I'd love to set up a "nursery crawl" with a manageable sized group of people. We could pick an area and visit several nurseries in one day. It would be a nice way to socialize and feed our plant habits at the same time. Suggestions welcome.

One suggestion would be to spend a day in Athens,TN. There are 2 nurseries there that sound interesting - Mouse Creek and Sunshine Hollow, both off exit 42 of I-75. It would be roughly halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, so might appeal to gardeners from both areas.

I can do one with a lot of advanced notice since I live alone and am on a fixed income. My budget can't take any last minute surprises these days. Also I raise Boer goats and have to be on hand to feed them first thing in the morning (can be at daybreak) and in the evening so I can't stay away from home overnight or anything like that.
Being new to Tn I'm not familiar with any of the nurseries around. I did hear of one daylily nursery west of Nashville in Burns http://www.thelilypatch.org/in... if anyone shares this interest of mine.

MollyD

The Nashville area has endless possibilities! You are going to have a ton of gardening resources there to enjoy. The only time I've been there was to catch a flight to Vegas. Nashville would make a nice weekend getaway for me if it's not during one of my kids' sports seasons. They tend to have games on most Saturdays.

Chattanooga is another place I've not explored, but would like to. My day trips there were with my family to see the TN Aquarium & Rock City. I'm sure there are lots of nurseries there to check out, and maybe we could fit it a stop at the Reflection Riding Arboretum/Botanical Gardens.

Anybody been to the McMinnville nurseries? Most of them are set up for wholesale customers, so we'd need someone with info about the area to guide our choices.

I was in Chattanooga for Thanksgiving but didn't get to see much. My youngest son works on the Southern Belle there.
I don't mind the drive there and back but oh that Mount Eagle section makes me tremble with fear!!!!

MollyD

We have squat for nurseries in our area. I have to drive 50-60 miles plus in any direction, so I either grow what I want or beg from neighbors or family. There is a place in Somerset, KY that I drive by often, but it looks like they buy most of their stuff off the truck.

There was an Herb farm near Chattanooga that ive ordered from, but I think they preferred selling at a farmers market open on Sundays I think it was.

I'd be up for going too with some advance notice. When do most open for the new season?

Beats me! I just got to Tn October 4th 2009 so I'm still learning my way around.

MollyD

McMinnville, IMO, has two nurseries (lol!) Mary's - which has about 15 hot houses - it's almost impossible to get through. They do everything from annuals to perennials and usually have some of the latest stuff, too.

For trees and shrubs, I like Boyd & Boyd's - also very good prices, usually $10-15 for shrubs, also a pretty good sized place.

Anyone else going to the Herb Sale in Nashville? Or are you looking for anything unusual that I can pick up for you? It's next Saturday. Warning - if you go, only bring what you can spend!!!

Sheryl where are you located?

MollyD

I'm up NW of Cookeville, in a little town called Gainesboro. You coming up to Nashville for the herb sale? I'll be driving in either that morning or the day before, not sure which.

It takes me almost as long to get to McMinville as it does to N'ville, lol....

No I don't plan to go to the sale. Too many things needed here instead and I really don't do a lot with herbs right now. Maybe in a year or two once I get my new garden really going.

MollyD

i was in a Herb seed swap on DG last year so i'm really trying to use my seeds up...I could probably do some damage if i went to the sale.

i have several things sowed already or coming back from last year; one thing i'm extremely happy about is the russian sage I WS'd from seeds from a cutting when I visited my cousin's timeshare is up! I loved that plant. tarragon and cilantro were on the list for tomorrow but I forgot to pick up potting mix today.

what I'd really like to know is where can I find designs for a herb garden...or kitchen garden. And, I want to know about bay leaves. is there a 'bay' plant?
last year I kept everything in containers, but this year we are going to till up an area off my back porch.

Bay leaves come from a Bay tree - a mediterranean plant, I think, that isn't hardy to our area, but if you picked the leaves enough, you'd probably keep it at a size that you could move indoors for the winter.