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Garden Design Tours

A garden designed with an artist's eye on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

A garden designed with an artist’s eye

Troy Marden showcases what was once a typical, grassy residential lot that was transformed by the homeowners into a gorgeous collection of display beds and borders with desirable plants and lots of artistic touches. Japanese maples are definitely the darlings of this garden.


Collection of Color and Variety on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Collection of Color and Variety

We tour the home garden of a self-described plant collector. Her goals for the design were cohesiveness, some symmetry, a bit of formality, and accessibility. She achieved all that, and the garden is beautiful. It features a central circular bed with four paths radiating out. Each has a plant palette sure to please.


A Mindful Landscape on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

A Mindful Landscape

Rita Venable visits with a homeowner who began gardening during the pandemic. She had inherited her landscaping when she purchased the home. Now a native plant enthusiast, she's converted those existing landscape areas into garden beds where native plants, shrubs and trees are performing well.


Garden in the Sky on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Garden in the Sky

What a treat to tour the many thoughtful garden beds at a residence that sits on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau at an elevation of 1,900 feet. Rita Venable visits the couple who designed and installed a long and flowing border bed that takes advantage of the grand view just beyond. In a section of side yard, they've allowed nature to be nature. It's full of no fuss, mostly native, herbaceous perennials. Also highlighted are trees and shrubs that support wildlife.


Container Gardening: Flexibility and Control on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Container Gardening: Flexibility and Control

Ever thought about the flexibility and control you would have if all of your landscape plants were in individual containers? We tour the unique and beautiful backyard oasis that a couple of plant enthusiasts have created by planting up 542 individual garden containers!


Making a difference with landscape choices on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Making a difference with landscape choices

Providing a sustainable habitat for wildlife begins with plant selection, and continues with natural gardening methods. Rita Venable introduces us to a native plant enthusiast who is maximizing his efforts by installing garden beds from the curb to the rear property line. He's finding that he's inspiring others too.


Evolution to lower maintenance on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Evolution to lower maintenance

We tour the island beds and border beds of a long-time gardener in Murfreesboro, TN. She's looking to make the maintenance of the grounds more manageable. Plant selection is part of the plan. Another part is getting down a layer of mulch for weed control. We look at some dependable plants, including peonies, allium, ferns, trillium and hosta.


Let nature be nature in the home landscape on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Let nature be nature in the home landscape

We're introduced to a couple who have planted their yard in native plants that nurture wildlife, yet the landscape fits well in the subdivision setting. The front yard is more uniform with colors of white, purple and pink blooms. A newly planted border bed along the side of the house features shade plants. The largest space, the backyard, features bordered vegetable beds and vignettes filled with pollinator-friendly plants.


Pollinator Pathway on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Pollinator Pathway

There's a beautiful native plant experience on the plaza adjacent to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Several garden beds highlight this large space, and each is brimming with native perennials, shrubs, and vines. Each plant was selected for what in can offer particular pollinators.


Planting for Pollinators on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Planting for Pollinators

What a treat to visit the home garden of a horticulture power couple! Rita Venable is amazed by all the great plants that support pollinators in a very long border bed. Also on the property is a utility right-of-way that they are transitioning into a beneficial plant palette. In the 4 years of garden transitions,, the goal is to continue to shovel out plants of an invasive growth habit, and replace with environmentally beneficial trees, shrubs and perennials. Plus, we'll be introduced to a new and unique spot in the garden they call the 'loggery'.


Plantings for a public space on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Plantings for a public space

There's a new use for the 185 acres campus where Lakeshore Mental Health Institute once operated. The picturesque setting overlooking the Tennessee River is now a recreational public park welcoming 1 million visitors annually. We learn from the landscape architect about the plant choices for the park, and see how they are used.


The plan

The plan, the infrastructure, then the plants

This home garden features a variety of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that flow nicely through multiple beds. But this wasn't by happenstance. This garden took a lot of planning and prep work before the first plant went in. First the hardscape was laid, then the electrical support went in along with drainage and irrigation elements. This garden is pretty during the day, and beautiful at night.