Each year in May Anchorage gears up for summer, part of this includes filling the nearly 270 flower beds that the Municipality’s Department of Park and Recreation’s Horticulture Division is responsible for. This year the planting began the week of May 17. By the time every flower bed is filled up workers will have planted 67,753 flowers, but over 80,000 are grown each year in case plants die or need to be replaced.
Just in downtown 44,034 flowers are planted. The 67,753 count doesn’t even include all the flowers that business owners plant in their own pots and beds. 6,068 flowers are planted across the city by volunteers and then another 17,651 flowers are planted by workers around various parts of Anchorage, Eagle River and Girdwood.
One such other location is the mystery garden where 15th Avenue merges with Minnesota Dr. It is here that each year Parks and Recreation plants a mystery design of flowers. Some of the designs that have grown here include an Alaska Native thunderbird pattern and dragonfly. This year the design takes part in the Anchorage Centenial Celebration with a 100 and an anchor.
During the winter the Municipality of Anchorage flowers are grown at the Horticulture Complex and the Mann Leiser Memorial Greenhouse, right here in town. The growing takes much more time than the maintenance in the summer and begins as early as December.
All this time and effort on the part of the Division of Parks and Recreation is payed for by the Municipality of Anchorage’s City of Flowers Endowment Fund. The fund also helps pay for other city beautification projects. The endowment fund is supplemented from proceeds of the Festival of Flowers held in June.
Other organizations such as the Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. and Anchorage Parks Foundation also help support the flower projects through Anchorage’s Festival of Flowers. The two organizations donate money and staff for the flowers.
The flowers have long been loved by both tourists and locals alike. They brighten and liven the Municipality of Anchorage inviting all who come to step back and smell the roses.
Written by Kelly Ireland for HAP Alaska’s June Newsletter designed by Kelly Ireland. PDF for newsletter below.
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