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Just seem at pictures of Tracy VanVolkinburg ’s garden in western Michigan is like experience a dose of medication for the soul . Vibrant colors , thriving plants , and thoughtfully tended garden beds abound . For yr , we have admire pictorial matter of the garden on Tracy ’s Instagram account,@plaids.and.poppies . This summer , we had the opportunity to experience her colorful retreat in someone .
After touring the garden and chatting with Tracy — who is just as endearing , colorful , and vibrant as her garden itself — we share some of our takeaways from the Plaids & Poppies garden .
1. Don’t Skimp on Plants
A colourful container on Tracy ’s patio explosion with colourful purple , yellow , reddened , and pink blooms . ( For obvious reasons , Tracy refers to this as her “ Skittles ” container . ) Four huge leaves of elephant ’s ear rise above the bright combination . pic by : Linda Hagen
Proper spatial arrangement between plants needs to be taken into consideration in many suit , but it ’s ok to bear on the boundaries a little . At Tracy ’s , flower and gorgeous foliage burst from container and garden beds , the fullness create a signified of vibrancy throughout the garden . “ Because of my zone , 5b , I do n’t have to worry about a farseeing growing season where the industrial plant herd each other out , ” order Tracy . “ I do wish to put plants very close , and they tend to grow up and out … I love that they intertwine ! I prune back the plant that be given to be ruffian and give the others a fortune to grow . ”
If you do live in a locating with a longsighted growing time of year , keep in mind that you may always pull plants out and replant them elsewhere if thing get too crowded .
2. Name Your Garden Spaces
Tracy has dubbed this country of her garden “ The Good Morning Garden . ” bet out at this expanse of the garden gives her a great scene of the sunrise , so it ’s where Tracy spends every morning , with a cup of coffee tree in hand . Photo by : Tracy VanVolkinburg
Is naming a garden layer or container box necessary to being a good gardener ? Of naturally not ! Will it endear you to your garden space and make your gardening experience more fun and whimsical ? utterly ! On Tracy ’s property , she has describe several areas : The Rise Up Gardens ( a serial of raise bed ) , The Morning Joy Gardens ( where the sun first tally in the morning ) , The Pretty Path Garden ( this one ’s self - explanatory … a garden way of life flank by bloom beauties ) , and more !
In addition to being a simple elbow room to add some playfulness to your gardening endeavors , it ’s also a heavy room to bide on top of your garden attention . Tracy uses it as a method acting to keep racecourse of her sustainment agenda . “ I ’ve named all 16 of my garden country and make it a point to visit one area each day , ” she explain . “ If I stick with my plan , I get to each one about twice a calendar month . It helps me remain focussed . ” Each day , when she chatter a different area of her garden , Tracy take fear of what ’s necessitate : weeding , pest restraint , pruning , and square up next steps , if any .
3. When Adding Color, Don’t Stop With Blooms
The red bistro set adds a touch of whimsy to the edge of Tracy ’s edit out garden . A potted red geranium atop the mesa contribute the scene , create a picturesque vignette . pic by : Linda Hagen
coloring material in the garden does n’t just come from flower plant . Yes , you could also get it from leafage , but add up pops of gloss with garden furniture and art can also create visual interest . Tracy goes beyond simply adding coloration though — in her garden , colours are methodically chosen to further enhance each space . A pot bursting with red geranium blooms atop a ruddy table and duet of chairs . A yellow doorway leading out to a side porch is complemented by nearby lime greenLemon Coral sedum . Black Adirondack chairs emphasize the vivid red , icteric , pink , and purple blooms that surround them .
“ Everybody is draw to certain people of colour . For me , it ’s the live colors , ” say Tracy . “ So when I decided to paint this bistro solidifying , I went for it with undimmed red knowing that it would ordinate with the rest of my garden where you ’ll detect violent bloom in just about every place . I fuck a good cerise geranium and could picture this combining . ” When it get along to greens , Tracy deliberate it a neutral . “ attend out at the garden , there ’s so much green , ” she say , so it fits aright into the prospect nicely .
4. Create Comfortable Spots to Sit & Lounge
Left : Black Adirondack chairs on a patio near the pool deck provide a comfy smirch to lounge , and their sheer people of color brings out the bright blooming plants nearby such as the yellowTuscan Gold ™ oxeye . mighty : In the greenhouse , two chairs with comfortable and fashionable cushion create an inviting spot to lounge and take it all in . Photos by Dayna Springfield .
All your severe work and exploit should be enjoyed , so having a speckle to sit and relax in your garden is a must . Her primary objective when outfitting these area ? cosiness ! “ I supply pieces that make it experience like I ’m bringing the inside out , ” enjoin Tracy . “ Things like outside pillow , rugs , terrace Inner Light , and basket with superfluous throw blankets make outside space experience comfortable and inviting . ”
Comfort is the primary goal , but by strategically choose decorative pillows with colorful and capricious patterns and article of furniture in colors that complement besiege plant , Tracy has make session areas that not only fit right into the rest of her garden ’s style — they supply to the overall esthetic .
5. Consider Views From All Angles
Tracy ’s glasshouse is just one element that exemplifies her care to detail . Here , whether a person is go in or exiting the bodily structure , they take in an alluring scenery . exposure by : Dayna Springfield ( left ) Linda Hagen ( right ) .
For most , mean about the opinion of a garden from the window of a household or another construction is n’t a new concept . But have you ever considered the view from the exterior , in ? For good example , if you have a big image window in your living elbow room , what does one see when looking back at your living way from your backyard ?
For Tracy , views from all Angle are considered when project and planning . That ’s seeming when approach her greenhouse from the lawn : Tracy has create a picturesque , inviting conniption . This approach is both aesthetically pleasing ( no matter which direction you happen to be looking ! ) and helpful in making the outside place combine seamlessly with the indoor spaces . “ During the summer , I keep the doors of the greenhouse open , ” Tracy shares . “ It ’s like an invitation . ”
6. Get Organized
A potting terrace in the greenhouse , built by Tracy ’s husband , allow her with a handy place to organize pots , industrial plant plant food , tool , and more . The right side of the stumbler - block top has slits in it so she can tangle dirt in good order into the container below with comfort . Photo by Dayna Springfield .
Figuring out where to put all the peter and other materials you need for horticulture can be overwhelming . “ There are so many gardening products , and when it comes to things like fertilizers and pest control , you do n’t want that just sitting out , ” say Tracy . “ I find that it ’s easy to throw them in a bin . ” Using storage bins that are squeamish to wait at is a groovy elbow room to organise your garden tools and other materials in a way that does n’t make an eyesore .
Group materials into categories and find bombastic binful to store smaller point — such as plant markers and dribble emitter — so they do n’t get lost in the mix . Other small touches , such as a wickerwork scum bin to take for her hose , make the storage part of the décor rather than a littered distraction .
7. Use Perennials in Containers
Here , Tracy uses perennials from Proven winner such as lime - unripe edged foliation ofShadowland ® ‘ Wheee ! ’ hosta(at plaza ) , dad of hopeful pinkish - redFruit Punch ® ‘ Cranberry Cocktail ’ genus Dianthus , trailing‘Goldilocks ’ creeping Jenny , and more — all of which Tracy can transfer into the ground once they ’ve outgrown the window boxful . For more details on flora used here , see her Instagram post . exposure by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
If you live in a colder climate and you ’re eager to get your planter corner filled come early outpouring , take a wind from Tracy and reach for perennials or else of annuals . When they ’re done inflorescence in her window boxes , she places them in the primer in her garden . “ They look ripe right away , ” she notes . “ I do love filling my window boxes and container with some frigid - tolerant annual but when they ’re done , you ’re out the money . Using perennial in your containers or window box is ultimately a win - profits . You get outpouring blossoming containers and new perennials for the ground . ”
8. Simplify Your Gardening Life
Here , Tracy draw a pair of scissors out of a container in the Rise Up Garden surface area . promiscuous access to scissor grip make it light to rationalize on the fly ball ! pic by : Dayna Springfield .
Maintaining a garden requires a lot of work , so think creatively about how to make things easier on yourself . One priceless idea from Tracy is to conceal cheap scissors in containers around your garden so you may cursorily and well deadhead when you need to . She gets her scissor hold from the Dollar Tree . They ’re cheap , but they do the trick !
to boot , Tracy keep on a few things next to each garden spicket for easy access : a watering can , a container of water - soluble fertilizer , pruning shears , and even a legal community of easy lay ! “ I wrap the soap in nylon and bind the end , ” partake in Tracy . “ That path the soap is right there and I can easy dampen my hand after doing my workplace in the garden . ”
9. Embrace the Sentimental
Tracy and her granddaughter turned this tearing can into a container , planting it with ( clockwise from top ): pinkTruffula ™ Pink gomphrena , Supertunia ® Hoopla ™ Vivid Orchid ™ , trailing cherry-red Mezoo ™ , orangy - cherry calibrachoa , andDiamond Frost ® genus Euphorbia . exposure by : Dayna Springfield .
Gardens are for communion , and they ’re often places where sweet memories are made . Maybe you have a plant you ’ve added in remembrance of someone special or a container gifted by a grandmother that you ca n’t stick out to part with . Here , a lovely watering - can - turned - planter is home to a container planting that Tracy and her granddaughter completed together . “ I let my granddaughter pick her favourite plants , ” Tracy share . “ It was n’t a combination I would have necessarily blame , but I really like the way it turned out , and it ’s even more special since I planted it with my granddaughter . ” conceive outside the box to receive way you could make your garden unambiguously yours - a meaningful space for you to reminisce .
TRACY’S COLORFUL FAVORITES (AT THE MOMENT)
Yes , we asked Tracy the impossible question . And she was kind enough to humour us by providing four of her current favorite garden stunners !
Photo by Dayna Springfield .
BUTTERFLY WEED
This vivacious stunner , which flourish in Zones 3 through 9 , not only make a beautiful cut flower , it also brings all the butterfly stroke to the railway yard . A bonus ? It self - sows . “ It reseed all over the place . I make love it ! ” Tracy suppose .
SCAEVOLA
Tracy introduced us to this self - cleaning annual that performs well in both containers and landscapes . This sweetheart will keep producing bloom from the time you plant it until first frost .
TUSCAN GOLD ™ oxeye
With its tidy , upright use , this false helianthus wee a great low - criminal maintenance addition to gardens in Zones 4 through 9 . “ I love that it ’s long - blooming , ” Tracy suppose . “ It ’s a corking height , and I have n’t had any problems produce it in my garden . ”
Photo by Tracy Van Volkinburg .
SUMMERIFIC ® HIBISCUS
When everything else in the garden is dwindling as summertime reaches its peak , hibiscus comes along to bring some much - needed color . “ They ’re so fun when everything else is so tired , ” Tracy tell . Shown here isSummerific ® ‘ Candy puppy love ’ .
MORE FROM TRACY’S GARDEN
We just could n’t get enough of Tracy ’s garden . If you ’re feeling the same , here are several more pictorial matter for you to enjoy !
In the “ Pretty Path ” region of the garden , a gemstone paseo allow Tracy and visitor to meander next to self - seeding orange butterfly weed,‘Denim ' n Lace ’ Russian Sage , and zinnias in a variety of brilliant colors . exposure by : Linda Hagen
Tracy is n’t the only sports fan of bee balm in the garden — bees , hummingbird , butterflies , mothers , and other pollinator love it , too . picture by : Dayna Springfield .
A birdhouse rises above the planting in the butterfly stroke garden , bursting with blooms of genus Rudbeckia and daisy . Beyond , a row of blue spruce Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree produce a natural barrier between Tracy ’s property and the neighboring land . Photo by : Dayna Springfield .
On Tracy ’s suspect front porch , container plantings postulate a small assist . To help them get the brightness they need to arise , she exchange the porch light with grow ignitor — just one of Tracy ’s many clever ideas on display ! photograph by : Dayna Springfield .
A belated - summer thought of Tracy ’s garden — a symphony of coloration working in tandem bicycle to create a garden that one ca n’t help but feel happy in ! Here , we get a feeling at the greenhouse straight in the lead , the puddle home to the rightfield , and the " Rise Up " gardens in the distance . Photo by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
Tracy ’s " Playhouse Gardens " and her signature window boxes that decorate the consortium house are in full bloom in late summertime . photograph by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
Have you ever watch a more beautiful , inviting glasshouse ? We could sit and look at this one for Clarence Day ! pic by : Tracy Van Volkinburg .
See more of Tracy ’s garden on Instagram@plaids.and.poppiesor on her websiteplaidsandpoppies.com .
