Kenai’s Field of Flowers returns to bloom

Wildflowers are starting to bloom again at Kenai’s Field of Flowers along the Kenai Spur Highway.

Planted annually by Kenai’s Parks and Recreation Department, the field is a wild space that separates the nearby neighborhood from the highway while also existing as a beautiful area where people can walk or take photos, Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Best said Friday.

After the field went unplanted last year to rehabilitate the space, wildflowers can again be seen filling the landscape, and city officials say they’re excited to see the area rejuvenated.

Moore’s Landscaping in Kenai donates time and mulch to plant seeds purchased from Alaska Mill and Feed by the city each spring, Best said. The field is maintained using a long, rolling sprinkler that can be seen from the road. That process has been done for around a decade, but over time, “persistent” weeds began to take hold in the field.

“The weeds were overtaking all the nutrients,” Best said. “The wildflowers weren’t growing.”

So last year, the field wasn’t planted. The field was instead tilled and treated to try to kill off the weeds. This year, Best said, “we’re getting more flowers than they’ve gotten in a long time.”

Blooms have begun to spring up in only the last couple of weeks, Best said. On Friday, small flowers could be seen in bright hues all over the field. Placards placed along a trail through the field help identify the flowers within.

Going forward, Best said he expects a more involved maintenance plan to keep the field attractive and — relatively — dandelion free.

Parks and Recreation includes beautification, Best said, and the Field of Flowers represents that. Natural trees and flowers act as a buffer from the highway and provide something worth stopping to look at.

“People will come and take a little lap when they’re walking their dog — walk through this pretty field of flowers.”

It also serves as a popular destination for family or senior photos. Best said he was considering having some of his own family photos taken at the space this fall.

It was Kenai’s beautification commission that supported the original project, Best said, “community members coming together to help support the city.”

The Kenai Field of Flowers can be accessed from Lawton Drive. For more information about Kenai Parks and Recreation, visit kenai.city/parksrec.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.