Beginnings





My gardening obsession and writing about it: why now, after several years of threatening a blog? After learning that the 2014 Garden Blogger's Fling would be in my home town of Portland, Oregon, (ok, Portlandia) I know now that the planets are finally aligned and the time is right regardless if I am included in the upcoming Fling.

Up until recently, I did not believe that I had anything substantial to contribute to the incredible talent of garden bloggers whom I admire and follow. Perhaps now that I have worked hard to create a "backyard habitat" via the Backyard Habitat Program (a collaboration between Portland Audubon Society and the Columbia Land Trust), and have nearly completed the Master Gardener program, I do have something of value to contribute---a voice for the bumble bees, the hummingbirds and the chickadees. That makes it worthwhile and I aim to make that my focus.

It must also be said that I love color, design and really living in our garden during the long, hot days that a Portland summer brings, as well as watching the garden transform with the infamous Oregon rains brought by winter. Changes come all the time to Chickadee Gardens as I am very lucky to live within minutes of several epic nurseries (Cistus, Joy Creek, Garden Fever, Xera Plants Potted and Dancing Oaks to name a few), so I plan to share my shopping adventures, too.

So hopefully this blog will invite conversation, connections and ideas and hopefully I can give a little back as I have gained so much from the garden blogger's community.

For the first few images, here are some before and after pics - I moved into this house in 2009 and started gardening right away. Things changed quickly, however - Chickadee Gardens has seen many transformations in its few years existence.

The Front Garden 2008


Front Garden 2013

Tool shed 2008
Tool Shed 2013


Back Garden 2008
Back Garden 2013
Back Garden 2008
Back Garden 2013
Of course there are stories to tell and photos to share of all that lies in-between 2008 and today. I will save them for another day. 



Comments

  1. So happy to see you up and running. Welcome to the wild world of garden blogging. Your garden is great and I know that I for one can't wait to hear more about it.

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    1. Hi Ann, thanks for your lovely words. I enjoy your blog and following you too....thanks for the support! If you see any glaring mistakes, please feel free to point them out to me, as I'm fumbling my way through this blog seutp...
      Tamara

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  2. I am so happy you've decided to become a blogger, and yes just in time for the Fling! Before and after photos are such a nice way to start, I love seeing how you've transformed your garden. Looking forward to many more posts!

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  3. Thank you, Danger Garden! You've been an incredible model in the blogging world, to be sure. As I mentioned to Ann, feel free to make suggestions or corrections - I'm all ears! Your support has been much appreciated!

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  4. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging, Tamara! I'll enjoy following your garden adventures!

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    1. Thank you MulchMaid! I appreciate the support! I enjoy your blog too, very much.

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  5. Welcome to Blogdom! I hope you make it to the Fling. If you follow the Fling blog, they will let you know when it's time to register.

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    1. Thank you for the tip, Alison ! I have added my name to the blog. Thanks for your support! cheers!

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  6. Anonymous12:50 AM PDT

    Yay for Backyard Habitat! I got certified this year too -- but failed to blog about it. Beautiful garden. I'm interested in what people are doing to balance out between native plants and non-native/ornamentals. The biologist side of me loves natives, but I also want to have a garden that feels like home, which for me is Japan. Looking forward to seeing more of your garden.

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    1. Hi Portlandtreetour, you hit it spot-on with me! I LOVE gardening and natives but there has to be some kind of balance which is what this blog is all about. My goal is to combine both, hopefully beautifully and with benefit to all. I visited your home, Japan, this spring for the first time and LOVED it and will blog about a few of the gardens we visited. I hope I do it justice! Cheers!

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  7. Beautiful garden and yard! I used to live in Oregon and always enjoyed the beautiful spaces people made in their yards. After moving back to the southeast, I have incorporated lots of natives (flowers, shrubs, and trees) into my yard. The pecans and oaks that were already there are a huge hit with the wildlife too. I converted the front yard which was mostly grass into a butterfly and hummingbird garden - I love sitting out there to watch them.

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    1. Hello Garden Experiments! Thank you for visiting my blog. I visited yours and now you are on my list of favorites, I really appreciate your blog. The natives and the wildlife are a joy to watch, it's a great feeling knowing that we can do a small part in the world to help them. Butterflies and hummingbirds are so lovely to watch, we have year-round Anna's hummingbirds here which always brighten my day.

      Thanks again for visiting, happy gardening!!

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  8. Welcome to the blogosphere, Chickadee! It's always fun to discover a new blogger. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of Portland gardens at the Fling next summer and hope to meet you too.

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    1. Thank you, Pam! I appreciate it and your taking the time to read my blog...especially the first entry! Yes yes...come to Portland, I do so hope to meet you as I'm a big fan (with no lawn)!! Cheers, Tamara

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