Visiting the Luminous Chickadee Gardens

  In September I had the opportunity to tour the garden of fellow blogstress Tamara of the always informative and entertaining Chickadee Gardens. Tamara and her spouse David (aka the Facilities Manager) made the move from their home and small but splendid urban garden in Portland in late 2015 to a 2+ acre spread north of the city. You can read about the move, the motivation for the move and see photos of the property before the transformation began here. Tamaras' chronicle of the efforts here have really captivated me, I read every post usually more than once and seeing the garden in person was a genuine pleasure and a check-off on the bucket list.  My only regret is that I failed to photograph the aesthetically beautiful and  delicious lunch that we were served upon arrival-most of the ingredients originated right there, just a stroll away from the table. And you couldn't beat the company; Loree the proprietress of the Danger Garden, and Gerhard of Succulents and More. The missing link was the ever productive Facilities Manager who was out of town that weekend-I know we all would have liked to give him his deserved kudos for a job well done.

   It's really kind of astonishing the level of maturity attained in this garden considering only 3 years have passed since  this property became their home.

 The generous size of the planting spaces that Tamara and David have created allows room for imposing grasses and tall perennials, but they have not neglected the edges where plants of lower stature soften the pathways .

Very appealing combinations of texture and color are skillfully positioned .

 I took many photos in this spot-to me it sort of distilled the feeling of this garden-and in the upper right you can just see Loree, Gerhard and Tamara .

 All the PNW peeps seem to have Tetrapanax, which though hardy here is never seen in my area. I would love to have one but I know they wander so I am hesitant-a very large pot is always an option.

 

 Moving just a few feet in either direction provides a different perspective , a new plant stew to enjoy.

  And the vegetable garden was seriously beautiful and clearly very productive (did I mention the lunch ??)

 The intrepid Facilities Manager has installed some fabulous supports for the climbers and twiners that preserve the integrity of the rural environment. 

   Thanks to Loree for facilitating this visit, and to Tamara for her generous hospitality. As it happens, between the time I started writing this post and publishing it, Tamara has put up a really nice 3 year retrospective  on her blog that will take you along on the journey as she and David create this outstanding  garden.