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 sustainability in their garden and shares her experiences on her blog, which is a goldmine of information. I have discovered many plants through her blog that I've never heard of and I love it when she profiles plants for specific situations.

I entered the garden on a semi-sunny slope that was covered with colorful perennials and annuals -

I believe it was through Tamara's blog that I first heard about Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum). It was in its glory the day I visited -

I loved this tree - Salix elaeagnos ssp. angustifolia - 

This view looks out over the meadow area and towards the vegetable garden - 

Around to the other side of the house is the berm garden. The orange flower is Mimulus - Diplacus aurantiacus 'Jeff's Tangerine' - one to add to the list for sure! 

Along the back fence line is a lovely shade garden -

I walked through the garden several times and found something new every time. In addition to the plants, there are chickens, a greenhouse, a potting shed, a cistern, a deck with potted succulents and I'm sure I'm leaving things out. After I left, I realized that I didn't even walk through a natural garden area next to the driveway. I did see some of the plantings along the way back to the car -

A haven and a pollinator paradise, this is a wonderful garden! 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy