower and almost all the
popular flowers and vegetables
that are grown by our friends and
neighbors in the south ‘48’.
Gardening, as such, is nothing
new to old-timers in Kodiak and
the time proven method of using
kelp as a garden fertilizer is still
used with more than satisfactory
results. Each spring time in Kodi
ak is heralded by a graceful dis
play of daffodils, tulips and other
flowers whose bulbs were care
fully tucked into the ground the
previous fall, and they in turn are
soon followed by stately columbine
and regal delphinium, myriads of
shasta daisies, pansies, nasturtium,
lilies of many varieties, iris, prim
rose and later in the fall, calen
dula, chrysanthemum and gladioli.
This mentions only a few of the
countless number of flowers that
are successfully grown in Kodiak.
Flowers that deserves special men
tion are the beautiful roses that
are successfully grown here, as
big and as beautiful as any of their
stateside sisters and brothers.
It is true that once in a while
some one will remark ‘What I’d
give for a nice big, juicy, garde
*ipe tomato.’ and such a statement
s usually made after one has been
ible to enjoy some of the bounti
'ul garden produce that is grown
lere. Most gardeners are able to
?njoy two or three plantings of
•adishes, not to mention green
>nions, carrots, garden peas, po
atoes, cauliflower, brussel sprouts,
■abbage, rutabagas, lettuce and
urn’ps, also strawberries, raspber
ies. gooseberries and currant*-.
Some gardeners who have their
own greenhouses have grown
zuchinni squash, cucumbers and
sweet corn but it appears that
more and more the greenhouse
gardening is being taken over by
men gardeners who specialize in a
more exotic hobby, growing or
chids. Bob Dawson has been re
sponsible for sharing his orchid
blooms with many friends and
neighbors and has displayed lovely
flowers in the Baptist Church on
numerous occasions. John Given
has shared several varieties of his
orchids with us at the Post Office,
and only last week when I visited
A1 Dickow’s greenhouse I counted
53 Cattleya blossoms alone, not to
mention the other types of orchids
in bloom.
All Kodiak gardeners share one
common quality, in that they have
tremendous enthusiasm for shar
ing their flowers and produce, and
are eager to pass along informa
tion and ideas to anyone who is
interested in becoming a gardener
too. If you are interested in garden
ing, n«wv is the time to begin. Only
one word of caution be certain
to have a good supply of slug-bait,
and the rest will be easy. Happy
Gardening!
Photography
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