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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...
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Vicki Green's Garden


Vicki Green's garden is one of the neatest and most immaculate gardens I've seen and it is a showcase for beautifully grown plants as well as art objects (she is a glass artist). The property was once wall-to-wall grass and now just a central portion is devoted to the green. A long pathway leads you around the perimeter of the garden adorned with lush plantings.




Vicki is a master at pruning and her technique reminds me of the way Michael does it. She has trained many of her "shrubs" into small trees, such at the waxleaf privet and elderberry.

A Wax Leaf Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) trained into an attractive small tree.


I was taken aback by the size of the plants, some of which I grow, and my mind was racing. Driving up, I was immediately wowed by her 'Golden Spirit' Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria) although now I do recall seeing a very large on 117th St. However, this one is the most beautiful I've seen -


 
I also was surprised to see how large her 'Lemony Lace' Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is -




A stunning Rodgersia








Many thanks to Vicki Green for opening her garden. It was a visual feast and provided many great ideas.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. AnonymousJune 20, 2024 at 7:21 AM

    You'r right, that Rogersia is stunning, especially with the backdrop of that blue fir....
    Chavli

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  2. danger gardenJune 20, 2024 at 9:16 AM

    Thanks for the photos! I really wanted to visit Vicki's garden but just couldn't get up to Vancouver that day.

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  3. Kris PetersonJune 20, 2024 at 10:15 AM

    I can only dream of a garden that meticulously maintained. I've always admire the 'Golden Spirit' Cotinus and would plant one in a second if they looked half that good in my climate.

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  4. tz_gardenJune 20, 2024 at 11:48 AM

    Such a beautifully maintained and immaculate garden. Love that Rogersia.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 20, 2024 at 12:40 PM

    how large was the Rodgersia?

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