Episode 3316

Volunteer Gardener

May 01, 2025

Season 33 | Episode 16

Right plant, right place. Rita Venable tours the beautiful home garden spaces of a landscape designer where this concept rings true throughout. All the plants are thriving, whether they are suited for sun or shade. Jeff Poppen finds an array of colorful and eye-catching annuals in the flower fields of Bloomsbury Farm in Smyrna TN. Plus, Sheri Gramer sees what is growing well in a raised rock bed.

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Growing Flowers for Market on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Growing Flowers for Market

They grow a lot of things at Bloomsbury Farm. On this visit, Jeff Poppen explores the flower fields where they grow many different types of annual flowers to be used in pre-made bouquets or a U-pick opportunity. Amaranth, gomphrena, sunflowers, marigolds, celosia, borage, and straw flowers are just a sampling of the flowers being grown on this farm.


Home Garden Spaces of a Designer on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Home Garden Spaces of a Designer

Rita Venable introduces us to an avid gardener who, in retirement, studied landscape design. Then she started a landscaping business, designing more than a hundred landscapes. Now she's devoting full-time to her own garden. Rita Venable walks with her through 3 distinct areas, each brimming with good-performing trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, and perennials.