Alaska

 

        I am indebted to Carmel Tysver (on behalf of the Alaska Rock Garden Society)                             
and Ed Buyarski (through the Juneau Garden Club, American Primrose Society and the Jensen-Olson Arboretum) for sponsoring and making the majority of arrangements for the Alaska leg of my North American lecture-tour.
 
Carmel also hosted me in Anchorage and took me to see the Alaska Botanical Garden and magnificent Portage Valley.  Verna Pratt, the authority on Alaskan wildflowers See: http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Alaskan-Wildflowers-Commonly/dp/0962319201 
showed me the best of the mountain flora close to Anchorage,  accompanied by Kathleen Swick. 

Mark White enabled me to visit Ninilchik. 

Teena & Peter Garay hosted me in their home above Homer,  which enjoys glorious views of mountain peaks and glaciers across Kachemak Bay.  Pete, a pilot for commercial ships, took me out fishing and wildlife-spotting on his boat - an exceptional experience.  See: http://www.homeralaska.org/
 
Whilst in Juneau, Ed took me to view the Mendenhall Glacier.  Merrill Jensen accompanied me up Mount Roberts and hosted me at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum - which has one of the best views of any botanical garden in the world.  See: http://www.juneau.org/parkrec/arboretum-main.php

Not bad for a first ever day's fishing - a 20lb King Salmon!  With a lot of help from Peter Garay

View from glacier valley, Anchorage

 Dwarf Cinquefoil (Potentilla sp.) in Glacier Valley

  
Portage Valley in Chugach National Forest

   Hanging glacier 

 'Snow-Bed Buttercup' (RANUNCULUS COOLEYAE)

Ninilchik  Russian Orthodox Church
 

  
American Legion Cemetery

Leo Steik Memorial  Wall, Russian Cemetery
 

 

View of high peak from Ninilchik


Kathleen Swick and Verna Pratt amongst 'Mountain  Avens' on flat-top mountain, Anchorage



Verna Pratt beside impressive expanse of 'Alpine Azalea' (LOISELEURIA  PROCUMBENS)


 'Lapland  Diapenisa' (DIAPENSIA  LAPPONICUM)

'Purple  Oxytrope' (OXYTROPIS  PURPURASCENS)

 DWARF  WILLOW (Salix sp.)

Sea Otter enjoying the sun in Kachemak Bay

FOR THOSE WISHING TO IDENTIFY ANY WILD FLOWER FROM ALAKSA, MAY I DRAW YOU ATTENTION TO: http://www.alaskawildflowers.us/.  THIS LOOKS PROMISING ON FIRST INSPECTION (SEPTEMBER 2014) - SHALL COMMENT FURTHER, WHEN HAVE INSPECTED IT FURTHER.

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