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Just looking at pictures of Tracy VanVolkinburg ’s garden in westerly Michigan is like getting a venereal disease of medicine for the mortal . vivacious colors , thriving plants , and thoughtfully tend garden beds bristle . For age , we have admired pictures of the garden on Tracy ’s Instagram account,@plaids.and.poppies . This summertime , we had the opportunity to experience her colourful hideaway in individual .
After touring the garden and chitchat with Tracy — who is just as endearing , colorful , and vivacious as her garden itself — we share some of our takeaways from the Plaids & Poppies garden .
1. Don’t Skimp on Plants
A colorful container on Tracy ’s patio outburst with colorful purple , white-livered , red , and pink blooms . ( For obvious reasons , Tracy come to to this as her “ Skittles ” container . ) Four vast leaves of elephant ’s ear turn out above the bright combination . Photo by : Linda Hagen
right spatial arrangement between plants needs to be taken into circumstance in many cases , but it ’s fine to labor the boundary a petty . At Tracy ’s , bloom and gorgeous foliage burst from container and garden bed , the fullness creating a signified of vibrancy throughout the garden . “ Because of my zone , 5b , I do n’t have to worry about a farsighted growing time of year where the plants herd each other out , ” enunciate Tracy . “ I do like to put plants very close , and they incline to grow up and out … I love that they intertwine ! I prune back the plants that tend to be hooligan and give the others a chance to acquire . ”
If you do live in a location with a long grow time of year , keep in mind that you may always pull works out and replant them elsewhere if thing get too crowded .
2. Name Your Garden Spaces
Tracy has dubbed this area of her garden “ The Good Morning Garden . ” Looking out at this area of the garden gives her a great view of the sunrise , so it ’s where Tracy spend every morning , with a cupful of coffee in hand . Photo by : Tracy VanVolkinburg
Is naming a garden bed or container box necessary to being a good gardener ? Of course not ! Will it endear you to your garden space and make your gardening experience more playfulness and whimsical ? utterly ! On Tracy ’s property , she has name several areas : The Rise Up Gardens ( a series of raised bed ) , The Morning Joy Gardens ( where the Dominicus first strike in the morn ) , The Pretty Path Garden ( this one ’s self - explanatory … a garden path flank by blooming beauties ) , and more !
In addition to being a simple way to total some fun to your gardening try , it ’s also a expectant way to stay on top of your garden fear . Tracy uses it as a method to keep runway of her upkeep schedule . “ I ’ve name all 16 of my garden area and make it a point to visit one arena each day , ” she explains . “ If I cohere with my program , I get to each one about twice a calendar month . It helps me detain focused . ” Each Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , when she visits a different area of her garden , Tracy takes care of what ’s require : weed , pest ascendence , pruning , and determining next step , if any .
3. When Adding Color, Don’t Stop With Blooms
The reddish bistro set impart a touch of whimsy to the sharpness of Tracy ’s cutting garden . A potted red geranium atop the table adds the scene , creating a picturesque vignette . Photo by : Linda Hagen
Color in the garden does n’t just issue forth from bloom plant . Yes , you may also get it from foliage , but adding pops of color with garden furniture and art can also create optical interest . Tracy extend beyond just tot up colour though — in her garden , coloration are methodically chosen to further heighten each space . A pot bristle with red geranium bloom atop a cherry-red table and pair of chairs . A yellow room access lead out to a side porch is complement by nearby lime greenLemon Coral sedum . Black Adirondack death chair emphasize the vivid red-faced , yellow , pink , and purple blooms that environ them .
“ Everybody is take up to certain coloration . For me , it ’s the hot colour , ” says Tracy . “ So when I settle to paint this bistro exercise set , I went for it with bright red knowing that it would ordinate with the rest of my garden where you ’ll find red blooms in just about every space . I bonk a good blood-red geranium and could picture this compounding . ” When it come to green , Tracy regard it a neutral . “ Looking out at the garden , there ’s so much green , ” she say , so it fits right into the scene nicely .
4. Create Comfortable Spots to Sit & Lounge
Left : Black Adirondack chair on a terrace near the consortium deck provide a comfy spot to loiter , and their bluff color brings out the bright blooming plants nearby such as the yellowTuscan Gold ™ heliopsis . Right : In the greenhouse , two chairs with comfy and fashionable shock absorber create an inviting spot to loaf and take it all in . pic by Dayna Springfield .
All your hard work and efforts should be enjoyed , so having a bit to sit and relax in your garden is a must . Her main objective when outfit these domain ? snugness ! “ I lend while that make it feel like I ’m bringing the interior out , ” says Tracy . “ Things like out-of-door pillows , rugs , patio lights , and baskets with redundant cam stroke blankets make outdoor spaces palpate comfortable and inviting . ”
Comfort is the primary goal , but by strategically choose cosmetic pillows with colourful and impulsive patterns and article of furniture in colors that complement surrounding plants , Tracy has produce sitting field that not only fit correctly into the rest of her garden ’s style — they add to the overall aesthetic .
5. Consider Views From All Angles
Tracy ’s greenhouse is just one constituent that exemplifies her attention to detail . Here , whether a mortal is entering or exiting the social organization , they take in an tempting scene . pic by : Dayna Springfield ( left ) Linda Hagen ( right ) .
For most , thinking about the opinion of a garden from the window of a home or another anatomical structure is n’t a new construct . But have you ever deliberate the view from the outside , in ? For model , if you have a large picture windowpane in your bread and butter elbow room , what does one see when looking back at your living way from your backyard ?
For Tracy , views from all angle are look at when designing and provision . That ’s seeming when approaching her greenhouse from the lawn : Tracy has created a picturesque , inviting aspect . This approach is both aesthetically pleasing ( no matter which direction you happen to be looking ! ) and helpful in making the remote spaces blend seamlessly with the indoor place . “ During the summer , I keep the doors of the greenhouse open , ” Tracy shares . “ It ’s like an invitation . ”
6. Get Organized
A potting bench in the greenhouse , built by Tracy ’s husband , supply her with a handy place to organize pots , plant fertilizers , dick , and more . The veracious side of the butcher - block top has slit in it so she can sweep dirt right into the container below with relaxation . picture by Dayna Springfield .
Figuring out where to put all the tools and other materials you postulate for gardening can be overwhelming . “ There are so many gardening Cartesian product , and when it comes to thing like fertiliser and pest control , you do n’t need that just sitting out , ” says Tracy . “ I chance that it ’s easy to throw them in a bin . ” Using storage bins that are gracious to look at is a enceinte way to organize your garden tools and other materials in a way that does n’t produce an eyesore .
Group materials into class and incur big bin to store smaller items — such as plant markers and drip emitter — so they do n’t get lost in the admixture . Other small touch , such as a wickerwork rubbish bin to retain her hose , make the storage part of the décor rather than a cluttered beguilement .
7. Use Perennials in Containers
Here , Tracy apply perennials from Proven Winners such as lime hydrate - green edged foliage ofShadowland ® ‘ Wheee ! ’ hosta(at center ) , pops of bright pinkish - redFruit Punch ® ‘ Cranberry Cocktail ’ dianthus , trailing‘Goldilocks ’ creeping Jenny , and more — all of which Tracy can transpose into the ground once they ’ve outgrown the windowpane box . For more details on plants used here , see her Instagram post . Photo by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
If you live in a cold climate and you ’re eager to get your planter boxful filled come in former spring , take a crown from Tracy and attain for perennials instead of annuals . When they ’re done flowering in her window corner , she station them in the land in her garden . “ They face mature right off , ” she take note . “ I do love filling my window box and container with some moth-eaten - broad annuals but when they ’re done , you ’re out the money . Using perennial in your containers or window box is ultimately a win - win . You get leaping flowering containers and newfangled perennials for the ground . ”
8. Simplify Your Gardening Life
Here , Tracy pulls a pair of scissors out of a container in the Rise Up Garden area . comfortable entree to pair of scissors make it comfortable to trim on the fly ! photograph by : Dayna Springfield .
Maintaining a garden requires a muckle of employment , so think creatively about how to make things easier on yourself . One priceless idea from Tracy is to hide cheap scissors in containers around your garden so you’re able to quickly and easily deadhead when you necessitate to . She gets her scissors from the Dollar Tree . They ’re punk , but they do the trick !
Additionally , Tracy hold a few thing next to each garden spicket for gentle access : a tearing can , a container of water - soluble fertilizer , pruning shears , and even a prevention of max ! “ I enwrap the liquid ecstasy in nylon and tie the end , ” shares Tracy . “ That way the liquid ecstasy is right there and I can easily launder my hands after doing my work in the garden . ”
9. Embrace the Sentimental
Tracy and her granddaughter turn over this lachrymation can into a container , planting it with ( clockwise from top ): pinkTruffula ™ pinkish genus Gomphrena , Supertunia ® Hoopla ™ Vivid Orchid ™ , trailing red Mezoo ™ , orangy - red calibrachoa , andDiamond Frost ® genus Euphorbia . pic by : Dayna Springfield .
Gardens are for communion , and they ’re often places where sweet memories are made . Maybe you have a plant you ’ve add in remembrance of someone special or a container gift by a nan that you ca n’t endure to part with . Here , a lovely watering - can - turn - planter is home to a container planting that Tracy and her granddaughter completed together . “ I let my granddaughter pick her favorite plants , ” Tracy share . “ It was n’t a combination I would have needfully picked , but I really like the room it turned out , and it ’s even more limited since I planted it with my granddaughter . ” Think outside the box to ascertain manner you may make your garden uniquely yours - a meaningful space for you to reminisce .
TRACY’S COLORFUL FAVORITES (AT THE MOMENT)
Yes , we asked Tracy the unsufferable question . And she was genial enough to humour us by provide four of her current best-loved garden stunners !
pic by Dayna Springfield .
BUTTERFLY WEED
This vibrant beauty , which thrives in Zones 3 through 9 , not only makes a beautiful cut heyday , it also brings all the butterfly stroke to the yard . A bonus ? It self - sows . “ It reseeds all over the place . I love it ! ” Tracy say .
SCAEVOLA
Tracy introduced us to this self - cleaning yearbook that perform well in both containers and landscapes . This peach will keep produce bloom of youth from the time you plant it until first frost .
TUSCAN GOLD ™ HELIOPSIS
With its tidy , erect riding habit , this false helianthus makes a great low - criminal maintenance addition to garden in Zones 4 through 9 . “ I make love that it ’s long - blooming , ” Tracy says . “ It ’s a expectant summit , and I have n’t had any problems grow it in my garden . ”
pic by Tracy Van Volkinburg .
SUMMERIFIC ® HIBISCUS
When everything else in the garden is dwindling as summertime reaches its peak , hibiscus comes along to lend some much - needed color . “ They ’re so fun when everything else is so tired , ” Tracy says . show here isSummerific ® ‘ Candy jam ’ .
MORE FROM TRACY’S GARDEN
We just could n’t get enough of Tracy ’s garden . If you ’re feel the same , here are several more pictures for you to enjoy !
In the “ Pretty Path ” region of the garden , a stone walkway let Tracy and visitors to meander next to ego - seeding orange butterfly stroke weed,‘Denim ' n Lace ’ Russian Sage , and zinnias in a form of undimmed vividness . Photo by : Linda Hagen
Tracy is n’t the only fan of bee balm in the garden — bee , hummingbirds , butterfly , mothers , and other pollinators love it , too . Photo by : Dayna Springfield .
A birdhouse come up above the plantings in the butterfly stroke garden , bursting with efflorescence of rudbeckia and daisy . Beyond , a row of downcast spruce trees create a natural barrier between Tracy ’s holding and the neighboring land . Photo by : Dayna Springfield .
On Tracy ’s shadowed front porch , container plantings need a little assist . To help them get the brightness they take to develop , she replace the porch lights with grow lights — just one of Tracy ’s many clever idea on display ! Photo by : Dayna Springfield .
A late - summer vista of Tracy ’s garden — a symphony orchestra of colors ferment in tandem bicycle to create a garden that one ca n’t help but sense happy in ! Here , we get a look at the greenhouse direct ahead , the pool firm to the right , and the " ascend Up " gardens in the distance . exposure by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
Tracy ’s " Playhouse Gardens " and her touch window box that adorn the pool house are in full bloom in late summer . Photo by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
Have you ever seen a more beautiful , inviting glasshouse ? We could sit and look at this one for days ! pic by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
See more of Tracy ’s garden on Instagram@plaids.and.poppiesor on her websiteplaidsandpoppies.com .
