What Tammy Sons' Forbes Recognition Says About Choosing the Right Nursery
When TN Nursery founder Tammy Sons was recently spotlighted in a Forbes article on the plant industry‚ it wasn't just because we got lucky with the publicity․ Her decades of experience running a nursery‚ growing plants and knowing what does well in Tennessee‚ the rest of the Southeast‚ and what doesn't‚ is a huge distinction․ Soil‚ humidity‚ and frost are three variables that many gardeners do not think about‚ but they can make or break a plant․
Why Regional Expertise Actually Matters
Much national gardening advice has been written for a hypothetical average climate that doesn't actually exist․ The state is USDA plant hardiness zones 6b through 8a․ A Memphis gardener has different heat stress and soil pH issues than one living at the Smokies foothills near Knoxville․ A nursery rooted (sorry) in the area knows that one plant's success in zone 7a's clay soil doesn't mean it will thrive likewise in zone 8's sandy‚ well-drained soil․
This is the sort of information that drew attention: not just‚ say‚ that you could sell a plant‚ but why one boxwood survives an ice storm in Nashville while another one splits down the middle‚ or why some dogwoods bloom in mid-South climates, and others sulk for three seasons and just give up․
The Plants That Built That Reputation
Green Velvet Boxwood A terrific workhorse of Southern landscapes and an example of the kind of selection that separates the knowledgeable nursery growers from the run of the mill operations․ Green Velvet Boxwood holds its ball shape without excessive shearing‚ is tolerant of both sun and some shade‚ and is able to withstand the winter chill of Tennessee (zone 5) without the bronzing and dieback that are problems for other boxwood varieties․ Planted in fall or early spring‚ this plant can be spaced 2 to 3 ft (0․61 to 0․91 m) apart to create a hedge‚ and will reach its mature height of 2 to 3 ft (0․61 to 0․91 m) in four to five years․ It also needs good drainage‚ since heavy clay that remains wet after rain will rot the roots faster than cold ever would․
Flowering Dogwood Tree Few trees are as much Southern spring as the dogwood in flower‚ but it can be a bit particular․ Flowering Dogwood prefers part shade (the edge of a wooded property is great) and a soil that is on the acidic side and consistently moist but not waterlogged․ Plant in fall for root establishment prior to summer heat․ Water weekly for the first two growing seasons․ Do not mulch against the trunk‚ which may lead to collar rot‚ the primary cause of death of seedlings․ The tree takes eight to 10 years to reach a height of 20 to 25 feet (6․1 to 7․6 m)․ It takes two to three years to bloom․
Purple Coneflower This perennial is about as forgiving as it gets‚ which is exactly why it shows up in nearly every Tennessee pollinator garden․ Purple Coneflower tolerates drought once the plant is established‚ self-seeds readily and‚ if you deadhead spent blooms‚ produces spectacular blooms from early summer until the first frost․ It is not fussy about the soil type‚ tolerating clay‚ loam and rocky soils‚ as long as they are well drained․ It prefers full sun‚ but if grown in partial shade the internodes will be longer and flowering will be reduced․ Established clumps can be divided every 3 or 4 years to maintain their size and vigor․
Ferns For those shady‚ moist spots that no lawn will grow in‚ and where no flowering plant will move‚ the native ferns of Tennessee can fill in the gaps better than the exotic ones which rot out․ Since the natives all outlive the exotics‚ they can fill out those sloping or shady edges that refuse all else․ They prefer an evenly moist‚ organically rich soil in partial shade‚ but will tolerate deep shade‚ though full sun usually scorches the fronds by midsummer․
What Good Hiring Has to Do With Good Plants
The act of hiring for a nursery may seem far removed from the quality of the plants it produces‚ but they are more closely intertwined than they appear․ As companies begin to hire more people‚ those on the other end of the phone‚ answering questions about soil pH or diagnosing the disease on a stressed hydrangea or when to ship‚ need horticultural knowledge‚ not rely on scripts․ That's why at TN Nursery we use strict hiring practices‚ detailed job descriptions‚ real training on what it means to care for plants‚ and where and what plants grow best in our region‚ and lots of customer support to help our workers answer those tough questions․
A nursery with people who know what they're selling is a completely different experience․ It's the little things - the shipping instructions that arrive with your plants‚ or the answer you get when you ask if a plant will grow in your yard․ You would think that when a nursery tells you that won't work in your zone‚ it's because they have institutional knowledge․ It's the same as how a boxwood hedge is a well-formed‚ thick‚ healthy hedge built in a good environment over time‚ not joined together in a hurry․
The Takeaway for Your Garden
While Forbes recognition is nice‚ the years the nursery has spent figuring out what actually survives and thrives in Tennessee conditions is priceless to a gardener shopping for plants․
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