Tim O’Neal and his wife, Shawna, fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when they moved to Portland in 2007. They didn’t intend to live here long, but the beauty of the natural surroundings and its people became embedded in their hearts. So, they decided to put down roots. After purchasing a home and redesigning their yard with mostly native plants, the world of gardening became their new passion. When Tim accepted a job at Garden Fever in 2017, he knew that it was his calling to work with plants.

Two years later, he and Shawna purchased Livingscape, a nursery close to their home, and they poured themselves into the business. When Garden Fever came up for sale in 2023, they jumped at the opportunity to purchase the business and carry on its legacy of providing unique, beautiful plants to the community. Today, Tim and Shawna are loving every minute of running the shop, and they’re excited to be rolling out a new logo and signage with a fresh website and a different store layout that’s more open and welcoming. There’s also a larger selection of houseplants, pots, and plant stands, and the variety of trees, shrubs, ferns, flowering perennials, and annuals is unmatched.

“After a couple years of ownership, we're so grateful to be able to work in this beautiful space with such amazing co-workers, and to build on the great work of the original owners,” Tim said.

One of Garden Fever’s biggest changes is the largely expanded native plant section.

“We think it rivals anything you can find in and around Portland,” Tim explained. “We’re always on the hunt for new plants to expand our native section to support pollinators and other wildlife.”

Tim shared that Garden Fever has also added a lot of other locally made products to the store. Some of these include paintings and prints from Jennifer Mercede, Kristie Winther, Mary Francis Early, candles from All Burn Wax and Paradox Candles, ceramic pots from Dennis Portz and Kohai Ceramics, ceramic art from Handpicked Ceramics, flower presses and macrame by Thimbleweed, stained glass from Kim Lewis, ten2midnight, and Hypnotizarism, candy from Edible Art by Natsuko, and much more.

“It's exciting to have a shop in this inspiring city where there are so many talented people,” Tim said. “Our store is full of unique and very cool creations made right here in Portland.”

Looking ahead, there are nothing but beautiful things ready to bloom for Garden Fever. On October 4th, the shop will host a special event to welcome autumn and to promote planting natives.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect housewarming gift, want to welcome a new plant into your own home, or are looking for a variety of plants to redesign your outdoor oasis, Garden Fever is the place to be. Click here to learn more about the store and its products, or to sign up for their newsletter that features special announcements or events, specials, and more.