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.