DONATE
by Brenda Peterson
Companion planting is one of the simplest ways to grow a healthier, more productive garden—without relying heavily on chemicals or constant intervention. By intentionally placing certain plants near one another, you can improve growth, deter pests, enrich the soil, and even enhance flavor.
At its core, companion planting is about relationships. Just like people, some plants thrive together, while others prefer a little distance.
What Is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants close together so they benefit one another.
These benefits can include:
This method has been used for centuries in traditional agriculture, most famously in the Native American “Three Sisters” planting system.
The Three Sisters: A Time-Tested Example
The “Three Sisters” method pairs:
Together, these three crops support one another in a balanced, productive system. It’s a beautiful reminder that diversity strengthens a garden.
MGOFDC members at the Heirloom Vegetable Garden, Tennessee Agricultural Museum, Ellington Agricultural Center, provide a yearly hands-on workshop regarding the Native American companion planting method “Three Sisters” for Master Gardener members and interns to learn about sustainable gardening practices and experience a piece of agricultural history.
Popular Companion Plant Pairings
Here are some tried-and-true combinations:
Basil may help repel insects like hornworms and whiteflies while potentially improving tomato flavor. Plus, they pair perfectly in the kitchen.
Onions help deter carrot flies, while carrots don’t compete heavily with onions underground.
Nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids and beetles, drawing pests away from cucumbers.
Radishes mature quickly and help break up the soil for shallow-rooted lettuce.
Marigolds are famous for deterring nematodes and certain pests. They also attract beneficial insects.
Plants That Don’t Get Along
Just as some plants thrive together, others compete or inhibit growth. A few combinations to avoid:
How Companion Planting Helps Your Garden
Legumes like beans and peas add nitrogen back into the soil, benefiting neighboring plants.
Tall plants can provide shade for sun-sensitive crops, while ground covers reduce weeds and retain moisture.
Diverse plantings create a more resilient garden ecosystem.
Getting Started
You don’t need to redesign your entire garden overnight. Start small:
Observe what works in your space. Gardening is as much about learning as it is about growing.
A Gentle Reminder
And, last but not least, companion planting isn’t magic—it’s strategy. Results can vary based on climate, soil conditions, and local pest populations. But even small changes can create noticeable improvements.
By working with nature instead of against it, you create a garden that feels balanced, abundant, and alive.
Join us for live distant teaching on Tuesdays in May for our May food production series. This fun series will provide all you need to know about sustainable practices for selecting and managing fruit and vegetable crops in your home food production spaces.
Topics include:
Selecting cultivars of fruits and veggies for disease resistance and quality
Composting and soil amending
Using cover crops for soil building
Supporting beneficial insects
And more!
Three live webinars on May 5th, May 12th, and May 19th
Register Here: tiny.utk.edu/maywebinarseries
Earth Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 22. A day to demonstrate support for environmental protection, organizations across the country observe the day in many different ways.
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
The original Earth Day, conceived by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, was meant to raise awareness about pollution and environmental degradation. Over time, it led to significant policies like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This history reminds us that celebrating Earth Day should go beyond just awareness; it should foster action and inclusion.
Things you can do for Earth Day:
Actionable Earth Day Activities
At-Home & Virtual Activities
Earth Day Celebrations in Nashville:
Centennial Park Conservancy Presents NASHVILLE EARTH DAY, Wednesday, April 18, 2026, Centennial Park
Earth Day in the Hood, Wednesday, April 18, 2026, Nashville Public Library Pruitt Branch.
by Margaret Littman
MGOFDC members and interns, many of us lost indoor plants in freezing temps during power outages in Winter Storm Fern here in Nashville. To help replace and replenish, we are planning a Plant Swap at the MGOFDC May member meeting. Please plan to bring labeled cuttings of indoor house plants to swap this Spring. Bring plants in a container that the lucky recipient can take with them. If you would like to help with the Swap, please let us know.
If you lost plants, let us know what cuttings you would like so we can be specific in a call for donations. If you would like to help with the planning and logistics of the Swap, we would like to hear from you, too. Email newsletter@mgofdc.org or littmanwrites@gmail.com.
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.
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.
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.
*/ */
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?
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:
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.
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!
The Master Gardeners of Davidson County
P. O. Box 41055 Nashville, TN 37204-1055
info@mgofdc.org
UT/TSU Extension, Davidson County
Amy Dunlap, ANR Extension Agent
1281 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217
615.862.5133
adunla12@utk.edu
©2026 Master Gardeners of Davidson County All Rights Reserved. NOTICE: Trade and brand names are used only for information. Tennessee Extension does not guarantee nor warrant the standard of any product mentioned; neither does it imply approval of any product to the exclusion of others which also may be suitable. Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. Tennessee Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
