Newsletter Articles & Archive

By Paula Joyner

“You ARE the garden” rings in my ears these days as we rebound from the Ice Storm. The Dick Hillenius poem I recently read bears sharing:

A garden is more than meets the eye

growth from the past

growth still to come

strolling through a garden

is like wandering through a vast memory

everything has an origin

faraway places always remembered

bonds with friends

some dead but immortal here

growth rings

you are the garden.

Our gardens are reflections of our lives – the plants we have because dear friends and cherished Grandmothers and Aunts “shared”, the plants we nurtured from seed into their steady place in the garden, the flamboyant plant or statement tree that everything else revolves around, and the places and plants of healing planted to help us restore after upheavals in our life cycles. A palette of Growth Circles.

In this 40th year of celebration of Master Gardeners, we are looking for five volunteers to “talk story” as they say in Hawaii, with some of our long-term Master Gardeners and let them share the stories of their garden life. Collect their thoughts on certain plants and the meaning within their Gardens, their Growth Circles – with maybe a few photos. Would you be willing to spend an afternoon on a shaded porch listening?… and then writing that story, then sharing the story with the Master Gardeners at our 40th anniversary celebration and in the 40th Anniversary Cookbook “Seasons in Our Gardens: 40 Years of MGofDC Recipes, Education, & Stories”? If you are interested in assisting with this fun project, please email Susanna Hadley at susanna.hutton1@gmail.com or, Education Chair, Paula Joyner, at education@mgofdc.org.

Then there is one other level of Growth Circles that we are living through / with – our city of Nashville has grown over 81% since FY1990. The MG Member Education workgroup is trying to find a couple of local leaders to speak to our membership sometime this year about the effect of growth on our waterways, our tree canopy and even landscape designers in public spaces or …. developers successfully accentuating sustainable, residential site development. If any of you have relationships we can build from to secure a speaker for our membership, we would appreciate the help!?! Our circle is widening and growing, so we want to offer fresh content. We all care deeply. We ARE the Garden and we are growing together. Thank you for sharing the wandering.

By Mindy Davis

For nearly four decades, the Nashville Tree Foundation (NTF) has worked to plant, protect, and promote trees across Davidson County. Founded in 1986, the nonprofit recognizes that trees are more than landscape features—they are essential infrastructure. A healthy urban canopy improves air and water quality, reduces urban heat, supports wildlife, and strengthens neighborhood resilience. In 2026, the organization proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking decades of community partnership in growing Nashville’s urban forest.

The NTF advances its mission through hands-on volunteer work and community engagement. Throughout the year, NTF hosts community tree plantings and stewardship events that bring residents together to care for parks, neighborhoods, and other shared spaces. Seasonal tree distribution events in the fall and spring help residents plant trees on their own properties, expanding the city’s canopy one yard at a time.

Education is also a key part of the foundation’s work. The Tree Stewards program, launched last year, provides residents with practical knowledge about tree care, urban forestry, and canopy stewardship. Participants learn how to identify, plant, and maintain trees so they can serve as informed advocates for Nashville’s urban forest. NTF also hosts Canopy Connections, a networking series organized with the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council that brings together local tree professionals, volunteers, and tree enthusiasts.

One of the organization’s most beloved initiatives is the Big Old Tree Contest, an annual celebration of Davidson County’s most impressive and meaningful trees. The contest highlights both the physical grandeur of large trees and the stories that connect them to the community.

Winners are recognized in several categories. The Overall Biggest Tree and species-specific winners are determined through measurements of circumference, height, and canopy spread. Additional categories—such as Story Tree, Unique Tree, and Biggest Tree Nominated by a Junior Tree Hugger—celebrate the cultural and personal connections people have with their trees.

Among the standout winners in the 2025 Big Old Tree Contest was a magnificent Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) located on Hillwood Boulevard. With a circumference of 185 inches, a height of 136 feet, and a canopy spread of nearly 123 feet, it was named the contest’s Overall Winner.

This Tulip Poplar, 2025 Overall Winner, is owned by the Caldwell family and was nominated by Ashley Levi.

Other memorable honorees include the “Kissing Trees” in Fannie Mae Dees “Dragon” Park—a hackberry and black walnut growing side by side and leaning toward one another, earning the Unique Tree award. The Story Tree category recognized a towering Red Oak on South Douglas Avenue, nominated by a young “Junior Tree Hugger,” whose family has watched the tree grow and serve as a landmark in their neighborhood for years.

Miriam Mimms, a Nashville Tree Foundation board member and the Commissioner of Beautification and Environment for District 18, nominated these conjoined “Kissing Trees” (Hackberry Celtis occidentalis & Black Walnut Juglans nigra) in the 2025 Unique Tree category.

This Red Oak was nominated by Ellis Costello, a Junior nominator in the 2025 Story Tree category. It measures 172 inches in circumference, stands approximately 120 feet tall, and has a canopy spread of 93 feet.

Residents who care about Nashville’s urban forest can get involved in many ways. Community members can volunteer at tree plantings and stewardship events, participate in educational programs, or support canopy recovery efforts through donations. Following NTF on social media @nashvilletree is another way to stay informed about upcoming opportunities.

To learn more about volunteering, educational programs, or other ways to participate, visit:

https://nashvilletreefoundation.org/get-involved/

Those interested in supporting Nashville’s urban canopy through donations can contribute at: https://nashvilletreefoundation.org/donate/give/

Through community engagement and a shared love of trees, the Nashville Tree Foundation continues its work to ensure that Nashville’s urban forest thrives for generations to come.

By Paul Prill

In the early 1920s, when Rogers Caldwell and his wife, Margaret Trousdale, built Brentwood Hall on their 207 acre property, now the home of the Ellington Agricultural Center, one of the first trees they bought and planted was the Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima) which still stands in our arboretum. That tree could not have been there when they built the house, because it was first introduced in the United States in 1925, an import from Asian countries. Sawtooth Oak was brought to the U. S. because it was a fast growing oak, reaching a height between 80 and 100 feet, and because it produced an early crop of acorns, food for the turkey and deer, which in turn were food for hunters. It is now listed as an invasive plant from Florida to New England and from the Atlantic Ocean to Texas. Its saplings grow so quickly that it outcompetes other oaks, in some cases producing a monoculture. Unlike native oaks, Sawtooth Oak does not support insect life, and its acorns are deficient in many of the nutrients in the acorns of native oaks. Nevertheless, the Caldwells did what we still do today, see a new plant which has useful features and put it in the ground, without knowing its ecological impact. The estimated age of our tree is 100 years old.

If you see a large tree with five deliberately damaged vines growing up it, you’ve found what is probably the oldest tree at the arboretum. The Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) doesn’t reach its full height (70-80 feet) until it is at least 150 years old, and it can then live another 100 years before it dies. The vines were winter creeper (Euonymous fortunei), and based on the sections we cut out, they had been growing on the tree for at least 30-40 years. Had they not been removed, those vines would have broken the tree in the recent ice storm. Black Walnuts, as most of us have known since our youth, kill most any other plant growing in their root zone. They produce a chemical, juglone, which acts as a natural herbicide, suppressing growth and causing plants to wilt. Even after a tree is removed, the soil can remain toxic to new growth for years. Black Walnut trees serve as a host plant to over 100 species of butterfly and moth larvae, including the caterpillars of the Luna moth and the Polyphemus moth. The nuts supply nutrient-dense food to squirrels, mice, foxes, and woodpeckers, and the Eastern Screech Owl often uses black walnut trees for a nesting site.

By Brenda Peterson

Nashville’s Wild Blooms and Hidden Landscapes - Nature’s quieter, wilder side of the city

Beyond the well-known gardens such as Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, Nashville rewards curiosity with what might best be described as petaled side quests.

Each March, Fort Negley and Ellington Agricultural Center erupt in a golden superbloom of Paysonia lescurii, an endemic mustard plant locals lovingly call Music City gold. Its faint honey scent drifts over picnic blankets, a fleeting seasonal gift that feels almost secret.

Summer brings movement and life to places like Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, where butterfly weed and milkweed comes alive, drawing pollinators in steady motion, and the Belmont Mansion’s formal Italianate gardens which provides a stately backdrop for sculpture tours, accented by dramatic plantings like blood-red beebalm. Even formal spaces feel alive here, shaped by both history and habitat.

Centennial Park hides one of Nashville’s most charming surprises: a Sunken Garden tucked away from the main paths. It’s a peaceful counterpoint to the park’s grand scale and a favorite stop for families and history lovers alike.

Back on campus, Vanderbilt University’s gardens offer a layered botanical experience. The Historical Medicinal Garden, planted in collaboration with Professor Arleen Tuchman, features plants once used by an 18th-century midwife and healer and begins blooming in spring. Nearby, wildflower-designated areas and the Appleton Native Species and Pollinator Garden support biodiversity, while Massey Circle, the university’s largest annual flower bed, showcases roughly 3,000 plantings each season—and even doubles as a research site through the Soil Your Undies Project.

These landscapes remind us that Nashville’s beauty isn’t always curated. Sometimes it emerges—unexpected and unforgettable—right where you least expect it.

Nashville Public Library, Crystal Deane, 2018

Reprinted with permission of Nashville Public Library

NPL is thrilled to kick off the fifth year of Seed Exchange. Visit one of our fifteen seed exchange locations and borrow all sorts of seed varieties to grow in early spring, summer, or fall. While serving as "seed librarian" at the Main Library, I've had the incredible honor of getting to know Davidson County Master Gardener Joan Clayton-Davis, who is always happy to share her wealth of gardening knowledge and love of growing vegetables. "Fresh tomato sandwiches cannot be described with mortal words" Joan declares, and I most heartily agree! I reached out to Joan with a few garden-related questions and she kindly responded.

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Crystal Deane: Talk about your ancestors’ experience with farming, including how they acquired and saved seeds.

Joan Clayton-Davis: A Lifetime of Farming...My family has been in the farming business since 1913 when my grandfather (Monroe Clayton, Sr. who was born a slave in 1862) at the age of 41 years old purchased 200 acres to establish the Clayton farm and homestead.

Entrance to the Monroe Clayton, Sr. Farm…Where Joan’s love of gardening started.

He later purchased 96 adjacent acres in 1919 and the original farm has been continuously operated by the descendants of Monroe Clayton, Sr. Additionally, two of his sons and their families purchased 127 acres, and 75 acres of adjoining properties that expanded the Clayton family farms in the New St. James Community of Timberlake, N.C.

The farm was an extended family members operation designed to make the Clayton family self-sufficient and to educate all members of the family and promote advancements for the African American community. The homestead consisted of a main house and two residential homes. My family grew such crops as tobacco, corn, wheat, milo, and raised livestock such as hogs, cows, and poultry until the early 1980s. We saved corn, lima beans, and string bean seeds as part of each year’s row crop production and vegetable gardening. The farm is now operated as a loblolly pine tree plantation of which I as serve as managing partner.

Joan Clayton-Davis

Do you still grow any of the beloved varieties your ancestors grew?

I grow purple top turnip greens and “creasy greens” (a.k.a. wild watercress) which grow wild across the fields in Piedmont, North Carolina where I grew up. Now you can find seeds available for purchase. Mix creasy greens with freshly grown turnip and mustard greens to make a delicious mixed greens dish resulting in outstanding pot likker. I cook the greens with salt pork or country ham, onions, and cayenne peppers. Of course, the greens and pot likker must be served with cornbread.

What is your own earliest memory from the garden?

There is no time that I don’t remember gardening in the Clayton family. My first memories of gardening are walking through the front door of our house (the main house), through the front yard and my grandmother’s flower garden, then down the pathway to the gate opening into the large kitchen garden that provided food for our extended family. The garden was adjacent to the orchard that included both fruit and nut trees (apples, pears, cherry, damson plums, figs, pecans, etc.).

I remember hating to shell lima beans, but mixing those lima beans with fresh corn made a wonderfully tasty meal that was always a treat.

Of all the vegetables you raise, which is the easiest to grow, the most difficult, and your personal favorite to pick and eat fresh from the garden?

• Easy: Crooked neck squash, various varieties of zucchini squash especially 8-ball squash, green beans, okra, peppers, cabbage, greens (turnip, mustard, kale, collards, lettuce), sweet potatoes, and melons are usually the easiest to grow. Tomatoes can be tricky, but are generally easy.
• Difficult: Green peas, beets, peanuts. If planted at the appropriate time as recommended on the planting chart for Zone 7, they will usually do well.
• Favorite to pick and eat fresh from the garden: Tomatoes, green peas, okra, mouse/cucamelon which are the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers.

Fresh tomato sandwiches cannot be described with mortal words, especially when made with homemade bread.

You are a Davidson County Master Gardener. What does it take to earn this achievement?

Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who use their knowledge and expertise to educate the public on horticulture and environmental stewardship using research-based information available through UT Extension. In addition to class requirements, students must complete 40 hours of volunteer service at a variety of Master Gardener Projects such as the Nashville City Cemetery, Rachel’s Kitchen Garden at The Hermitage, and the Demo Garden at Ellington Agriculture Center. You can find out more information by contacting UT Extension Davidson County Office at (615) 862-5995.

What do you think is the most common mistake of beginning gardeners?

Not dedicating adequate time to gardening and thinking they cannot grow things...Not taking advantage of local resources such as Master Gardeners, NPL Seed Exchange Programs, UT and TSU Extension.

Do you garden all year round, or do you take a break in the deep of winter?

I garden all year round, using the following schedule:

• Nov – Feb: Cleaning and prepare gardening area and tools, review gardening and seed magazines
• Feb – Mar: Start seeds for early spring garden, order seeds
• Mar – Apr: Plant early spring garden
• May – July: Plant and maintain warm season garden, begin preserving foods (canning, freezing, pickling, drying, begin seed saving
• Aug – Oct: Plant fall vegetable garden, seed saving, preserve fall garden produce

We are kicking off the fifth year of Nashville Public Library’s Seed Exchange. Of all the seeds we offer, okra seems to be one of the least checked out. I myself, LOVE okra. Do you have a recommended recipe to convince the okra haters what a wonderfully tasty vegetable it is?

Here are two ways to help people LOVE okra. First: try pickling young tender pods (2- 2 ½ inch okra) and you miss the slime. I like the recipe from the Ball Blue Book. It is easy and it’s a great recipe for people who are just beginning to make pickles or preserve foods; plus, I always use fresh dill and red cayenne peppers from my garden. My second recommendation: save the okra seeds to use as a coffee substitute/alternative.

Wow, I'm intrigued! How does that work?

A simple recipe is ½ cup okra for 6 cups coffee. Use pods that have gotten too large, or wait until they become hard. Harvest them, save the seeds by removing from the pods, roast them at 350 degrees, grind them in a food processor, put them in the coffee maker the same as coffee. Brew and enjoy the great caffeine free taste!

I’ve attended your gardening workshops at the library, and have been inspired by your knowledge and passion for growing plants and vegetables. How has gardening enriched your life?

Throughout each phase of my life, gardening has enhanced my appreciation of nature, the environment, and the need to protect it. It is therapeutic in providing opportunities to get outside, stay outside, exercise, dig in the dirt, get dirty, sweat, relax, listen to the sounds of nature, watch the cycles of the seasons, and commune with nature. Since retirement, it has allowed me to continue serving the community and meet new wonderful friends who have a similar passion and interest in gardening, and spend more time engaged in our family farm.

The 2018 Nashville Reads selection is The Potlikker Papers by John T. Edge. How do you like to cook greens, and what do you do with any leftover potlikker?

First I choose whether to cook greens with cured pork (ham hocks, salt pork, or other cured pork) or with a healthier choice like smoked turkey.

• Fill your pot about 1/3 full of water, add meat and begin cooking while washing greens.
• Wash greens several times to make sure they are free of any debris.
• Add your greens to the water until they wilt.
• Add one onion and two red cayenne peppers for a large pot of greens. Cook until done.
• Remove greens from the pot with a draining spoon and place in a serving dish.

Enjoy the potlikker as soup served immediately, or save in containers for later use. And of course, potlikker is best paired with freshly baked cornbread.

I'd like to thank Joan Clayton-Davis along with the rest of the Master Gardeners of Davidson County for volunteering their time, talents, and expertise in support of NPL Seed Exchange. Nashvillians' thumbs are greener because of you.

Happy gardening, everyone!

-crystal

Crystal Deane is a librarian in the Popular Materials Department. She likes mysteries, cookbooks, and cats. She dislikes spoilers, and won't include any in her reviews.

By James Hearn

As we gear up for another fantastic growing season, I wanted to share some exciting insights from the 2025 Tennessee Home Garden Variety Trials. If you're currently flipping through seed catalogs and wondering what to plant this year, these results are an absolute goldmine!

Led by Natalie Bumgarner and Virginia Sykes from the UT Department of Plant Sciences, this program uses an awesome citizen science approach. Instead of relying entirely on institutional farms, they put the seeds straight into the hands of home gardeners across the state to see how the varieties perform across different locations. Last year, 177 participants representing 43 Tennessee counties planted a whopping 747 trials! They tested everything from germination to flavor, gathering invaluable data on what actually thrives right here in our local soils.

Here are a few standout winners from the 2025 trials that you might want to consider making room for in your own garden:

Bush Beans: The cultivar 'Desperado' was a massive hit, earning a 100% recommendation rate from trialers. One gardener even called it a "Great bean I want to plant every year because it shined in all categories".

Okra: Both the hybrid 'Jambalaya 2.0' and the open-pollinated 'Perkins Long Pod' scored 100% recommendation rates. If you're short on space, 'Jambalaya 2.0' was noted as a more compact plant that still delivers great tenderness and production.

Lettuce: The green lettuce trial was one of the highest-rated trials overall. 'Gatsbi', a bibb type, got a 100% recommendation and gardeners loved its taste and appearance.

Radishes: For the first time, radishes were included in the trials, and it was a huge success. The traditional round red hybrid 'Donato' scored a 100% recommendation for its classic taste and ease of growing.

Tomatoes: It was a challenging summer, but the indeterminate trial still produced some tasty Tennessee tomatoes. Both the hybrid 'Chef's Choice Orange' and open-pollinated 'Valencia' performed well, with trialers praising their flavor and how great they are for canning.

This is just a quick sneak peek at the results. There is a huge list of recommended varieties that scored a 70% or higher recommendation rate, covering everything from Swiss chard to zinnias.

If you want to be a part of the fun this year and become an active participant in the scientific process, you can sign up to test out some seeds yourself! For more information on how to participate in the upcoming trials, you can visit tiny.utk.edu/2026HGVT.

Happy planting, and let's make this our best gardening season yet!

By Brenda Peterson

I woke this morning to the sound of birds chirping signifying the warmer weather and the coming of Spring and my favorite bird–the Hummingbird. Few garden visitors bring as much delight as Hummingbirds. With wings that blur like sunlight on water and feathers that shimmer in ruby, emerald, and sapphire tones, these tiny birds feel almost magical. Yet beyond their beauty lies a fascinating story of strength, precision, and ecological importance.

Nature’s Only Hovering Bird

Hummingbirds are the only birds capable of sustained hovering. By beating their wings up to 80 times per second, they can remain suspended mid-air while feeding. Even more impressive, they can fly backward, upside down, and change direction instantly.

In North America, the most commonly seen species is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, known for the male’s brilliant red throat that flashes like a gemstone in the sun.

Despite their delicate appearance, Hummingbirds are fierce migrants. Many travel thousands of miles each year. The Rufous Hummingbird makes one of the longest migrations relative to its size, traveling between Alaska and Mexico.

A Metabolism Like No Other

Hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolic rates in the animal kingdom. Their hearts can beat more than 1,200 times per minute, and they must feed every 10–15 minutes throughout the day. To conserve energy at night, they enter a state called torpor, lowering their body temperature and heart rate dramatically.

Their diet primarily consists of nectar, which provides the sugar necessary to fuel their rapid wingbeats. They also consume tiny insects and spiders for protein.

The Pollination Partnership

Hummingbirds are essential pollinators. As they feed, pollen clings to their heads and beaks, transferring from flower to flower. Many tubular, brightly colored blooms have evolved specifically to attract them.

Garden favorites that welcome Hummingbirds include:

• Bee balm
• Salvia
• Trumpet vine
• Columbine
• Cardinal flower

Red and orange flowers are especially attractive, though Hummingbirds rely more on nectar availability than color alone.

Creating a Hummingbird-Friendly Garden

If you’d like to invite these tiny wonders into your landscape, consider the following:

• Plant Native Flowers: Native species provide reliable nectar sources and support local ecosystems.
• Offer a Simple Feeder: Fill with a solution of four parts water to one part white sugar (no dye needed). Clean feeders every 2–3 days in warm weather.

Though many people may not see their first Hummingbird until about the second week in April, the migrants will continue to pass through until approximately mid-May. The timing of migration is why it is important to put Hummingbird feeders up by April 1 each year.

• Provide Perches: Small trees or shrubs give Hummingbirds a place to rest and survey their territory.
• Avoid Pesticides: Insects are an important protein source, especially for nesting females and growing young.
• Keep predators away: Hummingbirds have diverse predators, but domestic and feral cats are often cited as the biggest threat, causing more avian deaths than natural predators, followed closely by small, swift raptors like Sharp-shinned Hawks, and surprisingly, large insects like Praying Mantises and Dragonflies at feeders. Other predators include snakes, lizards, bats, squirrels, and even other birds like Jays, while large spiders can also trap them.

Small Bird, Big Presence

Hummingbirds remind us that greatness is not measured in size. Weighing less than a nickel, they embody resilience, precision, and beauty. Their annual return signals the shift of seasons, the blooming of flowers, and the renewal of life in the garden.

Watching a Hummingbird hover at a blossom, sunlight catching its iridescent throat, we are reminded to pause — to notice — and to appreciate the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.

As you tidy beds, plant containers, and refresh borders, remember that your efforts do more than beautify your landscape—they create a haven for some of nature’s most remarkable visitors. This spring, let your garden be part of their journey.

By Amy Dunlap

For those of you who have played Plant Jeopardy in Master Gardener intern class, you know the bonus Double Jeopardy question always centers on my favorite group of plants: orchids.

I’d say my personal interest started when I worked at Disney and gave tours of our tropical greenhouse to guests. We always talked about the vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia). Native to Mexico, its flowers are naturally pollinated by a tiny species of bee found only in that region. The majority of commercial production is in Madagascar, where there’s no native pollinators for the vanilla orchid. Each flower opens for just one day for a few hours. This means each plant must be hand-pollinated. After pollination, the beans take 8–9 months to mature. Each pod must be carefully harvested, cured, and dried to develop the familiar flavor. This is why vanilla remains one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Orchids aren’t just one plant. They belong to one of the largest plant families in the world, Orchidaceae, with tens of thousands of species and countless hybrids. Orchids make up 10 percent of the world's plant species. Some orchids like the vanilla orchid bloom for only a day, while others like Phalaenopsis can keep flowers for months. Their diversity and complexity is what makes them so fascinating to many gardeners and plant enthusiasts.

Most orchid species are native to the tropics. So, here in Nashville, orchids are indoor plants. March is an important month for their care. Many of the orchids we grow, like Phalaenopsis, are sending up buds or elongating flower spikes now. This is a time to pay attention without overhandling. There’s a certain level of truth to the stereotype that orchids are dramatic and moody. Sudden moves or changes in light can cause buds to drop. Keep your plants in bright, indirect light. East-facing windows work well.

Watering remains key. Overwatering is the most common reason for orchid decline. Check your bark mix. It should dry slightly between waterings. Most orchids do well with about one careful watering per week. Ensure pots have good drainage, and avoid letting water sit in the crown. Healthy roots should be firm and silvery-green. March is a good time to check them without disturbing the spikes.

Humidity and airflow matter too. If the air is dry, use a pebble tray or small humidifier. A gentle fan or leaving the closet door slightly open will keep air moving, which helps prevent rot and pests. After flowering, plan for repotting or light fertilization to encourage new growth. March is about patience and observation, making sure your orchids have consistent care as their buds grow. Enjoy seeing the first hints of spring inside your home.

By James Hearn

Behind the wrought-iron gates of mid-19th-century Nashville, a botanical revolution was taking root. While the city earned its moniker as the "Athens of the South" through its universities and architecture, it was the soil of its grand estates that truly showcased its refinement. These landscapes—once the exclusive domain of the elite—now serve as our city’s public green lungs. By examining their history, we see a clear evolution: from the 19th-century desire to "conquer" nature with exotic imports to our modern mission of sustaining it through ecological stewardship.

The Conservatory Era: Belmont Mansion (1850s)

The story of Nashville’s ornamental obsession begins at Belmont, the antebellum home of Adelicia Acklen. In the 1850s, the estate was home to one of the most elaborate conservatory systems in the United States.

Acklen’s "seasonal defiance" was a feat of engineering. Her massive glass houses nurtured camellias, jasmine, and even citrus—plants that had no business thriving in a Tennessee winter. While these gardens were a display of immense wealth, they also introduced the concept of the "pleasure garden" to Nashville, shifting the local view of land from purely functional to deeply aesthetic. Today, the remnants of these gardens remind us of our long-standing fascination with bringing the world’s flora to our own backyard.

The Farm as a Canvas: Sunnyside at Sevier Park (1840s–1880s)

While Belmont was a monument to luxury, Sunnyside represents the transition from the working farm to the "suburban" estate. Built in the 1840s for Mary Childress Benton, the Greek Revival home sat at the heart of what was then a 350-acre farm.

Unlike the purely ornamental Belmont, Sunnyside’s beauty was rooted in the "middle-class" grand estate tradition—a blend of productive orchards and intentional shade trees. As the estate transitioned through the 19th century, it modeled how Nashville’s rolling hills could be groomed into parkland. Today, through the work of Extension Master Gardeners, the site has come full circle: the land that once fed a single family now serves as a vibrant community space, prioritizing biodiversity and public access over private production.

The Victorian Landscape: Belle Meade (1850s–1900s)

By the late 19th century, Belle Meade—once a premier thoroughbred nursery—began to lean heavily into the Victorian "English Landscape" style. Under the Jackson family, the focus shifted toward sweeping lawns and the planting of majestic specimen trees like the American Yellowwood and various Oaks.

It was during this era that the "ubiquitous boxwood" became a staple of the Nashville identity. These hedges were more than just borders; they were symbols of permanence. Today, Belle Meade serves as a primary classroom for Master Gardeners. We don't just maintain the hedges; we study the health of the centuries-old canopy, ensuring that the Victorian vision of a "park-like" Nashville survives in an increasingly urbanized county.

The Pinnacle of Design: Cheekwood (1929–1960)

The "Grand Estate" era reached its artistic zenith with the construction of Cheekwood in the late 1920s. Architect Bryant Fleming envisioned an "integrated landscape" where the house and gardens were inseparable.

Fleming’s design utilized "outdoor rooms" and formal boxwood parterres, but he also integrated the natural limestone outcroppings of the Tennessee hills. When Cheekwood opened to the public in 1960, it marked the official transition of the grand estate from a private sanctuary to a public botanical resource. It remains the gold standard for how human design can harmonize with the existing topography of the Cumberland Valley.

The Botanical Exchange: A Modern Perspective

As Master Gardeners, we look at these historic landscapes with both appreciation and hindsight. The "Grand Estate" era was a period of incredible botanical discovery, but it was also the entry point for species we now recognize as ecologically problematic.

Plants like Chinese Privet and Japanese Honeysuckle were once prized status symbols, imported for their fragrance and evergreen privacy. The gardeners of the 1800s couldn't have known the invasive potential of these species. Today, our work at sites like Belle Meade and Sunnyside isn't just about preservation; it’s about restoration. We are slowly replacing the "mistakes of the past" with native alternatives that provide the same Victorian aesthetic while supporting our local pollinators and birds.

Conclusion: Your Invitation to Living History

Nashville’s history isn't just found in books or museum halls; it is alive in the roots of the Yellowwoods at Belle Meade and the stone vistas of Cheekwood. These estates have evolved from symbols of private wealth into classrooms for the public good.

We invite you to visit these sites not just for the architecture, but to see the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens in action. By observing how we bridge the gap between 19th-century design and 21st-century sustainability, you can find inspiration for your own backyard—honoring Nashville’s grand past while planting for its green future.

by Blake Davis

Resisting the Cut

I stand here staring at one of my Serviceberry trees that I’ve let grow to looklike a thick, tangled bush. It’s February, the ideal window before spring growth kicks into action. Visibility is great because the branches are bare. My pruners are sharp and sanitized. The trees are still dormant, so cuts will cause less stress. It’s time to direct the tree’s stored energy toward better flowering and fruit.

But these are my favorite trees (I even called my property ‘Juneberry’, the colloquial name of the delicious fruits the Serviceberry produces). I have the privilege of tending this land and planting all of these by hand with a shovel and my back, spending hours measuring and placing them to get the optimal spacing, sun, and privacy for my yard. And trees are great at growing, so cutting them feels counterintuitive, like I’m diminishing their growth.

But unchecked growth spreads a tree’s energy thin, leaving it vulnerable when storms come.

And storms always come.

Cowboy Dan and The Cherry Tree

When I first bought Juneberry (before I’d even planted any Serviceberries to name it after), there was an old cherry tree at the driveway entrance that looked like a perfect example of the haunted mansion trope- gnarled branches sticking in every direction with its pointed tips curling in like decrepit fingers.

As I met my new neighbors, they would talk about how gorgeous the blooms used to be in the spring.

But our first spring, it barely flowered at all.

Between its age, the hollow trunk, and its contorted shape, I assumed it was dying. But as I can’t stand cutting things that could still grow, I called the Tennessee Agricultural Extension office to ask if there was anyone who could check it out.

They said I needed to talk to “Cowboy Dan.”

Cowboy Dan, the Extension Agent and Community Garden coordinator, rolled up in a large truck, cowboy boots on and a twinkle in his eye.

He walked around the yard with me and told me the tree wasn’t dying, it just needed pruning.

Maybe because he sensed I’m a softie when it comes to cutting live plants, or experience from his years of educating children about agriculture with his guitar, he was able to simplify his advice to four accessible criteria for pruning:

• Remove anything dead or dying
• Remove anything hazardous (that might hit you in the head)
• Remove anything blocking sunlight
• Remove anything blocking airflow

When Cowboy Dan mentioned the “hazardous” rule I thought to myself “Why would I cut the tree if I can just duck? I’ll protect my own head. Let the tree grow!”

…That summer while on my lawnmower I introduced my head to one of those branches I had graciously chosen not to cut- with enough force to knock some humility into me.

After shaking off the stars and finding my hat, I went ahead and cut those lower branches.

But the tree did flower again:

Choosing the Cut

When I finally stop hesitating and make the cut, there are two kinds I’m choosing between:

A Heading Cut shortens a branch back to a bud (not the actual trunk). Using clean shears, cut at a 45° angle about ¼ inch above an outward-facing bud. This will signal the tree to push new growth in the chosen direction the bud points.

These are the cuts that shape young fruit trees, strengthen roses and encourage fuller branching in shrubs.

Thinning Cuts remove a branch entirely back to the trunk or main limb, preserving the tree’s natural form while opening space for light and air, without triggering a frantic burst of regrowth.

Cut just outside a branch collar, NOT flush against the trunk.

These are the cuts that open fruit trees for more airflow (reducing disease and fungal growth), remove crossing branches, and eliminate dead or diseased wood.

Angles matter. Too flat and water lingers. Too steep, and the wound has a harder time sealing.

A general rule is not to remove more than 25-30% of live growth in a season. Even in pruning you can over-correct.

(Roses can apparently handle 50-70%, I know people who do more but I’m too chicken to go more than about 50% on my roses)

When to Cut

Now is the time.

Woody plants store carbohydrates (starches and sugars) in their roots, trunk and older branches (this is why we DON’T prune in late summer or fall, because trees need those carbohydrates for winter survival).

That energy is stored, not spent, so when you prune in late winter, it fuels stronger, faster spring growth in the remaining buds.

This is why roses have a bigger bloom after a hard pruning. Apples and peaches have stronger fruiting, and shrubs get vigorous new canes.

Pruning now minimizes disease and rot. Plants compartmentalize damage, so when we make a proper cut, the plant creates chemical and physical barriers, the decay is walled off, and now tissue can form around the cut.

This time of year, pathogens and insects are inactive, and the upcoming rapid spring growth will seal wounds quickly.

Despite my trepidation about hurting it, to the tree or plant, these cuts are a controlled injury. The plant responds by activating dormant buds and reinforcing structural growth.

Proper pruning improves long-term strength and resilience.

Trees that are thinned and structured well bend differently under unexpected weight.

The Serviceberries: Making The Cut

It was easier to prune the cherry tree because I thought it was already dead. When something feels beyond saving, the stakes are low, and I feel free to cut boldly.

Standing here in front of my Serviceberries, pruning something I love is much more difficult. I’m still trying to figure out if that’s because no matter how much I understand the ‘why’, it still FEELS like I’m diminishing something that I want to see thrive and grow naturally.

But then Nashville had the largest ice storm since 1994, and now we have a 7 x 50-foot pile of limbs and trees that the storm pruned for me.

Ice is not cruel, but it doesn’t choose carefully. It exposes structure. It snapped what carried the most weight and toppled the trees that grew too dense to bend under the inch of ice surrounding each branch.

So I stand here in front of my Serviceberry trees and realize: if I don’t choose the cuts, the weather eventually will.

Pruning isn’t diminishment. It’s stewarding the energy to the limbs I want strengthened.

It’s choosing the cuts instead of outsourcing them to storms.

I’ve already seen what happens when I wait.

I’ve trained for this. I’ve taken classes. I’ve researched the science.

What I’ve been lacking isn’t knowledge, it’s trust – trust that faithful pruning creates better, stronger growth.

It’s February. It’s time.

I’m choosing to cut.