The summer flowers here in Anchorage continue to be stunning.  The roadside show is currently masses of purple, magenta, yellow and white.  Yard and wild flowers tend grow faster here because of long daylight hours and tend to last longer here because of the cool, humid summer weather. We visited the lovely Alaska Botanical Gardens last week.  Here are some elegant Himalayan Poppies which are popular for landscaping. 

Alaska is becoming a major supplier of cut peonies for florists. The Alaskan peonies come on later than in the lower 48, so there is little competition.  Because of its location Anchorage is a major international air shipping center, so flowers can be sent worldwide quickly and efficiently. Peonies are beautiful in the yards right now.  This is an unusual variety we found at the Alaska Botanical Garden.

Here we are hiking at McHugh Creek on the Turnagain Arm Trail just 20 minutes south of Anchorage.The forest undergrowth is dense and lush--waist high.

The pine and birch forest is spotted with groves of cottonwood.  Here you can see their generous seasonal show of fluffy seed pods--like thousands of little lamb's tails--scattered along the trail.