"Are there good native plants nurseries?"

There are many, many good mail-order sources for native plants. Here are just a few:

Nearly Native Nursery in Fayetteville, GA (www.nearlynativenursery.com) - absolutely perfect G.WD. rating, wow!

Niche Gardens in Chapel Hill, NC (www.nichegardens.com) - excellent G.WD. rating.

Sunlight Gardens in Andersonville, TN just north of Knoxville )www.sunlightgardens.com) - excellent G.WD. rating.

Overhill Gardens in Vonore, TN (www.overhillgardens.com) - limited but excellent G.WD. rating.

Not mail-order, but another possible source:

GroWild Nursery in Fairview, TN (www.growildinc.com) - strangely, not rated on G.WD.

This post was edited by brandon7 on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 13:04

...oh, and there's no way I can leave out...

Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, MN (www.prairiemoon.com) - excellent G.WD. rating.

I was very excited to see your post and wish you the very best on your venture! You may want to contact the local USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to check on programs for assistance. Meanwhile the Xerces Society is doing a great deal for invertebrate conservation. www.xerces.org and they have tons of information that may be of use to you. The best plant I have added to my backyard garden is the butterfly milkweed. Do not allow the "weed" to scare you, these plants are essential for monarch butterflies and grow easily in your area.

The only native plant I've had issues with, as far as perennials are concerned, is monarda. Make sure to pick a mildew resistant variety, if you plan on adding it. Prefers not to be dry. If you have room for vines, Coral Honeysuckle is a native and host to hummingbird moths. Passiflora incarnata hosts Fritillaries, and Dutchman's Pipevine hosts Pipevine Swallowtails. Echinacea, Asters, Lobelia cardinalis (likes wet roots), Joe Pye Weed, Goldenrod, and Ironweed are all magnets for pollinators that thrive in full sun with little to no care, and the goldfinches will thank you for the seeds.

Thanks so muchI HoneybeeTn,I am thrilled with the NRCS. I got a federal grant, along with instructions, to help.Judging from your handle, I want more advice. NRCS has told me to nuke a field with pesticides before planting anyhting.We have a beautiful snag on the property with bees. I want to make sure they have enough to eat before the seeds grow. I am installing redbuds and annuals. Is that enough?
Treeroots, this list is very helpful. I "nuked" a lot of ironweed and hope there is a good seedbank of it. I want to add plugs as well as seeds. The soil is very very thin over limesstone.

Maybe someone will find the links I posted helpful. Sorry you couldn't use them.

This post was edited by brandon7 on Mon, Jan 19, 15 at 21:35

A resource I have found useful is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (see link below)

You might also be interested in Pollinator Partnership at www.pollinator.org

I would love to hear more about your project. I am hunting for property in middle Tennessee (Western Highland Rim) and plan to grow natives (with special consideration for pollinators) and cultivate wildlife habitat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Thanks Cat S! I enjoy both of those great resources. Good luck with your property search!
I will plant a hedgerow this month including silky dogwood, elderberry, Indigo bush, Eastern Ninebark, smooth and staghorn sumacs.
The seedmix I plant later in the year will include little bluestem, sideoats grama, Lanceleaf coreopsis, purple prairie clover, Illinois bundleflower, purple coneflower, false sunflower, gray-headed coneflower, black eyed susan, partridge pea and rigid goldenrod.