The University of Tennessee Gardens
See also : Visitor Information : Garden News and Events
2013 Summer Celebration Lawn & Garden Show (Jackson)
Thursday, July 11, 2013, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the UT Gardens in Jackson
Don't miss this annual, one-day adventure for gardening enthusiasts, devoted naturalists, and anyone who enjoys the outdoors! This year's theme, 'Wild Tennessee,' will be presented in 18 garden and wildlife lectures. Be sure to check out the Master Gardeners' Plant Sale and the UT Kitchen Divas' cooking demonstration, 'Eggcellent Ideas Throughout the Day.' Take advantage of the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Center to identify any pesky weeds, disease or insect damage and to get a free test of your soil pH. Wagon tours, the 4-H All-Stars food tent, and a vendor tent of garden tools and unique art round out the day.
Click here for more information on the event. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 17 and under.
2013 Annual Gardens Symposium (Knoxville) - Gardening with Children
Saturday, August 24, 2013, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the UT Gardens in Knoxville
Research shows that getting children active and in nature has many benefits. Gardening is an easy way for children to interact with nature no matter where they live. This symposium is designed for teachers, parents, grandparents and homeschool families who are interested in
learning more about gardening and how it can impact children’s education. Teachers will acquire techniques to enhance their curriculum using garden-based learning. Parents and grandparents will learn how to garden at home with children. Children’s activities will be available while adults are in educational sessions.
Come and learn how local gardening programs can assist you in the classroom or at home. Experts from Beardsley Community Farm, Knoxville Botanical Gardens – Every Child Outdoors program, Knox County Extension, Oakridge Children’s Museum and UT Gardens will be presenting at this symposium.
Costs: Adult Registration $30; Child Registration $15 (Lunch is included in the cost of registration.) Click here for more details on scheduled talks, speaker bios, and registration forms. Pre-registration is required. Contact Derrick Stowell at 865-974-7151 or dstowell@utk.edu to pre-register or for more information.
UT Farmers Market (Knoxville) - Starts May 15th
Come picnic in the gardens, buy your groceries, listen to local music and mingle!
The UT Farmers Market will be held Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. at the UT Gardens on Neyland Drive from May 15, 2013 to October 23, 2013. Fresh produce, local food (including UT Culinary Institute creations), entertainment, children's events, educational information and more!
If you are interested in participating as a vendor, please click here.
Books and Blooms is back! Every Thursday at 10:30 A.M in the Knoxville Garden.
This popular event returns again for 2013 and features stories, songs, and crafts for the younger set. The event is free and open to the public. If you would like to be put on an email list to receive a weekly reminder about Books and Blooms, please email Derrick Stowell at: dstowell@utk.edu
School Programming - UT Gardens Knoxville
Through our school programs we hope to inspire the next generation of gardeners and provide students with valuable life skills so that they can garden at their own homes. Each program can be custom-tailored to meet the needs of your classroom. The programs are designed to meet State of Tennessee and Common Core State Standards. We currently offer two main programs for schools - Garden Trips and Go Garden.
Garden Trips are designed to enhance the school curriculum by reinforcing each teacher's educational objectives. Using the natural environment of the UT Gardens, they provide opportunities to incorporate science, math, language arts, and other educational subjects into one trip. Each program lasts two to three hours depending on your specific needs. Cost: $5 per student.
Go Garden is our traveling program which brings the garden to you. This program is designed to enhance the school curriculum. Using the natural environment around your school yard, it provides opportunities to incorporate science, math, language arts, and other educational subjects into one trip. The UT Gardens can even offer your school ideas on how to design, create, and maintain your own school garden. These sessions can be set up to accommodate a specific class or several classes at once. Cost: $5 per student.
Click here for more information on our School Programming.
Home Grown Program - UT Gardens Knoxville
The UT Gardens provides an excellent opportunity to enhance your home school program with a fun and educational hands-on session each month October thru April! Sessions are designed with Common Core Standards in minds. Because many home school families have children of all ages, these sessions are designed to meet the educational needs of children grades K-5. Each session will have a garden theme and will include activities that touch on science, math, and reading. Pre-registration is required. Cost: $5 per student (per session).
Click here for information about each month's session.
Classes and Workshops - UT Gardens Knoxville
June:
Grandkids Growing: Pollination Station - Saturday, June 29, 10 am - 12 noon. This class is for a grandparent/grandchild duo. Without pollinators most of the food we eat would not be possible. Get the buzz about pollinators and what plants they love to pollinate. Enjoy a honey made snack and make a craft to take home. Cost per family: $10/member, $15/nonmember.
Garden Buds: Eat Your Flowers - Saturday, June 29, 1 -3 p.m. This class is for children ages 6-9. Not all flowers are grown just for looks. Many flowers in your garden can be used in salads and other dishes. Learn what is safe to eat and how to grow them. Enjoy a snack of edible flowers from our kitchen garden. Cost: $10/member, $15/nonmember.
July:
Adult Workshop: Rainwater Harvesting - Saturday, July 27, 1-3 p.m. Don’t let that rain go to waste. Collecting rain from your roof is an excellent way to help conserve water while keeping your plants alive during the hot dry summers. Get tips on setting up your own rain barrels and collecting rainwater. Participants will make their own rain barrel. Cost: $35/member, $45/nonmember.
Sunday Garden Talk: Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening - Sunday, July 14, 2 - 3:30 p.m. Folks in the Tennessee Valley are lucky to have three growing seasons, spring, summer and fall. You can extend your harvest all the way through the winter with a little extra effort. Join local garden author, John Tullock, as he will discusses what to grow here in fall and winter, along with what you need to know for a successful harvest. Cost: Free/member, $5/nonmember.
August:
Grandkids Growing: Roots, Shoots n' Fruits - Saturday, August 10, 10 a.m. - 12 noon. This class is for a grandparent/grandchild duo. Did you know that a tomato is actually a fruit and potatoes are roots? Tour the kitchen garden and taste what is growing. Participants will plant a seed to grow and eat. Cost per family: $10/member, $15/nonmember.
Sunday Garden Talk: Tabletop Aquaponics for Beginners - Sunday, August 11, 2 - 3:30 p.m. Join Amanda Plante, “Every Child Outdoors” (Knoxville) garden manager and school aquaponics consultant, to learn the basics of home aquaponic gardening. Plants are grown suspended in water without soil, and fish live in the water source. Fish provide nutrients for the plants, and plants clean the water for the fish. Cost: Free/member, $5/nonmember.
Garden Sprouts: You're Bugging Me - Friday, August 16, 10-11:30 a.m. This class is for children ages 3-5. Learn about the good, the bad and the ugly of the insect world. Play a fun bug game and see why it’s important not to squish all bugs you find. Cost: $8/member, $12/nonmember.
Annual Gardens Symposium: Gardening with Children - Saturday, August 24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Getting children active and in nature has many benefits. Parents, grandparents and teachers will explore how gardening with children can provide them a closer connection to nature. Teachers will acquire techniques to enhance their curriculum using garden-based learning. Parents and grandparents will learn how to garden at home with children. Children’s activities will be available while adults are in educational sessions. Check our website for speaker and workshop details as they become available.
Click here for a pdf of children and adult classes scheduled June-August. Pre-registration is required for all classes. All classes will be held at the UT Gardens in Knoxville. Contact Derrick Stowell at 865-974-7151 or dstowell@utk.edu to pre-register or for more information.
Professional Photography Policy
The UT Gardens in Knoxville are proud to provide an attractive venue and colorful setting that has become a popular location for all types of photography in the East Tennessee region. Considerable materials and labor are required to maintain the Gardens to the high standard that has attracted so many professional photographers to use the Gardens in their work.
As a result, starting March 1, 2011, the UT Gardens will implement the following Professional Photography policy. ‘Professional Photographer’ being defined as one who charges a fee for their services.
Professional photographers who wish to take advantage of the UT Gardens’ as part of their commercial work are asked to become Friends of the UT Gardens at the $100 level or above. These funds will directly support the maintenance and upkeep of the UT Gardens. Membership information is available at http://utgardens.tennessee.edu/membership.html.
Photographers who do not wish to become Friends of the UT Gardens at this level may schedule photo shoots on the grounds for a fee of $35 per hour. Non-member (commercial) photographers who bring clients to the UT Gardens without scheduling in advance, or without paying the sitting fee, may be asked to leave the grounds.
The full policy may be viewed here.
UT Gardens T-Shirts and Note Cards - Now Available
Visit the eMarketplace of the UT Institute of Agriculture to order your UT Gardens logo t-shirt, spring or fall notecard set, or garden poster. Proceeds from all sales benefit the UT Gardens.
UT Gardens Knoxville Volunteers
The UT Gardens Volunteer Program is now active for the 2013 season. Join us for one of our regular weekly sessions, your chance to work with garden staff each Tuesday or Thursday morning from 9-12. To learn how you can join in these work sessions, contact Beth Willis at ewillis2@utk.edu; 974-2712
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Thanks due to Spring Meadow Nursery and Netherland Bulb Co.
Spring Meadow Nursery and Netherland Bulb Co. recently made large donations of plant materials to the UT Gardens. Their generous support is greatly appreciated!
Dogwood Arts Festival Presents Bazillion Blooms
Bazillion Blooms is a Dogwood Tree planting program to beautify our East Tennessee communities, improve the health of our environment and foster community support and pride in our beloved native dogwood. For more information, click here
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Corona is the official tool sponsor of the UT Gardens.
Dramm provides a portion of the watering tools used in the UT Gardens.
Contact The UT Gardens
UT Gardens
Department of Plant Sciences
252 Ellington Plant Sciences Bldg
2431 Joe Johnson Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: (865) 974-8265
Fax: (865) 974-1947
Email: utgardens@utk.edu
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