Color tucked in every corner of the city

The city of Fairbanks takes great care to tuck flowers in every nook and cranny. Each morning, very early, I drove by the man in his watering cart fussing over the flower boxes that hang off the Cushman Street Bridge, the main street into downtown lined with many flags.

As with most cities, the parks are filled with flowers.

But here they are almost all annuals, meaning that they must be totally replanted anew every June. Earlier than that could mean fatal freezing of the tiny, delicate new plantings.

The growing season is only from June-sometime in September so a good deal of effort is put into planting so many flowers for all to enjoy. The long days of sunlight and moderate temperatures combine to create such stunning bright colors and sizes.

This pedestrian bridge gets its own planters. The city's colors are purple and yellow (or gold) as Fairbanks is known as the Golden Heart City of Alaska, mostly for the gold mining here and that it is located in the center of the state.

This well known sculpture is of "the first family" and shows a native father, mother, child and baby along with their dog. The area surrounding this statue hosts concerts every week and I went to several. My favorite is the steel drum band called "Cold Steel" and the musicians are all ages. They wear bright shirts and play music with the island flair specific to the steel drums. They move happily to the rhythms. I wish I could join them--

Street light planters each have a large stone pot at the base also overflowing

with coordinated plantings.

A closer shot to try and show you the bright and vivid colors of these flowers.

I have never seen colors like these anywhere else.

All along the Chena River are clusters of flowers with wrought iron designs on the fences. These artistic ironworks depict local images such as pine trees, mining and wildlife.

The library grounds are covered with flowers such as these...

and these. The city really loves its flowers and knows Fairbanksans do, too.

Do they realize that transients like myself are crazy about them, as well?