Flowers spill from recycled trees in Juneau

A few years ago, Steve and Cindy Bowhay of Juneau bought 49 acres of land on the side of Thunder Mountain, planning to turn the property into a scenic attraction. Inspired by trees uprooted by a mudslide, Steve decided to try recycling some felled Sitka spruces and Western hemlocks elsewhere on his property to use as planters. So he buried the trunks of 30 trees into the ground and trimmed their roots to form giant bowls 10 to 14 feet in the air. Then he lined the bowls with fishnet and moss, filled them with potting soil, and planted them with trailing ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and flowering plants like begonias, bleeding hearts, fuchsias, lobelias, and petunias. The planters make a grand stand at the entry to the Bowhays' Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure.

Equally impressive are the dozens of hanging baskets spilling with begonias, fuchsias, and Surfina petunias (some cascading to 6 feet) in the indoor conservatory (shown below), where there's a garden gift shop and cafe serving beverages and snacks.

Eight-person covered shuttles take visitors from the entry area up through the rain forest and to overlooks of downtown Juneau and the Chilkat Range. Tours 9–6 daily, May-September; $14.95, $8.95 ages 6–12. 7600 Glacier Hwy.; (907) 790-3377.

-- Steven R. Lorton

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Photos: Jeff Gnass
Copyright 2000 Sunset Publishing Corporation
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