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Chickadee Gardens

Gardening on two acres in northwest Oregon with an emphasis on native plants and sustainability

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November 2021 Better Homes & Gardens Article
HPSO Article: Working for Joy Creek Nursery
Pacific Horticultre Article: Creating Place: Outdoor Sculptures of Michi Kosuge
Garden Design Article
Winterbloom Landscaping Visits Chickadee Gardens

Posts

Showing posts from 2019

Posted by Chickadee Gardens December 12, 2019

Let's Go! UCSC Arboretum and Botanic Garden Part I

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens December 05, 2019

Coniferous Trees and Shrubs

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 21, 2019

Birds!

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 14, 2019

Unexpected Color

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 07, 2019

The Hoophouse Cometh!

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 31, 2019

Halloween, Chickadee Gardens Style

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 24, 2019

Autumn Vignettes at Chickadee Gardens

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 17, 2019

Finding Land: Five Years Later

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 10, 2019

Early Autumn

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 26, 2019

Our Evening Walk

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 19, 2019

Plant Ideas for Low Water Gardening

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 12, 2019

Late Summer

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 05, 2019

Making Peace

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 22, 2019

The State of the Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 15, 2019

The Veggie Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 08, 2019

Glory Days of August

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 25, 2019

Bee-Handling: Being Better With Bees

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 18, 2019

Mid-July at Chickadee Gardens

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 11, 2019

Cool July

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 27, 2019

The Farm, Flowers and Friends

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 20, 2019

Whites in the Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 13, 2019

Goodbye Yellow Sedum

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 06, 2019

June in the Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 23, 2019

Mid-May Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 16, 2019

A Few Native Plants

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 09, 2019

May in the Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 02, 2019

Ceanothus and Hebes at Chickadee Gardens

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 26, 2019

Shady Beauties

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 18, 2019

Sedum Sampler

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 11, 2019

The Early April Garden

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 04, 2019

The Ugly Truth

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 28, 2019

Spring Life

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 21, 2019

Spring Spring Spring Spring

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 14, 2019

Let's Go! Portsmouth and London

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 28, 2019

Before and After Fun

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 21, 2019

Mid-Winter at Chickadee Gardens

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 14, 2019

An Austin Garden: Margie McClurg

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 31, 2019

Winter Interest: Shade Plants

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 24, 2019

Winter Interest: The Sun Plants

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 17, 2019

An Elegant and Wild Austin Garden: Ruthie Burris

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Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 03, 2019

Early January

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Newer Posts Older Posts Home

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All material ©2013 - 2023 by Tamara Paulat Chickadee Gardens. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

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about Chickadee Gardens

Chickadee Gardens started as a small, green oasis in the urban center of Portland, Oregon, zone 8b. Now in Saint Helens, some 35 miles northwest of Portland, we garden on two acres. Our focus is native plantings but we also love (non-invasive) ornamentals, we grow a lot of our own food and raise some spunky chickens. Sustainable gardening is our goal. Changes occur regularly in the design of the garden but the focus remains: this garden is for the chickadees (and bees, and bugs, and husband, and cats, and...)

As I worked for Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon for six years, I had access to an amazing array of plant materials. Needless to say, I add a lot of plants and frequently change things up. Come along with us on our garden and farm journey, everyone is welcome!

--------------------------------------------Bio: Transforming two acres of clay-flecked dirt, grass, sand, rocks and blackberries into a thriving, diverse ecosystem within five years has been a labor of love for Tamara Paulat. So much so that the south-facing, northwest Oregon property was featured in the November 2021 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

Tamara’s garden is bordered on three sides by Douglas fir trees and mixed hedgerows. Between these boundaries is a dry, sun-loving garden-scape focused on West Coast-native plants. Some ½-acre is a vegetable garden and fruit orchard with 25 trees. There are chickens, one turkey and honeybees and mason bees loving their home. Tamara and her husband David grow, harvest, and process a wide variety of foods for friends and family to enjoy.

Gardening has always held Tamara’s interest. After creating her mother’s residential garden in 2000, Tamara started gardening on a 50’ x 100’ plot in Portland. The Backyard Habitat Certification Program caught her attention, and her gardens eventually gained platinum status. In 2014, the small garden was a featured stop on the Garden Blogger’s Fling annual tour in Portland. About the same time, Tamara began blogging at www.chickadeegardens.com. A year later, wishing to expand and challenge themselves, Tamara and David purchased a house and property in Saint Helens, Oregon. Tamara studied art history at Portland State University and worked in the art industry for more than a dozen years before shifting to the plant-nursery business. Tamara worked for many years at Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, up until it closed its gates in late 2021. She is currently working part time for Cistus Nursery.

Tamara is a member of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, and has written for that group’s magazine as well as for Pacific Horticulture. She graduated from the Oregon State University’s Master Gardeners program in Multnomah County in 2013 and is on the selection committee for Great Plant Picks.

contact Tamara at chickadeegardenspdx@gmail.com

Blog archive at Chickadee Gardens

2024 9
- April 2
- March 2
- February 3
- January 2

2023 36
- December 3
- November 4
- October 3
- September 3
- August 3
- July 3
- June 3
- May 2
- April 3
- March 3
- February 3
- January 3
2022 32
- December 3
- November 2
- October 3
- September 2
- August 2
- July 3
- June 3
- May 3
- April 3
- March 4
- February 2
- January 2
2021 33
- December 3
- November 2
- October 3
- September 3
- August 3
- July 4
- June 3
- May 2
- April 3
- March 2
- February 3
- January 2
2020 31
- December 3
- November 2
- October 3
- September 2
- August 2
- July 3
- June 2
- May 2
- April 3
- March 2
- February 3
- January 4
2019 41
2018 46
- December 4
- November 5
- October 4
- September 3
- August 4
- July 4
- June 4
- May 5
- April 4
- March 3
- February 4
- January 2
2017 43
- December 3
- November 5
- October 3
- September 3
- August 4
- July 3
- June 4
- May 3
- April 4
- March 4
- February 4
- January 3
2016 50
- December 5
- November 4
- October 4
- September 5
- August 4
- July 4
- June 4
- May 4
- April 4
- March 4
- February 4
- January 4
2015 50
- December 3
- November 3
- October 5
- September 5
- August 4
- July 5
- June 3
- May 4
- April 5
- March 4
- February 4
- January 5
2014 53
- December 4
- November 4
- October 5
- September 4
- August 4
- July 5
- June 4
- May 5
- April 4
- March 4
- February 4
- January 6
2013 18

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Visit Tamara's profile on Pinterest.

November 2021 Better Homes & Gardens Article

HPSO Article - Hotter, Drier, Wetter: Preparing for Extremes

Services and Products

Services & Products

HPSO Article: Working for Joy Creek Nursery

Pacific Horticultre Article: Creating Place: Outdoor Sculptures of Michi Kosuge

Winterbloom Visits Chickadee Gardens

blogs I read

Garden Rant
A Way to Garden
danger garden
Gods and Foolish Grandeur
Late to the Garden Party
Dirt Therapy
Digging
Flutter & Hum
A Growing Obsession
The World's Best Gardening Blog
GardenRiots
Natural Gardening
The Lents Farmer
sprig to twig
Whatsitgarden
MulchMaid
Alternative Eden
Fernhaven
The Practical Plant Geek
The Rainy Day Garden
Gardening With Grace

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links!

Backyard Habitat Certification Program
Bosky Dell Native Plant Nursery for Willamette Valley
Chickadee Gardens Facebook Page
Cistus Nursery
City of Portland Ecoroof Handbook PDF
Cornell Project Feederwatch
E-Garden-Go
Echo Valley Natives Plant Nursery
Great Plant Picks
Hardy Fern Foundation
Hardy Plant Society of Oregon
How to start milkweed from seed
Humble Roots Native Plant Nursery
Joy Creek Nursery (where I work)
Metro Master Gardeners
My Guest Blog at Gardening Know How
Native Bee Research
Native Plant Society of Oregon
Native Plants List and Photos for the Willamette Valley from Portland Metro
Plant Lust - Great Search Engine for Plants
Portland Ecoroof Program
Soil Survey from the USDA
Xera Plants
Xerces Society - Bees!

followers

contact

chickadeegardenspdx@gmail.com

All images and content © copyright 2023 Tamara Paulat, Chickadee Gardens

labels

Anna's hummingbird9
Arctostaphylos15
Art in the Garden11
Asclepias13
Audubon Portland7
Autumn color34
Backyard Habitat Certification Program14
before and after55
Bird Creek Meadows4
birds18

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