Skip to main content

Featured

A visit to Chickadee Gardens

I was excited to finally get to see Chickadee Gardens last week. I have followed Tamara's blog  for years. She and her husband garden on 2 acres in Saint Helens, Oregon.  When you look at the map, it appears that St. Helens is directly across the Columbia River and slightly to the north of us. However, there is no convenient bridge to get over to the Oregon side. You must go north to Ridgefield, Washington (about 30 minutes north of our house) and go across there  or travel through Portland and then go north through Scappoose. Either way, it is about a 45 minute drive. I decided to try the Ridgefield route and I was glad I did. Not only did I not have to contend with Portland traffic (it was Rose Parade weekend), I got to see country on the Oregon side that was new to me.  Tamara used to work at the beautiful Joy Creek Nursery (my favorite, but alas they are now closed) and she now works part-time at Cistus Nursery.  She focuses on native plants and sustainabili...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Linda Ernst's Garden



In my previous post about Joanne Fuller's garden, I mentioned that we also toured her next-door neighbor Linda Ernst's garden. It too was fabulous. They share a gate in their back garden. In the following photo, you can see the open gate. The banana tree is on Joanne's side. Doesn't it look great behind Linda's wall?


We saw Linda's back garden first since we entered through the gate. The first thing I saw was a gorgeous 'Zuni' crape myrtle that had recently been planted. It was full of blooms. Apparently I did not get a photo of it. There was so much to see, I was overwhelmed.

Lots of vibrant colors and beautiful plantings. Notice the purple glass panels on the left wall? Linda does glass work. To the right is her studio -


Leaving the back garden, we entered the side garden which used to be a driveway.  The rose is a David Austin variety and Linda said it was a very good one (sorry I don't recall the name) - 



The neighbors on the other side put in a border of flowers that Linda maintains -


A view from the neighbor's side -


Advancing closer to the front garden -






Looking into the front garden from the side. The large tree is an Azara, the biggest I've ever seen -


Stunning pots and very good-looking hostas -


Overlooking the front garden (which is elevated from the street). The lush planting really gives a calming and cooling effect, especially on a hot day like this -


Ending the tour with this beautiful hydrangea - Aspera 'Plum Passion', a Dan Hinkley introduction. It was stunning -



Thanks to both Linda and Joanne for sharing their gardens, especially on a hot day! Both are very inspiring and open by appointment for HPSO members.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 28, 2023 at 7:13 AM

    It is a gift to live next door to another avid gardener especially when you share garden sensibilities. These are vibrant summer gardens with great shade areas.
    I bet the scent of the Azara when it blooms in late winter is intoxicating.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kris PetersonAugust 28, 2023 at 10:53 AM

    So wonderful when neighbors collaborate/cooperate like that! This floriferous garden is right up my alley. I appreciate that shallow rock-filled water feature in your first shot too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts