As I’m writing this, it’s May 1. The temperature outside is 40F and the wind is gusting to 60MPH with the occasional sprinkle of rain. Although it’s definitely not winter anymore, summer certainly feels very far away.
But perhaps that’s the perfect time to introduce my new Summer Flowers Note Card Pack as a way to lift our spirits as we wait for the sun and warmth to arrive.
The Summer Flowers Note Card Pack features four of my favorite Alaskan (not all native to Alaska) flowers: Fireweed, Lupine, Forget‑Me‑Not, and the Dahlia.
The cards are based on paintings I’ve completed over the last couple of years and together they highlight some of the blooms we see across southcentral Alaska — some growing wild along our highways and trails, others cultivated in the gardens and small farms that thrive during our short but intense growing season.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these designs.
Fireweed In Bloom is based on a photo taken during a trip down to Homer, Alaska. Anyone who’s driven the Seward Highway in late summer knows how Fireweed transforms the landscape. It’s one of Alaska’s most iconic wildflowers — a tall, magenta torch that fills entire valleys and roadside meadows. Fireweed is also a kind of seasonal clock for Alaskans: as the blossoms climb toward the top of the stalk, we know summer is slipping away. On the drive to Homer, you can see it in every stage, from fresh blooms near Turnagain Arm to nearly‑finished stalks as you get closer to the Kenai Peninsula. If we stopped at every patch worth photographing, we’d never make it to Homer at all.
Lupine Blossoms comes from another Homer trip, though from an earlier point in the summer. Lupine is one of the first big color shows of the season in southcentral Alaska. It thrives in gravelly soil, old glacial deposits, and the open spaces along the Sterling and Glenn Highways. In June, entire hillsides turn blue‑purple, and the flowers often appear in huge drifts that look almost painted onto the landscape. They’re also a favorite of early‑season pollinators — bumblebees practically vanish into the blooms. Mid‑summer trips often mean driving through long stretches of Lupine‑lined roads, a welcome sign that the season has finally arrived.
The Forget‑Me‑Not, Alaska’s state flower, is the only one of the four that I painted from flowers growing in our own yard. Forget‑Me‑Nots are small, but they’re everywhere once you start noticing them — along trails in Hatcher Pass, tucked into shady corners of backyards, and scattered across alpine meadows. Their bright blue petals and yellow centers are a perfect reflection of Alaska’s summer palette: clear skies, long days, and that unmistakable feeling of light returning. They’re also one of the few flowers hardy enough to shrug off a late frost, which makes them feel especially Alaskan.
And finally, the Dahlia. While not native to Alaska, Dahlias have become a beloved part of our gardening culture. Thanks to our long summer daylight — up to 19 hours here in the Mat‑Su Valley — Dahlias grow exceptionally well, producing huge, vibrant blooms that rival anything grown down south. Alaska has a surprising number of small flower farms, and many of them specialize in Dahlias because they thrive in our cool nights and endless sun. As it happens, one of those farms is just about a mile from my house. The reference photo for this painting was taken there a couple of summers ago, during peak bloom when the fields were full of color.
The Summer Flowers pack includes two cards of each design, plus eight envelopes. The inside of the cards are blank so you can compose your own message for your friends and family as you share these wonderful floral cards.
The individual cards are also available for purchase, as are 8-packs of each design.
