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About
Us
Location and
Directions
Tour
the Garden
Nursery and Gift Shop
Contact Info
Our Mission
Board of Directors
Garden
Highlights
Master Plan and Phase One
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Garden Highlights
History
Planning
for the Alaska Botanical Garden started in 1983. Members of the
Alaska Horticultural Association considered the creation of an arboretum,
but the idea grew. A planning committee was formed, and in 1986,
Alaska Botanical Garden was officially incorporated as a nonprofit
organization whose goal was to create a botanical garden to be used
by the public for education and pleasure.
In 1990 the
Municipality of Anchorage approved the Master Plan and the initial
land use agreement for 110 acres adjacent to Campbell Airstrip Road
was completed. Ten years after the initial planning, the first gardens
were planted and the Grand Opening took place on July 25, 1993.
The Master Plan
was revised and adopted by the ABG
Board in 2002. In 2003, ABG signed a 55-year lease with the Municipality
of Anchorage for 80 acres of land east of Campbell Airstrip Road
and south of Benny Benson School.
To date, some of the infrastructure elements of the Master Plan have been completed (a perimeter
fence, extended mushing trail, electricity to the Garden, water
well), and fundraising continues as we work towards adding new gardens and a visitor facility.
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Today's Operations
Currently, the staff of the Alaska Botanical Garden consists of a
full-time Executive Director, part-time Horticulturalist, Special
Events Coordinator, Volunteer & Education Coordinator,
Assistant Horticulturalist, and Junior Master Gardener Instructor.
The success of the Alaska Botanical garden is rooted in the work of a dedicated pool of more than 170 volunteers, who serve on the Board of Directors, committees, maintain the gardens, assist
with special events, and contribute a tremendous amount of expertise
and enthusiasm. The Garden is funded by memberships,
corporate sponsorships, donations, special events,
rentals, memorials, and retail sales from the Shop in the
Garden and Nursery.
In recent years, ABG
has received grants from the State of Alaska for trail
signage, the Rasmuson Foundation for plant signage,
both a Rasmuson and Atwood Foundation grant supporting
elements of the Master Plan implementation, US Dept. of HUD for infrastructure development, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for botanical research. |
Grounds
The
Athabascan Indians once used the acreage that Alaska Botanical
Garden now occupies. Eventually, it came under federal, then
state, and finally municipal administration. In 2003, the
Alaska Botanical Garden signed a 55-year lease with the Municipality
of Anchorage for 80 acres of land on the east side of Anchorage.
Currently about 11 acres are under development. Plans call
for most of the land to remain in a natural state. Currently
ABG includes an entry garden, two perennial display gardens,
an herb garden, a rock garden, a wildflower trail, and a self
guided nature trail. A new perennial Border Garden is under construction. |
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Soil,
Watering, Mulching, Pest Control
The
soil used in the garden beds is a locally produced sand
and peat mix. The gardens are watered using an irrigation
system that volunteers installed in 1992-1993.
ABG
has a compost pile in its nursery. Selected garden clipping
are recycled there. The composted material is then used
in the gardens as a soil amendment.
The
pest control technique utilized by ABG is known as IPM-Integrated
Pest Management. IPM looks for pest control options other
than chemical applications. ABG tries to practice organic
gardening as much as possible.
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Weather,
Daylight and the Gardening Season
The
average annual precipitation in the Anchorage area is just
over 15 inches. The average annual temperature is only 35.7
degrees Fahrenheit. In June, July, and August, the average
daily high temperatures are in the mid 60's, with a range
from 55 to 80 degrees.
The
longest day of the year falls on summer solstice, June 20
or 21. In Anchorage, the solstice brings 19 hours and 20
minutes of daylight. Anchorage's shortest day of the year
is in late December, with only 5 hours and 28 minutes of
daylight.
In the
Anchorage area, the growing season is about 120 days long.
The first frost-free day is generally at the end of April,
and the first frost hits generally at the middle of September.
An average growing season is mid-May through mid-September.
Changes in elevation of 500 feet in the Anchorage bowl can
shorten the growing season by one week on each end!
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