Photo courtesy of Denise Weedman A photo from the 2025 Tracy Area Gardens and Quilts Tour shows the mix of color and landscaping that comes from quilt displays at Tracy area gardens. This year's tour, planned for July 8, will take visitors south of Tracy, to gardens in the Lake Shetek area.

TRACY — Colorful quilts and garden blooms will soon be sharing the spotlight, at the annual Tracy Area Gardens and Quilts Tour. This year, the tour will include stops at gardens in the area around Lake Sarah, Lake Shetek and Currie.

On July 8, visitors will be able to tour the gardens of Sheila and Mike Holland, Janna and Marc Milbradt, Terrie and Tom Rothmeier, Teresa and Bob Liesenfeld, and Kim and Scott Ruppert. At each stop, the gardens will also include displays of quilts by Lori Head, Cindy Schuler, Cindy Larson, Janna Milbradt, Lynn Larson, and the Patriotic Piecers chapter of Quilts of Valor.

Each of the stops on the tour will have something different, organizers said. Bob and Teresa Liesenfeld’s garden include perennial flowers like Asiatic lilies, and Sheila and Mike Holland’s garden includes features like an outside bar area with fire pits. Terrie Rothmeier raises garden plants from seed, in a greenhouse that Tom Rothmeier built.

Kim and Scott Ruppert said their garden has grown over time. The Rupperts were looking for a project to do in their retirement, which turned out to be raising pumpkins. The Ruppert pumpkin patch was planted 16 years ago, and has made many children happy each fall.

The Milbradts’ gardens include hundreds of varieties of hostas, as well as an oak tree that has seen some history. Marc Milbradt said it’s estimated that the oak has stood since 1724.

The Milbradts’ garden will host a display of quilts from the Patriotic Piecers. The group is a chapter of the national Quilts of Valor organization, with members from the Westbrook and Pipestone area. Quilts of Valor creates patriotic-themed quilts that are awarded to military veterans, in appreciation of their service.

Organizers said this year’s tour will also feature a special guest. Quilting instructor Joni Lowe will be doing different quilting demonstrations throughout the day at Key Largo on Lake Shetek. Lowe will also have a display of some of her own quilts. In addition to checking out the demonstrations, visitors can also enjoy some pie and ice cream at Key Largo.

The 2026 Gardens and Quilts Tour will be from 2-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. Tickets for the tour will be $20. There are no advance ticket sales. Tickets will be available starting at 2 p.m. July 8 at Lake Sarah Park and at Valhalla Road, as well as at each tour site.

For more information, people can send an email to tracy.area.garden.quilts@gmail.com.