I moved from Virginia to California and then back to Georgia. The one thing that really surprised me about California gardening is the lack of MULCH. Except for using decorative rock as a "ground cover", people did not use mulches. Here in the south we rely on organic mulches like pine bark, hardwood mulch or pine straw to keep the roots of the plants cool and moist as well as suppress weeds.

Around here, use trees and shrubs as your backbone, add perennials and annuals for color. Fescue is a very popular grass that is considered a "cool season" grass. It stays green all winter, but does require annual "overseeding". Warm season grasses include bermuda and zoysia; they grow most in the summer and go dormant in the winter.

Find out if you have a Master Gardener organization and see if there is someone there that you can ask questions of.

Welcome to Knoxville! Please feel free to check out the Tennessee forum here for information specific to our area, plus learn about local swaps.

I would recommend that you look at homes in our area and take pictures of any yards that you like. Then visit local nurseries to see the plants that are available that you like. Landscaping can be an expensive task, especially if you are not sure exactly what outcome that you are wanting to achieve. I wouldn't worry too much about the plant material that you have removed, and I would just view it as an opportunity to make your yard reflect your taste. If you are uncertain of what you want, I would invest time to find the look that you like before I would start buying and planting. Of course, this advice is coming from someone who has frequently moved plants!

One way to connect with some of the best local gardeners is to join the Friends of the UT Gardens.

Best of luck and I hope that feel at home here in our area.

Cheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Friends of the UT Gardens

I had no idea there is a Tennessee Forum! Why isn't it linked from the Southern Forum page?

Do try that forum also, onegirly. I find the state-specific forums get more attention than this one.

And I forgot to say this earlier: "Welcome!"

Here is a link that might be useful: Tennessee Forum