Skip to main content

Search This Blog

Chickadee Gardens

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

Press and Services and Products

Services & Products
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 2015

Posted by Chickadee Gardens December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas 2015 from Chickadee Gardens at Blue Jay Lane

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens December 10, 2015

Making a New Garden: The Moving of the Plants

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens December 03, 2015

Making A New Garden: Planning

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 19, 2015

Making a New Garden: Finding Land

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 12, 2015

Book Review: The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens November 05, 2015

Autumn in the Air

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 29, 2015

Happy Halloween 2015!

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 22, 2015

Fall Color at Drake's

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 15, 2015

Plant Addict

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 08, 2015

Portland Garden Tour West: Jane Platt

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens October 01, 2015

Portland Garden Tour West: Garden of Cynthia Woodyard

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 24, 2015

Hardy Plant Society of Oregon Fall PlantFest

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 17, 2015

Bloom Day & New Additions

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 10, 2015

Portland Nursery Visit: The Natives

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 08, 2015

Portland Garden Tour West

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens September 03, 2015

Insect Super Heroes

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 27, 2015

Purple Garden, White Garden

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 20, 2015

A Botanist's Garden: Peter Goldblatt

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 13, 2015

Take Five: Highlighting Five Great Plant Performers

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens August 06, 2015

Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 30, 2015

The Orange Garden, The Chocolate Garden

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 23, 2015

A Special Garden in Hood River

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 16, 2015

The Garden of Amy Campion

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 09, 2015

Early Summer at Chickadee Gardens

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens July 02, 2015

Françoise Weeks, An Extraordinary Florist

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 25, 2015

Alpine Flowers of Mount Hood

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 18, 2015

Xera Plants: The Silver Garden

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens June 11, 2015

A Nursery Owner's Garden: Xera Plants

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 28, 2015

Color Garden: The Blues

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 21, 2015

Drake's 7 Dees Nursery

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 14, 2015

Portland International Rose Test Gardens

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens May 07, 2015

Canby Spring Garden Fair

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 30, 2015

Take Five: Profiles of Five Great Natives

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 23, 2015

Creating Habitat in Your Backyard: Backyard Habitat Certification Program

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 16, 2015

Mason Bees, Chickadees and Eco-roofs, Oh My!

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 09, 2015

Neighborhood Gardens of Portland Part IV: Springtime Edition

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens April 02, 2015

An Early Spring Garden in the Hills: The Torch Family Garden

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 26, 2015

Chickadee Gardens in March

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 19, 2015

Just a Girl With a Hammer: A Portland Garden

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 12, 2015

Portland's 2015 Yard Garden and Patio Show

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens March 05, 2015

Mom Finds Agave Love at Cistus Nursery

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 26, 2015

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show: Seattle

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 19, 2015

Walk Down To Arcto Avenue!

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 12, 2015

Nursery Visit: Springtime at Xera Plants

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens February 05, 2015

A Dozen More Native Plants to Try

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 29, 2015

The Garden in January

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 22, 2015

Garden Blogger's Fling, Portland: Floramagoria

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 15, 2015

A Gift from a Gardener and the Liebster Award

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Posted by Chickadee Gardens January 08, 2015

Backyard Birds at Chickadee Gardens

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Newer Posts Older Posts Home

Powered by Blogger

All material ©2013 - 2024 by Tamara Paulat Chickadee Gardens. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

Get new posts by email:

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 28
- December 1
- November 2
- October 3
- September 3
- August 3
- July 2
- June 2
- May 3
- 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
- December 2
- November 3
- October 4
- September 4
- August 3
- July 3
- June 4
- May 4
- April 4
- March 3
- February 3
- January 4
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
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

Show more Show less

Instagram

Facebook

Chickadee Gardens

pinterest

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

Show 5 Show All

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
Arctostaphylos20
Art in the Garden12
Asclepias13
Audubon Portland7
Autumn color37
Backyard Habitat Certification Program14
before and after57
Bird Creek Meadows4
birds18

Show more Show less