Cultivating art

Frontiersman

PALMER — Whether you have a green thumb or an eye for art, there was plenty to please the senses Saturday at the fifth annual Alaska Garden and Art Festival.

Dozens of home horticulturists ambled through the Alaska State Fairgrounds campus for an afternoon of relaxation and research. Along with multiple demonstrations from gardening experts, the festival featured an eclectic mix of garden-themed art.

One exhibit flanked by booths selling food and hanging planter was Alaska Range Creations. Brenda Mowery makes hanging planters from caribou antlers she finds while hiking near her home at Cantwell. The end result is unique hanging art that drew praises from Valley resident Betty Vehrs, who owns Bella Farm and Gardens.

“This is very neat, very creative,” she said. “I always like to come (to the garden and art show) to see the new things.”

After collecting the caribou antlers, Mowery said she will make planters and arrange flowers before choosing antlers to hang them from. Then, she’ll turn and rotate the unique racks to find an ideal hanging orientation.

While Mowery was catching eyes with her creations, the fairgrounds’ garden crew booth was buzzing with activity. The crew, which has been working overtime to get the gardens at the fairgrounds in shape for Saturday, helped children create fairy houses from bark and other natural materials.

Friends Perry Elmquist and Linda Schwankl are home gardeners who found inspiration from the planting beds at the fairgrounds. Along with colorful blooms are tightly packed sections of vegetables. Marigolds and cabbages may not sound like an appetizing vegetable course, but they work well together in a garden, Elmquist said.

“I’m looking at the comparisons from their gardens to mine,” Elmquist said. “I do mostly vegetable gardening, but (mixed with flowers) is a beautiful idea. I’ve got a lot of flowers in my herb garden.”

Elmquist said she lost all her cauliflower this year, but has been inspired to try it again, along with broccoli, after seeing a healthy crop of broccoli at the festival. For Schwankl, she was impressed by the bountiful herbs.

“I think I’m going to try more herbs,” she said about next summer’s gardening efforts.

The variety of gardening and artistic expressions at the festival was a draw for Sarah Lyons, who was pushing a stroller carrying newly purchased flowers while her 2-year-old son toddled happily alongside.

“We always go to the flower shows,” Lyons said, adding Saturday’s cooling off following a week of near-record heat was refreshing. “It feels great out here. My favorites are the lilies and all their colors. We come here every year and see what flowers we want to buy.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.