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Plant Nurseries & Garden Centers in Tennessee

Explore 290 local plant nurseries across 39 cities.

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Top Rated Farms in TN

Elder's Ace Hardware - Cleveland
💬 1363 reviews4.6
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Cleveland

General Retail Garden Center. Top products: Spring flowers, Potted plants, Seasonal blooms, Garden supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Cleveland operates as a multi-departmental retail destination that incorporates a significant garden center operation within its hardware store model. Catering to residential homeowners and local community members, the business provides a wide array of horticultural products, including seasonal spring flowers and a diverse selection of blooming plants. As part of a larger, family-owned chain of 38 stores established in 1969, the Cleveland location focuses on accessible retail gardening. Their nursery offerings are characterized by a well-maintained, high-volume inventory designed for casual home gardening, container planting, and seasonal landscaping needs. By integrating a dedicated garden center with standard hardware services, they provide a convenient one-stop experience for customers seeking both plant material and the necessary tools for maintenance and installation, prioritizing variety, plant health, and helpful, neighborly customer service.

📍3400, Henderson Avenue Northwest, Cleveland, Tennessee, 37312, US
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga
💬 1228 reviews4.5
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga

Retail garden center and nursery. Top products: Spring flowers, Potted plants, Seasonal blooms, Garden supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga operates as a multi-departmental home improvement retailer that maintains a dedicated garden center component. While the business functions primarily as a hardware chain serving the East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western North Carolina regions, its garden centers provide a significant retail outlet for horticultural products. The nursery division focuses on serving local homeowners by offering a variety of seasonal spring flowers, bedding plants, and ornamental blooms. The inventory is managed to ensure consistent hydration and health, catering to residential gardening needs. The business leverages its 1969 origins as a family-owned entity to maintain a community-focused service model, providing expert advice from staff to help customers select appropriate plant varieties for their specific gardening environments. Their core offerings in this sector are supplemented by traditional hardware tools and gardening accessories, establishing a one-stop-shop approach for home and lawn maintenance.

📍4921, Highway 58, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37416, US
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Stanley's Greenhouse
💬 902 reviews4.8
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Stanley's Greenhouse

Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, Indoor plants, Poinsettias, Orchids. Stanley's Greenhouse is a family-owned and operated horticultural institution located in South Knoxville, Tennessee, with a lineage of agricultural land use spanning over 200 years. Established in its current commercial capacity by Charles and Mary Kathryn Stanley in 1955, the business functions as both a production plant farm and a comprehensive retail garden center. Their operations cater to a broad clientele, including retail homeowners and wholesale customers, offering a diverse inventory that ranges from ornamental trees and shrubs to seasonal annuals, indoor plants, and specialty specimens such as orchids and poinsettias. The business emphasizes a deep-rooted commitment to East Tennessee’s ecosystem, frequently promoting gardening practices that support local pollinators. As a staple in the regional horticultural community, Stanley's Greenhouse prioritizes traditional growing methods, combining long-standing farming expertise with modern garden center retail standards.

📍3029 Davenport Rd, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd
💬 788 reviews4.6
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd

Retail garden center nursery. Top products: Spring flowers, Seasonal plants, Garden supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd operates as a comprehensive retail garden center integrated within a family-owned hardware store group serving Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. The business focuses on providing homeowners with a wide selection of horticultural products, including spring flowers, seasonal blooms, and essential gardening supplies. Their garden department is designed to support residential gardening needs, offering healthy, well-maintained plant stock alongside expert advice from staff. As part of a larger hardware retailer, they provide a one-stop-shop environment that combines horticultural offerings with construction, home improvement, and repair services. The company emphasizes a community-focused approach, rooted in a history that dates back to 1969, and maintains a reputation for friendly, helpful customer service. Their nursery offerings are specifically geared toward retail consumers seeking to enhance their home landscapes with vibrant, quality plant varieties.

📍1899, Dayton Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37405, US
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Willow Ridge Garden Center & Landscaping
💬 718 reviews4.8
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Willow Ridge Garden Center & Landscaping

Full-Service Garden Center Nursery. Top products: Ornamental plants, Shrubs and perennials, Water features, Hardscape materials, Bulk landscaping goods. Willow Ridge Garden Center & Landscaping, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, serves the Knoxville and Farragut regions as a comprehensive horticultural hub. The business operates as both a retail garden center and a professional landscaping design-build firm. Their nursery operations feature a diverse inventory of ornamental plant material, including shrubs, perennials, and seasonal varieties, supported by expert diagnostic services for plant health, pest control, and disease management. Beyond retail sales, they provide a 'We Plan, You Plant' DIY consulting service alongside full-scale professional landscaping, which encompasses custom hardscaping, landscape lighting, and the installation of complex water features such as ecosystem ponds and fountains. Catering to both residential homeowners and those seeking design-led outdoor retreats, Willow Ridge emphasizes quality, transparency, and education through regular expert-led content and personalized design consultations to facilitate successful gardening projects.

📍97 Oak Ridge Turnpike
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Gardens of Babylon Landscapes
💬 696 reviews4.8
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Gardens of Babylon Landscapes

Retail Garden Center & Landscaper. Top products: houseplants, outdoor plants, trees, shrubs, pottery, gardening supplies. Gardens of Babylon Landscapes, established in 2003 and based in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, operates as a multifaceted horticultural business. While they are a prominent full-service landscape design-build and maintenance firm, they also maintain a physical retail garden center located adjacent to the Nashville Farmers’ Market. The garden center functions as a traditional retail outlet, offering a curated selection of indoor and outdoor plants, including various tree and shrub species, alongside gardening essentials such as soil and pottery. Their business model serves local homeowners and commercial clients by bridging the gap between professional landscaping services and retail gardening. They provide consumer-facing amenities such as a plant-specific text alert program, free in-store design sketching services, and plant health checks for their installation clients. The company emphasizes horticultural expertise, employing professionals who assist customers with plant selection based on property-specific lighting and environmental conditions.

📍900, Rosa L Parks Boulevard, Nashville, Tennessee, 37208, US
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Evergreen of Johnson City
💬 687 reviews4.5
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Evergreen of Johnson City

Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Trees and shrubs, Perennial plants, Houseplants and tropicals, Pollinator-friendly plants, Greenhouse annuals. Evergreen of Johnson City is a long-standing, family-owned garden center and nursery serving the Tennessee and North Carolina region since 1983. With nearly 60 years of collective horticultural expertise, the business functions as a comprehensive retail destination for home gardeners and professional landscapers. Their core offerings include an extensive inventory of trees, ornamental shrubs, perennials, pollinator-friendly species, and tropical houseplants specifically selected for local soil conditions and climate resilience. Beyond plant retail, they provide professional landscape design services, water gardening supplies, and a proprietary 4-step lawn care program. The business emphasizes education and community engagement through a robust series of gardening seminars, workshops, and expert advice. They are distinguished by a commitment to quality, offering a lifetime guarantee on many of their trees and shrubs to ensure customer success. By combining retail horticultural products with expert site-specific guidance, Evergreen of Johnson City supports both novice and experienced gardeners in creating sustainable, flourishing outdoor spaces.

📍2514, Wesley Street, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, US
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The Barn Nursery
💬 641 reviews4.7
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The Barn Nursery

Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Blooming perennials, Hydrangeas, Fig trees, Butterfly bushes, Coneflowers. The Barn Nursery, established in 1967 and located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a comprehensive garden center and horticultural retailer. They specialize in a wide range of plant materials, including blooming perennials, shrubs, and fruit-bearing trees such as figs. The nursery sources high-quality plants from reputable growers like Monrovia and maintains a large, diverse inventory suitable for residential landscaping. Beyond retail plant sales, the business offers professional planting and installation services, focusing on the proper placement and care of their plant materials. The Barn Nursery operates as a community-focused hub, engaging in local charitable partnerships and providing educational support for home gardeners. They serve both individual homeowners and professional landscapers, providing not only plants but also essential garden amendments such as bagged mulch, soil, and decorative rock. Their mission emphasizes long-term plant health, proper horticultural techniques, and encouraging customers to engage actively with their outdoor spaces.

📍1797, East 25th Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37404, US
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Bearden
💬 605 reviews4.7
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Bearden

Retail garden center nursery. Top products: spring flowers, annuals, perennials, potted plants, gardening supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Bearden operates as a comprehensive retail garden center integrated within a family-owned hardware store network serving East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and North Georgia. Established in 1969, the business functions as a community-focused resource for residential gardening, offering a diverse selection of seasonal plants, spring flowers, and nursery stock. The garden center department is specifically curated to support home landscaping projects, providing well-maintained ornamental plants and a wide variety of blooms. As an Ace Hardware affiliate, the store combines its horticultural offerings with access to irrigation tools, fertilizers, and essential gardening hardware. Their business model emphasizes community service and expert customer assistance, catering primarily to local homeowners seeking both plant materials and the practical equipment necessary for successful garden maintenance.

📍146 N Forest Park Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37919, USA
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JVI Secret Gardens
💬 475 reviews4.9
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JVI Secret Gardens

Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Patio plants, Water features, Koi ponds, Fountainscapes. JVI Secret Gardens is a family-owned Nashville garden center that serves as a comprehensive resource for residential and commercial horticultural needs. Beyond operating a retail nursery providing a diverse selection of plants and patio flora, the business is a specialized hub for aquatic landscaping. They are recognized Master Certified Aquascape installers, focusing on the design, installation, and maintenance of koi ponds, water features, and complex fountainscapes. Their operational model combines a traditional garden center experience with professional landscaping services, allowing customers to view, select, and integrate plant life alongside customized water installations. The business emphasizes consumer education, often highlighting their expertise through local media like The Volunteer Gardener show. By offering both high-quality plant stock and professional hardscaping services, JVI Secret Gardens caters to homeowners and property owners looking to create complete, integrated outdoor environments.

📍McCampbell Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37214, US
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Popes at Meadow View
💬 444 reviews4.7
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Popes at Meadow View

Full-service ornamental plant nursery. Top products: Succulents, Annuals, Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, Tropicals. Popes at Meadow View is a family-owned and operated horticultural business with over 40 years of experience serving the East Tennessee region. As a comprehensive nursery and garden center, they cater to a diverse clientele ranging from individual homeowners to professional landscapers. Their operation focuses on providing a wide variety of high-quality plant materials including annuals, perennials, tropicals, and an extensive selection of trees and shrubs. Beyond live plant sales, they offer essential gardening supplies such as mulch, straw, and pottery to facilitate complete landscape installation and maintenance. The business maintains a strong commitment to quality and accessibility, operating multiple physical locations while also offering direct-to-consumer online shipping for their specialty succulent collections. Their mission is centered on enabling customers to create functional, aesthetic outdoor spaces through reliable plant sourcing and expert horticultural guidance.

📍9707 US-11, Lenoir City, TN 37772, USA
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Bates Nursery and Garden Center
💬 438 reviews4.8
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Bates Nursery and Garden Center

Full-Service Horticultural Garden Center. Top products: Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals and Vegetables, Native Plants. Established in 1932, Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a multi-generational horticultural operation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Spanning an extensive physical location, the business serves as a comprehensive resource for residential gardeners and professional landscapers in the Southeastern United States. Their core offerings include a diverse inventory of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, native plants, houseplants, and tropicals. Beyond retail sales, Bates maintains a strong focus on horticultural education, providing customers with resources such as the 'In the Garden' blog, botanical bootcamps, and a dedicated podcast and live-stream show. The nursery emphasizes proper plant selection through expert staff guidance, ensuring that customers match the right species to their specific growing environments. Their inventory is supported by a selection of landscape supplies, including soil and mulch, aimed at facilitating successful garden establishment. With over 90 years of history, the business remains a cornerstone of the local community, operating as a year-round destination for both plant material and gardening expertise.

📍3810 Whites Creek Pike, Nashville, TN 37207, USA
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Martin's Home & Garden
💬 431 reviews4.7
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Martin's Home & Garden

Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: houseplants, seedlings, landscape supplies, ornamental plants, garden accessories. Martin's Home & Garden, located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, functions as a comprehensive garden center and horticultural retail hub. The business specializes in a broad spectrum of gardening needs, offering a significant inventory of houseplants, seedlings, and outdoor landscape plants. Their operations cater primarily to local homeowners, providing both the raw plant materials and the necessary tools and supplies to facilitate residential gardening. Beyond retail sales, Martin's distinguishes itself through a dual-service model that includes professional landscaping design, installation, and maintenance services for both residential and commercial clients. The center also acts as a community hub, hosting seasonal events and providing an educational environment where staff offer expert advice on plant selection and care. By combining traditional nursery stock with horticultural expertise and design services, the business serves as a one-stop destination for regional plant enthusiasts looking to enhance their home and garden spaces.

📍1086, Northwest Broad Street, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 37129, US
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Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
💬 382 reviews4.7
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Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center

Native Plant Specialty Nursery. Top products: Native plants, Perennials, Shrubs. Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center operates as a non-profit organization located on a 300-acre campus in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a dedicated focus on environmental education, wildlife conservation, and native plant propagation. As part of their mission to restore regional ecology, the organization maintains a specialized nursery operation that sells native plants to homeowners, businesses, schools, and parks to help promote biodiversity and restore local habitats. Their horticultural operations include a 'Nursery Cohort' program where apprentices are trained in plant management and native landscape restoration techniques. By sourcing and raising native species, they provide an essential resource for customers looking to improve local ecosystems. Beyond their nursery sales, the facility functions as a nature center, offering guided meadow tours, conservation apprenticeships, and wildlife protection programs for endangered species like the American red wolf. They are an active member of the American Horticultural Society, emphasizing ecological stewardship, reforestation, and the practical application of native flora in home and commercial landscapes.

📍400, Garden Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37419, US
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Four Seasons Nursery & Garden
💬 358 reviews4.5
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Four Seasons Nursery & Garden

Full-service nursery and garden center. Top products: Trees, Shrubs, Natural stone, Patio furniture, Bulk and bagged goods. Four Seasons Nursery & Garden, located in Jackson, Tennessee, operates as a comprehensive retail nursery and garden center serving the West Tennessee region. The business specializes in a wide array of horticultural products, including trees, shrubs, and seasonal plants, providing both residential homeowners and professional landscapers with quality plant material. Beyond their live plant offerings, they maintain an extensive inventory of hardscape supplies such as natural and manufactured stone, decorative accessories, and outdoor living features like pergolas, fire pits, and fireplaces. Their business model emphasizes expert guidance and customer education, leveraging years of professional experience to assist clients with plant selection and care. In addition to their core horticultural focus, they offer seasonal goods, garden-related apparel, and custom landscape-oriented services. By combining horticultural expertise with outdoor living products, the nursery functions as a primary destination for landscape design, property enhancement, and garden maintenance needs in the local market.

📍US 45, Jackson, Tennessee, 38301, US
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Classy Cactus Farm, LLC
💬 357 reviews5
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Classy Cactus Farm, LLC

Specialty Succulent and Cactus Nursery. Top products: Succulents, Cacti, Succulent Gift Boxes, Houseplants, Dried and preserved flowers. Classy Cactus Farm, LLC, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a specialized horticultural nursery and experiential retail space focused on succulents and cacti. Founded in 2020, the business evolved from a mail-order succulent gift box operation into a hybrid brick-and-mortar greenhouse and event venue. They maintain an inventory of over 100 varieties of succulents and cacti, catering to both hobbyist plant parents and gift-seekers. A core component of their business model is the 'Succulent Bar,' an interactive, hands-on workshop environment where customers can design custom arrangements using a curated selection of plants, soils, and decorative components. They offer both individual booking and private event hosting, focusing on accessible, low-maintenance indoor greenery. The nursery emphasizes quality control and a 'classy' aesthetic in their plant offerings, positioning their products as accessible home decor and curated gift items.

📍Rutledge Way, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 37129, US
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Bryden's Market
💬 311 reviews4.8
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Bryden's Market

📍8424 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343, USA
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Johnson Nursery & Garden Center
💬 311 reviews4.7
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Johnson Nursery & Garden Center

Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Perennials, Fruit and Nut Trees, Flowering Trees, Small Fruit Bushes, Shrubs. Johnson Nursery & Garden Center is a multi-generational horticultural operation based in Putnam County, Tennessee, boasting over 111 years of experience in the nursery trade. The center functions as a comprehensive resource for residential gardeners and horticultural enthusiasts, offering a diverse inventory that spans fruit-bearing trees—such as apples, peaches, and pawpaws—as well as nut trees, flowering ornamental trees, and various shrubs including hydrangeas, azaleas, and crape myrtles. Beyond woody plants, they maintain a selection of perennials, small fruits like blackberries and muscadine grapes, cacti, succulents, and houseplants. The business is recognized as a Top 100 Garden Center in the USA and provides extensive educational support, including instructional videos on growing techniques, pest and disease management, and seasonal planting advice. Catering primarily to homeowners, they offer both retail garden products and hardscaping items like concrete fountains and statuary.

📍East Spring Street, Cookeville, Tennessee, 38506, US
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Hewitt Garden and Design Center
💬 262 reviews4.6
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Hewitt Garden and Design Center

Retail Garden and Landscape Center. Top products: Annuals, Perennials, Specimen Trees, Shrubs, Houseplants, Succulents. Hewitt Garden and Design Center is a family-owned and operated retail garden center located in Franklin, Tennessee, serving the Middle Tennessee area for 40 years. The business functions as both a destination nursery and a comprehensive landscaping provider. Their horticultural offerings are extensive, ranging from small houseplants and succulents to massive, mature specimen trees, evergreens, and shrubs. They cater primarily to homeowners and garden enthusiasts, providing a meticulously curated selection of vibrant, healthy plant stock alongside expert horticultural advice. In addition to retail plant sales, Hewitt’s offers professional landscaping services, including consultation, design, and full-scale installation. They also provide seasonal offerings such as Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands. Their operational model emphasizes personalized customer support, providing educational resources on plant care—including guidance for drought-tolerant gardening and winter maintenance—to ensure long-term plant health and landscape success for their clients.

📍2525 Hillsboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37069, USA
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Kirby Plants
💬 251 reviews4.8
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Kirby Plants

Full-service retail garden center. Top products: Annual and perennial plants, Ornamental and shade trees, Shrubs, Mulch and soil amendments, Seasonal decor and Christmas trees. Kirby Plants is a family-owned and operated garden center located in Knoxville, Tennessee, serving the community since 1974. The business operates as a comprehensive horticultural supplier, offering a wide array of plant materials ranging from annual and perennial flowers to various species of ornamental and shade trees and shrubs. Their inventory is curated to thrive in local climates, with a focus on providing healthy, robust plant life for both amateur gardeners and professional landscapers. Beyond plant sales, Kirby Plants functions as a full-service garden destination, stocking essential soil amendments, mulches, and specialized garden solutions. The business also offers an extensive selection of hardscape and decorative items, including pots, planters, trellises, birdbaths, and seasonal decor ranging from fall pumpkins to winter holiday evergreens and poinsettias. The company emphasizes customer education, utilizing a knowledgeable staff to provide guidance on plant selection, installation, and long-term care.

📍7234 Oak Ridge Hwy
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Fernwood Garden Center
💬 247 reviews4.7
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Fernwood Garden Center

Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Annuals and Tropicals, Trees and Shrubs, Perennials and Natives, Bulk Mulch and Soil, Seasonal Christmas Decor. Established in 1992, Fernwood Garden Center is a comprehensive horticultural retailer located in Middle Tennessee. The facility operates as a year-round destination for both retail and commercial clients, including homeowners and professional landscapers. Their inventory is extensive, encompassing ornamental trees, evergreen screening, shrubs, roses, perennials, native plants, and a dedicated selection of indoor houseplants. In addition to plant stock, Fernwood serves as a landscape supply hub, providing bulk materials such as soils, mulches, and decorative rocks. They offer seasonal specialty items, including pumpkins and gourds in autumn and fresh-cut Christmas trees and handmade wreaths during the winter holidays. Beyond retail sales, the business provides professional landscaping and installation services, offering site-specific plant consultations based on local soil and sun conditions. The company emphasizes community engagement, maintaining an educational environment that includes garden workshops and personalized customer support.

📍North James Campbell Boulevard, Columbia, Tennessee, 38402, US
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Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc.
💬 247 reviews4.5
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Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc.

Full-service retail garden center. Top products: trees, shrubs, ornamental plants, gardening materials. Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc. is a prominent, long-standing horticultural center located in Ooltewah, Tennessee, serving the greater Chattanooga region since 1989. Positioned as one of the area's largest garden centers, the business specializes in providing a vast inventory of plants, trees, and shrubs, with a specific focus on sourcing unusual and hard-to-find botanical varieties. Their operations are supported by a team of experienced horticultural experts who emphasize climate-appropriate plant selection and customer education. The company functions as a comprehensive resource for both residential gardeners and landscaping professionals, prioritizing the sale of high-quality, healthy plant stock designed to thrive in the local climate. By offering a blend of extensive horticultural inventory and expert advice, they support a wide array of gardening projects, maintaining a community-focused mission centered on horticultural success and long-term plant health.

📍5829 Main St, Collegedale, TN 37363, USA
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Moore & Moore Garden Center
💬 233 reviews4.6
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Moore & Moore Garden Center

Full-service retail garden center. Top products: native plants, trees and shrubs, annuals and perennials, houseplants, tropical plants. Moore & Moore Garden Center is a family-owned, upscale horticultural business located in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 45 years of operations, the center serves both residential homeowners and professional landscapers. Their inventory spans a comprehensive range of plant categories, including native species, ornamental trees, shrubs, seasonal annuals, perennials, and both indoor tropicals and houseplants. Beyond plant retail, they function as a horticultural resource by providing the necessary soil amendments, fertilizers, and supplies required for successful gardening. The business distinguishes itself through expert consultation and educational programming, offering workshops and classes to the local community. They also provide support for landscape project planning, acting as a resource for those looking to design or renovate residential outdoor spaces. Their mission centers on long-term client relationships and high-quality customer service within the horticultural sector.

📍State Highway 100, Nashville, Tennessee, 37221, US
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America's Gardens
💬 232 reviews4.8
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America's Gardens

Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, houseplants, organic soils and compost, herbs and vegetable plants. America's Gardens operates as a comprehensive retail garden center and plant nursery, providing a vast selection of horticultural products for residential and landscape use. Their inventory includes a diverse range of annuals, perennials, fruit trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, and vegetable starters. Beyond live plants, the business supplies essential garden maintenance items such as bagged soils, compost, mulch, and natural fertilizers, emphasizing an environmentally conscious approach by minimizing GMOs and synthetic chemical use. The company serves a wide customer base, including local gardeners and online shoppers across the United States. In addition to plant retail, they offer value-added services such as 'How-To' educational classes on gardening and pruning. The business maintains a strong focus on both regional native species and decorative varieties, supported by a digital platform that facilitates online ordering, local pickup, and specialized shipping for select inventory items.

📍Dayton Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37415, US
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The Nursery & Garden Center Market in Tennessee

Tennessee currently supports a network of 251 verified nurseries, reflecting a robust horticultural sector fueled by both local demand and favorable growing conditions. The market displays a clear geographic distribution, with a heavy concentration in middle Tennessee. Garden centers across the state range from massive retail operations to specialized boutique plant shops, catering to a diverse clientele of residential gardeners and commercial landscape architects. The density of these businesses correlates strongly with population growth and urban sprawl in the state's primary economic corridors. As land values shift in metropolitan areas like Nashville and Murfreesboro, the business model for these garden centers has transitioned from purely production-based farming to high-end retail and design services.

Top Cities for Nurseries & Garden Centers

Data indicates that nursery hubs are primarily centered around urban growth. Nashville leads the state with 26 identified locations, followed closely by Murfreesboro with 23, and Tullahoma with 20. Cookeville and Knoxville round out the top tier with 18 locations each. This clustering effect is no coincidence. Higher-density cities provide a consistent customer base, better logistics for shipping nursery stock, and access to a professional labor pool skilled in horticulture. In cities like Chattanooga, with 14 documented sites, or Memphis, also with 14, businesses often integrate into the community as destinations for native plant education. The presence of establishments like Stanley’s Greenhouse or The Barn Nursery exemplifies the shift toward high-service, high-quality stock that characterizes these top-tier hubs.

Tennessee Climate & Plant Selection

Success in Tennessee gardening requires navigating a complex intersection of USDA hardiness zones and soil conditions. Most of the state falls within zones 6b to 8a. This temperature variance dictates the inventory available at local garden centers. Nurseries must stock a mix of cold-hardy perennials for the northern regions and heat-tolerant cultivars for the southern areas. The state’s soil composition, often characterized by heavy red clay, remains a major challenge. Consequently, nurseries prioritize the sale of soil amendments, compost, and raised bed supplies alongside traditional stock. Rainfall in Tennessee is relatively abundant but unevenly distributed; spring and fall wet periods often lead to root rot issues, forcing garden centers to prioritize well-draining species and drought-tolerant native plants. The transition to native plant dominance—such as Echinacea, Rudbeckia, and various oak species—is a response to the state’s humid subtropical climate. Nurseries have pivoted away from water-intensive ornamental species to focus on stock that can withstand the extreme temperature swings and high summer humidity that define the Tennessee landscape.

Sourcing Plants Locally in TN

  • Evaluate Nursery Inventory: Check if a garden center focuses on field-grown trees or greenhouse-grown annuals. Field-grown stock often acclimates better to local soil conditions.
  • Prioritize Native Plant Expertise: Businesses like Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center emphasize native biology. Source stock from providers who prioritize species native to the Cumberland Plateau or the Ridge and Valley provinces.
  • Check Rating and History: High-performing operations like JVI Secret Gardens or Bates Nursery and Garden Center have established reputations based on plant viability and customer service longevity.
  • Assess Logistics: If you are a commercial landscaper, look for nurseries with established wholesale capacity near the Nashville or Knoxville corridors to minimize plant stress during transit.
  • Seasonal Shopping: Visit nurseries during the early spring or late autumn months. This is when stock is fresh and the inventory reflects the current planting window for the state’s specific USDA zones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the best time to plant in Tennessee?

A: In Tennessee, the optimal planting windows are typically mid-spring, once the threat of the final frost has passed, and mid-autumn. Fall planting is particularly beneficial for trees and shrubs, as it allows root systems to establish in cooling soil temperatures before the onset of the next summer's heat and humidity. Always monitor local soil moisture levels during these transitions to ensure successful establishment.

Q: Why is planting native species recommended in Tennessee?

A: Native plants, such as purple coneflower or oak species, are genetically adapted to Tennessee's specific soil chemistry and climate cycles. They require fewer fertilizers and significantly less supplemental water than non-native cultivars. By choosing native species, you are actively supporting local pollinators and reducing the maintenance burden often associated with exotic plants that struggle in the state's heavy clay soils.

Q: How do I handle Tennessee's heavy clay soil?

A: Most Tennessee garden centers strongly recommend incorporating organic matter, such as compost or aged pine bark, into your soil before planting. This improves drainage and aeration, which is critical for preventing root rot during the state's wet spring seasons. For specific projects, consider building raised beds to bypass heavy native clay entirely, allowing for a custom-blended, well-draining soil medium for your perennials and vegetables.

Q: What is the primary difference between zone 6b and 8a in Tennessee?

A: The primary difference is the average annual extreme minimum temperature. Zone 6b, found in higher elevations like the Cumberland Plateau, experiences colder winters, often dipping down to -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 8a, found further south or in protected urban pockets, rarely reaches those extremes. Nurseries categorize their inventory accordingly, ensuring that frost-sensitive tropicals are not marketed to growers in the colder mountainous regions of the state.

Q: Should I buy greenhouse-grown or field-grown plants?

A: Field-grown plants are often more resilient and acclimated to local environmental fluctuations, making them ideal for long-term landscapes. Greenhouse-grown plants offer higher aesthetic consistency and are excellent for immediate seasonal impact. For permanent landscape fixtures like trees, field-grown stock generally exhibits better root structure. However, always inspect the root ball for signs of circling or container constriction before purchasing any plant material from a nursery.

⭐ 4.7 average rating across 290 verified nurseries in Tennessee

The most popular reviews:

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Brad B23 minutes ago

I worked with June to design a small space in front of my house, and she did a great job. The crew showed up and did a great job, too. It wasn't easy because the space had to be prepared for the plantings. Eric was the project manager, and he was attentive, way knowledgeable, and completely communicative. I appreciate June, Eric, and the crew for all they did. And the bed looks awesome. Thank you! I highly recommend!

Gardens of Babylon Landscapes
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Doug Danciger3 hours ago

Gorgeous nursery with many unique varieties of outdoor and indoor plants. The selection of high quality pots and saucers is the best I have seen anywhere. The employees are so knowledgeable. I found everything I bought was worth every penny.

Local Nursery
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Jordan Morack16 hours ago

John, the owner, is an excellent resource of wisdom and trees. He has a beautiful selection to choose from and is more than generous with his knowledge in how to develop into the hobby of Bonsai

Local Nursery
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Karen RavensEdited a day ago

Love this nursery. Staff is extremely knowledgeable. I went in planning on looking for just ideas and BAM...the sale was too good to pass up on a few plants for my yard.

The Barn Nursery
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Bob Bradya day ago

They were the only nursery with a large selection of mamey crotons.

Local Nursery
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Jan Fullera day ago

Had everything I was looking for!! Plus some, and the quality was stunning!

America's Gardens
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Debbie Melton3 days ago

Twenty years ago, I purchased two Quick Fire hydrangeas from Bates, and they are still one of my favorite parts of my yard. Every summer they put on a spectacular display of beautiful blooms, and they have exceeded every expectation I had. They were worth every penny. What I remember most is how patient and knowledgeable the staff were. They took the time to help me choose the right plants for my home instead of just making a sale, and that guidance has made all the difference. Two decades later, I’m still enjoying those hydrangeas and am grateful for their expertise. If you’re looking for quality plants and people who truly care about helping you succeed, I can’t recommend Bates highly enough.

Bates Nursery and Garden Center
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Mary May3 days ago

Aspen and her team were amazing to work with for our wedding! They made my vision come to life and even more than I could have imagined. From the first meeting Aspen understood what I wanted and made the whole process so smooth. The florals were so incredible and truly one of my favorite pieces of our day ❤️

Local Nursery
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Caitlin Allen3 days ago

We have been fans of Natures best for years. We love the nursery and store but where they really shine is the landscaping. Gavin and his crew are amazing. Gavin is an excellent designer with a great eye for what works and looks good while also keeping the taste and dedication of owners in mind. He has done several projects for us over the years but I feel like the most recent was by far and away the best. He added a custom walk way and landscaping to our backyard fire pit. Not only did he do a great job with the design, and execution, but he also repaired some issues done by the fire pit builders (not Natures Best) that he came across during the install. His crew was fast and respectful, they cleaned up after and didn’t leave any trash or debris. Everything was left better than when they started. Will use natures best for any and every future landscape project and recommend them 100%

Local Nursery