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.