Gardens of Grace

A cottage surrounded by extensive gardens is a place of joy during
good times and a place of comfort during tough times.

Seven years ago, Tracy Van Volkinburg and her husband walked onto a piece of property in Dorr, Michigan, on a chilly day in the middle of winter. They’d been searching for a property out in the country with plenty of acreage, dreaming of a house built off a road and a big yard with space for gardens, a greenhouse and a pool for the grandkids. They trudged through snow to the highest point on the land and immediately knew they were standing in the place where their future home would be built.

greenhouse with view to cottage gardens — OUT OF THE COLD. “The greenhouse is attached to the barn so it can be heated throughout the winter,” Tracy explains. Since the barn was already heated, all they had to do was add another zone. No matter the weather, the greenhouse is cozy and lets the couple soak up some rays even when it’s cold. It’s also the perfect place to keep overwintering plants.

exterior of new build cottage style home with gardens — OUT OF THE COLD. “The greenhouse is attached to the barn so it can be heated throughout the winter,” Tracy explains. Since the barn was already heated, all they had to do was add another zone. No matter the weather, the greenhouse is cozy and lets the couple soak up some rays even when it’s cold. It’s also the perfect place to keep overwintering plants.

“I remember that day,” Tracy, a passionate gardener, home décor enthusiast and Instagram content creator, says. “The angle was just right for a home with two porches: one to watch the sunrise from and one to watch the sunset from.” Soon, the couple’s dream became a reality, embodied in a cottage-style home with lots of windows and window boxes, a long curvy driveway, front-porch rocking chairs and glorious, thriving gardens surrounding it all. It’s a beautiful place that nurtures the couple every day and has been a place of refuge during tragedy.

pool house with hammock and yellow door — Awesome Awning. Tracy has always loved black-and-white striped fabrics, so she incorporated one as an awning for the pool house. That, in turn, led to black-and-white striped curtains for the back porch and even some bolster pillows for the pool chaises.

raised bed gardens and greenhouse in Michigan home gardens — Awesome Awning. Tracy has always loved black-and-white striped fabrics, so she incorporated one as an awning for the pool house. That, in turn, led to black-and-white striped curtains for the back porch and even some bolster pillows for the pool chaises.

In the Garden

After the house was built, the couple started plans for the landscape. Patios were poured, retaining walls were built, stone walkways were created to flow from space to space and the beginnings of the garden areas were sculpted out.

“Trees were the only thing I brought in and planted,” Tracy says. “The rest was a blank canvas for me to design and fill.” And did she ever! Since Tracy works with plant companies and greenhouses for content on Instagram @plaids.and.poppies, she has access to an unlimited variety of plants, resulting in an Edenic landscape teeming with life and beauty.

“I started with the front gardens, planting them to be a little more formal. In the back it’s definitely more of a cottage-garden feel with all my favorites mingling together,” Tracy says.

greenhouse with skylights and seating area — **Playing Checkers.** Tracy always wanted to paint a checkerboard floor somewhere and got her opportunity with the greenhouse. “The greenhouse floor is poured concrete. I stained it all white first with a white Valspar stain and then added the green diamonds,” she says. Her husband owns a sign company, so he created a diamond-shaped vinyl paint mask that adhered to the floor. Tracy then used a green Valspar stain to create the diamonds.

flowers planted outside home greenhouse — **Playing Checkers.** Tracy always wanted to paint a checkerboard floor somewhere and got her opportunity with the greenhouse. “The greenhouse floor is poured concrete. I stained it all white first with a white Valspar stain and then added the green diamonds,” she says. Her husband owns a sign company, so he created a diamond-shaped vinyl paint mask that adhered to the floor. Tracy then used a green Valspar stain to create the diamonds.

Landscaped with Love

Right off the back porch is a table and chairs for dining alfresco whenever the weather allows. There’s access to the outside from the cottage’s laundry room, kitchen and dining room. From the fire-pit area, just a couple of steps lead you down to the pool and pool-house area.

pool with slide and picnic area in backyard — Making a Splash. The couple debated whether to put in a pool since Michigan summers are short-lived. “However, once the grandkids expressed their desire, my first thought was how short life is and I decided, ‘Let’s make the most of it!’” Tracy says. They started to check into the styles of pools and asked all the grandkids their opinion, eventually settling on a sport pool, which features a slide, games of volleyball and basketball, and more shallow areas for the grandbabies.

pool house with flower boxes and greenhouse — TLC is Key. One of the questions Tracy is often asked is how much time her landscape-maintenance takes. “We do have a lawn service that puts down my mulch in the gardens as well as helps me cut greenery back in the fall and in the spring,” Tracy explains. Other than that, she does it all herself with the occasional help from friends when she’s on a time crunch for a photo shoot or a party. All the gardens are named and have their own day that they get tended to.

“It was fun to design all the gardens that would surround each space,” Tracy says. Right outside the kitchen window is her butterfly garden, which she filled with flowers loved by the pollinators. In addition to a fire pit and pool, there’s a stylish greenhouse featuring a green-and-white checked floor. It’s heated, so it allows Tracy to get in some much-needed time outdoors, even in the colder months. “Oftentimes, I use the greenhouse for get-togethers,” Tracy explains. “Tea parties with grandkids, Valentine parties, Christmas parties, pumpkin painting parties, fairy garden planting with grandkids—I love hosting there.”

cottage garden style white picket fence — White Picket Fence. Longing for a quaint cottage-garden feel, Tracy had a white picket fence installed. “Since we have 14 acres, the yard will never be fully fenced in, but this little space gives me my Peter Rabbit garden,” she says.

Michigan home with backyard pool firepit and landscaping — White Picket Fence. Longing for a quaint cottage-garden feel, Tracy had a white picket fence installed. “Since we have 14 acres, the yard will never be fully fenced in, but this little space gives me my Peter Rabbit garden,” she says.

Grace Amid Sorrow

The home and its property have also been a place of comfort during terrible times. “My mom and dad were in a tragic motorcycle accident last summer and we lost my dad,” Tracy says. “Shortly after, we also lost our beloved dog. We went through our losses while surrounded by flowers and birds singing, and that was healing. Nature surely has a way of connecting you to our Creator. I found such a tremendous hope there.”

Tracy’s cottage and gardens are truly an example of how “home” can be a place of wonder during good times, but also a place of peace and healing during hard times.

outdoor dining area and greenhouse in Michigan cottage gardens — Dining Alfresco. Eating outside is one of Tracy’s favorite ways to enjoy summer. “Whether I’m having a ladies’ luncheon, a family dinner or even just a romantic weekday dinner with my husband, this space is perfect,” she says. “The umbrella is a fun way to dress up the table as well as the rug underneath, while the rustic table creates an organic feel that blends in with the gardens around it.”

new build cottage style home with gardens and pool — Dining Alfresco. Eating outside is one of Tracy’s favorite ways to enjoy summer. “Whether I’m having a ladies’ luncheon, a family dinner or even just a romantic weekday dinner with my husband, this space is perfect,” she says. “The umbrella is a fun way to dress up the table as well as the rug underneath, while the rustic table creates an organic feel that blends in with the gardens around it.”

Love gardens? Read on for How to Create a Classic Cottage Garden. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!