Can't help much with nurseries in Nashville, but I am aware of a great tool to search for mail order nurseries. There's a tool called Garden Watchdog on Dave's Garden that is the best single source I know of to research mail order nurseries. ALL reputable medium to large retail mail order nurseries are listed and rated.

I have had good luck with most places that I have delt with. But, you can get hundreds of people's opinions and comments on Garden Watchdog. Just make sure to stay away from TyTy (internationally known as a huge scam), all of it's divisions, and the cheapo discount companies associated with Gardens Alive! (Michigan Bulb, Henry Field's Seed & Nursery, Gurney's Seed & Nursery, Breck's Bulbs, mySEASONS Garden Solutions). You'll note that TyTy doesn't appear on Garden Watchdog because their score was about as bad as it could be and, from what I understand, they threated to sue, so were removed. The Gardens Alive! Nurseries also have very poor scores (about 50%). Some plants from these nurseries may be OK, but prices are cheap and so is quality.

Take a look and you can find hundreds of great nurseries on Garden Watchdog. A few you might look at are Wayside Garden (their score isn't great, but I have had good luck with them), ForestFarm (a little pricy on shipping), Logee's Greenhouses, Miles' To Go (this guy is just a SUPER wonderful person to deal with), Shoal Creek Succulents, Beaver Creek Nursery here in Knoxville (www.beavercreeknursery.net)(note it's net not com), and there are so so so many more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Watchdog

I should have taken my own advise and read the comments about Wayside on Garden Watchdog as soon as I saw their rating there and before that last post. I just got through reading a bunch of them. Maybe I just got lucky before. After reading the comments about them, I would not take another chance. So, I think the other companies I mentioned above as good, are good, but I take Wayside back. I would only order from them if you feel it's worth the gamble. They obviously have some serious customer service issues.

Thanks, brandon7! I can see the Garden Watchdog site is invaluable.

I am glad to see that you recommended Beaver Creek Nursery - my mother lives in Oak Ridge and she highly recommends them, so it would be easy to combine a visit with a plant buying trip.

I noticed on another thread that someone from Nashville was mentioning how alot of the nurseries and garden centers aren't in the yellow pages. I did get a list of nurseries in the area from the Monrovia website, so at least I have a starting place.

Thanks again for all your help!

Tant's seems to have a large variety of plants, they are located in Nolensville, but could be worth the drive, they are closed in the winter months, and I haven't been on garden watchdog to see if they are listed.

Thanks, Mooses! Nolensville is definitely not too far to drive. I will have to check and see when they open for the season.

If you are looking for native plants, you won't find a better place than Growild in Fairview (www.growildnursery.com). The selection out there is unbelievable, and owner Mike Berkeley knows more about the local flora than just about anybody. Also, Nashville Natives (www.nashvillenatives.com) in Fairview is getting a bigger and better selection each year. Owner Andy Sudbrock is great to work with. Fairview might be a bit of a drive, but it is definitely worth it.

Thanks, sixteentoone! Fairview is not too far at all. I will definitely check out Growild and Nashville Natives - it sounds like just what I am looking for.

I live in Murfreesboro and there are two out here that I love. My favorite is Martin's Home and Garden. They have some of the most helpful and knowledgable employees I've ever dealt with. They are a great place for annuals, perennials, vegetables, etc. They have a limited selection of trees and shrubs. The family also owns a woodworking company, and they've got some great handmade furniture and things.

The other is Southern Creations. They have one of the most extensive landscaping selections I've ever seen. Just about any tree or shrub. Their annuals aren't great, however.

edb2n - Thanks for the recommendations! I will check them out.

Is Old Hickory Village in the Old Hickory area? You need to check out GumTree Farm in Hermitage for the really unique stuff - a true collector's nursery..
There are a number of good ones to the south and west - Hewitt's, Moore and Moore West, the aforementioned Fairview stops along with Iris City, 20th Century in Franklin, Bates in White's Creek,etc, etc, etc....
Good luck - it'll be fun figuring out your favorites!

Yes, Old Hickory Village is in Old Hickory area. We have been here about three years. I am hoping to eventually get a garden club going in the area, so we can swap plants etc!

I have been very happy with Needham's on the western edge of Mt. Juliet, on the left (or north) side of Hwy. 70/Lebanon Road if you are leaving Hermitage and heading toward Mt. Juliet. They will be VERY close to you and they have an excellent selection of plants.

My favorites are Needham's and Bate's Nursery in White's Creek. That not far from Briley parkway/Opryland area.

If you start a Garden Club in Old Hickory, please post it on this forum as I would be interested. New to Tn also and finding it very difficult to get acquainted.

My husband and I are flower and vegetable gardeners.

We just bought a ton of srubs and trees last spring at Bagatta's Nursery in Mt. Juliet. They have a nursery in McMinnville, the Mt. Juliet location is stricly sales, no growing done there.

They had a pretty good variety and good prices from what we had seen elsewhere. We ran across them at the home and garden show last year and went there the next day to get our landscaping plants.

It nearly killed me.... That trailer (18ft) was full and all the plants on the ground were in the bed of the truck.

I'd recomend GroWild anytime! Marty, one of our members and frequent speakers at the Middle Tennessee Plant Swap, works there so GroWild is a given.

You can get some really good stuff at a great price at the Nashville Flea Market as well.

Most of the stuff at our house comes straight from the Middle Tennessee Plant Swap and it's FREE!

You can always go to David Bates in Whites Creek, John Deere in Franklin or Bill Hewitts in Brentwood. Their selections are as grand as their prices though.

I would also put in my vote for Moore and Moore West and Hewitt's, especially if you're headed to that side of town to go to GroWild in Fairview, since Moore and Moore is on Highway 100 in Bellevue. Hewitt's has an amazing selection of hostas and Moore and Moore is always great with native plants.

Since you mentioned you are looking for specific varieties of plants and shrubs and would consider mail order I have to wholeheartedly recommend Woodlanders. I have ordered from them with excellent results over the last several years. They carry a lot of items that you can't easily find anywhere else and their prices are good. I don't have a current catalog from them, I ordered last fall from their website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodlanders web site

There are a lot of great garden clubs in Nashville and surrounding areas and it's a great way to meet plant and flower friends. I don't know what I'd do without my garden club sisters! Many clubs have an older membership, but there are a couple of young ones or you could start your own!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs

I'll second the Needham's recommendation (www.needhamsnursery.com)

You definitely need to check out the big plant sale on Saturday, April 14 (2012), at the TN state fairgrounds in Nashville. Doors open at 9 a.m., and you should be in line well before that time, because people know to come early to get the best selection. This annual sale is sponsored by The Perennial Plant Society of Middle TN, and offers the largest and best selection of perennials in the area, and some special annuals and vines and shrubs as well. Prices are way lower than the garden centers that have been mentioned here, and are competitive with box store prices. But you have choices of over 450 varieties, instead of the very few at the box stores. If you go to the Lawn and Garden Show in March, look for the Perennial Plant Society of Middle TN table and pick up a plant sale flyer and some other plant info.

I second Bates Nursery. They've always been a great help to me, and if you sign up for their mailing list, you hear about exclusive sales. And they don't spam you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bates Nursery.

there's a nice place over on Stewart's Ferry Pike, and a couple of nice places in Mt. Juliet on Lebanon Pike.

I order a lot of my plants online, to get a better deal though. I also live in Old Hickory, but in Wilson County.