![Landscape Alaska employees carry a small tree while working on the Governor's Mansion entry redesign on Friday for the mansion's 100th Anniversary this month. Company owner Margaret Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska's native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor's Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp's team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, "There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area."](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/11332350.jpg "Landscape Alaska employees carry a small tree while working on the Governor's Mansion entry redesign on Friday for the mansion's 100th Anniversary this month. Company owner Margaret Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska's native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor's Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp's team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, "There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area."")
Landscape Alaska employees carry a small tree while working on the Governor’s Mansion entry redesign on Friday for the mansion’s 100th Anniversary this month. Company owner Margaret Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska’s native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor’s Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp’s team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, “There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area.”
Back | Next ![Landscape Alaska owner Margaret Tharp, far right, directs workers on the Governor's Mansion entry redesign on Friday. The landscaping will be finished by the scheduled mansion's 100th anniversary this month. Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska's native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor's Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp's team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, "There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area." Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/11332334.jpg "Landscape Alaska owner Margaret Tharp, far right, directs workers on the Governor's Mansion entry redesign on Friday. The landscaping will be finished by the scheduled mansion's 100th anniversary this month. Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska's native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor's Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp's team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, "There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area." Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire")
Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire
Landscape Alaska owner Margaret Tharp, far right, directs workers on the Governor's Mansion entry redesign on Friday. The landscaping will be finished by the scheduled mansion's 100th anniversary this month. Tharp has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and did undergraduate and graduate work on Native Peat Soil which is used in the project. Tharp tries to use many of Alaska's native plants, bushes and flowers; for instance, the Governor's Mansion totem pole will have native foilage such as Devils Club and Bunch Berries planted near it. Other plantings enjoying the native peat soil will include Arborvitae, Japanese Maple, Dwarf Crab Apple, Primroses, Himalayan Poppy, and Dwarf Rhododendron. Much of the mansions landscaping is 35-40 years old. Tharp will have seasonal colors and textures with a more plant based feel than flowers and still keep with the era of the house in scale, bringing the house into a flow with the streetfront. Tharp's team on Friday included David Lendrum, Dave and Peggy Pijan, Corey Mahar, Stosh Kosma, Robert Mell and Brian Beckner. Said Tharp, "There is a lot of appreciation for native plants. To discard or throw away anything because it is common, even though it is beautiful, undervalues it. I love to use what is natural to the area."
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While I'm sure Japanese maple and dwarf rhodies will be pretty, why not go all out on native plants?
Goatsbeard is tall and not un-pretty, with it's pale flowers, and certainly the swamp Iris you see everywhere is lovely, not to mention how pretty chocolate lilly and shooting star and monkshood is.....salmonberry bushes, ferns, dogwood - - - there are tons of pretty local wild plants.