Nor is there another garden like yours.

This season’s round of Homer Garden Club tours proved that emphatically. Each garden was unique. Each has something to offer the gardener who is seeking to further understand gardening here in the Far North. We have each other to learn from and the tours are an excellent opportunity to experience that process. I applaud the gardeners who have offered their heart’s delight to the rest of us, their knowledge so we might learn. I have taken away a treasured bit of information from each and every garden I have ever experienced.

I was paging through Bluestone Perennials fall catalog and I made it all the way to the back cover. Lo, there are three pre-planned gardens: perennial border, shade garden and perennial starter garden. “Complete layout, ground preparation and all other instructions are sent at the time of the order and also with shipment. These gardens are not recommended for the deepest South.”

What about the Far North? What about elevation? What about wind? What about the non-summer we had this year? What about the human factor?

Ah, yes — the human factor. That’s you and me. The raspberries are pickable and my non-gardening spouse John knows from years of experience that I will find every imaginable excuse not to pick them. That this chore will fall to him. Why? Because harvesting raspberries means the end is very near indeed. That all of this glory will die back and take a very long sleep, the sleep of the Far North. So he gallantly picks berries while I remove spent blooms from once glorious delphiniums. While I cut back the campanula glomerata, veronica, more peonies, verbascum. Piles of spent foliage and blooms, seed heads galore. Is it the end? No, not even close.

All this cutting has peeled back a layer to reveal the almost-in-bloom filipendula “Kahome”. The lilies are blooming and the lavender could not be more beautiful, scent included. Cutting back a few branches of the bleeding hearts reveals the bulk of the William Baffin climbing rose. There are two of these at each corner of the house. They are not protected from the moose and bear the brunt of being chewed each and every winter. They are still lovely, but do not hold a candle to the one in front of Remax on Pioneer. That takes the cake.

The viticella clematis “Virgin’s Bower” is revealed by removing the delphiniums in front of it. This is the plan. When something is giving up the glory, there is a stalwart plant to replace it.

There is always something happening in this garden. Yes, it has passed its peak, that 72-hour window when it sure looks fine. When lots is in bloom and the grass has been cut and the edges freshly trimmed. O yes, what a lovely few days of bliss. When I want the whole town to come see, to share, to revel.

But that’s over, the here and now is subtle yet no less satisfying. Again — I have been influenced by another’s garden and have planted all kinds of lilies. Now is their time to shine and that is exactly what they are doing. The monarda “Marshall’s Delight” is looking promising mixed with pink and white lilies, “Carmine” California poppies and the odd thalictrum waving delicately above it all.

Poppies are the saving grace. The last two years have seen Lauren’s Grape making a statement throughout the garden. I take the ripe seed head and spread the seeds around, everywhere, each fall. Excellent. The more you can encourage your favorite annuals to self-sow the better. They do a fine job of filling in the blanks once the perennials are tired.