Happy Monday, garden enthusiasts across the country! Today, our daily garden spotlight takes us to New Jersey, where creative inspiration is blooming just in time for the cooler months. Renowned garden designers Ellen Goldfarb and Tracy Buttrick have teamed up to share a breathtaking collection of seasonal arrangements that they have meticulously crafted for homes throughout the local area. There is an incredible amount of visual texture, rich color, and innovative planting techniques to enjoy in their latest body of work, proving that the end of the summer growing season is merely a transition into a whole new world of striking outdoor aesthetic possibilities.
Kicking off the showcase, we are highlighting four distinct container designs by Tracy Buttrick. These creations brilliantly demonstrate just how much depth, brilliant color, and contrasting texture can be successfully packed into a single pot, even when planting space is severely limited by architectural boundaries or narrow porch configurations. These remarkable seasonal arrangements are overflowing with imaginative concepts and planting combinations that are well worth borrowing for our own front entrances as we welcome autumn to our doorsteps. Let us take a closer look at the artistry on display.
The first design anchors a large, prominent front porch, serving as one of a matching pair of pots that proudly flank the main front door. Because the residence features a bright white exterior finish, Tracy intentionally designed the pots to boast an explosion of intense color so they would immediately stand out against the neutral backdrop rather than getting lost in the visual expanse. At the commanding top of this arrangement sits a graceful purple fountain grass, scientifically known as Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ (thriving typically in USDA Zones 8 through 11). Accompanying this graceful grass are balloon plant seedpods (Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Zones 8–10), stately broom corn (Sorghum bicolor, grown as an annual), great millet (Sorghum bicolor, annual), and the vibrant ‘Intenz’ celosia (Celosia argentea ‘Intenz’, annual). Further adding to the rich tapestry of this large-scale container are whimsical pumpkins-on-a-stick (Solanum aethiopicum, annual), decorative ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum cultivars, annual), classic garden mums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium cultivars, Zones 5–9), and bold ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea cultivars, annual).
Moving on to the second featured piece, Tracy designed a striking square planter that leans heavily into a fiery palette of warm harvest tones and rich textural contrasts. This particular composition incorporates broom corn alongside ‘Jade Princess’ ornamental millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Jade Princess’, annual), crested celosia (Celosia argentea var. cristata, annual), and ‘Durango Red’ French marigolds (Tagetes patula ‘Durango Red’, annual). To round out the multi-layered look, Tracy integrated more of the playful pumpkins-on-a-stick, traditional garden mums, additional ornamental peppers, the delicate ‘Concertina Pink’ celosia (Celosia argentea ‘Concertina Pink’, annual), and a soft cascading skirt of Snow Princess sweet alyssum (Lobularia ‘Inlbusnopr’, annual). The combination showcases a masterful blending of vertical drama and spilling softness at the container’s edge.
The third creation presents a unique architectural puzzle. Although this particular pot looks quite big and round at first glance, it actually features a surprisingly small internal planting area, presenting an ongoing horticultural challenge for any designer seeking abundant fullness. To overcome this spatial limitation and achieve a lush, overflowing appearance, Tracy utilized a clever mix of purple fountain grass, more whimsical pumpkins-on-a-stick, and the striking ‘Dragon’s Breath’ celosia (Celosia argentea ‘Dragon’s Breath’, annual). She complemented these with ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea cultivars, annual), the richly shaded ‘Twisted Dark Orange’ celosia (Celosia argentea ‘Twisted Dark Orange’, annual), hardy heather (Calluna vulgaris, Zones 4–8), and another generous helping of Snow Princess sweet alyssum to soften the harder edges of the gray container.
Concluding Tracy’s featured quartet is a matching smaller round pot positioned precisely at the base of the front porch steps, which presented a similar set of spatial obstacles. Featuring an opening of only eight inches across, this petite vessel required structural assistance to gain proper visual presence. Here, delicate branches were creatively employed to provide much-needed height and body to the overarching design. Within this confined space, Tracy expertly arranged yellow winterberry (Ilex verticillata, Zones 3–9), pumpkins-on-a-stick, ‘Intenz’ celosia, ornamental kale, ornamental peppers, ‘Concertina Red’ celosia (Celosia argentea ‘Concertina Red’, annual), heather, and the deep-toned ‘Violet Knight’ sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima ‘Violet Knight’, annual).
We extend our sincere thanks to Ellen Goldfarb and Tracy Buttrick for generously sharing these magnificent fall containers with our gardening community. We will be featuring more of their inspiring design work throughout the coming week, so be sure to stay tuned for additional seasonal updates.
