You're going to love spring here. Instead of being two or three weeks of crammed spring intensity, it's a long, drawn-out affair that begins around Feb 1 and ends in early to mid May. I have one or more narcissus types blooming for that sentire period.

Quince blooms in March, followed close on by Forsythia. Timing varies from year to year, of course, but in my yard (I'm in Hickman Co, the county west of you) the forsythia's in bloom by the end of March. The variety I have is Lynwood; other types may be earlier or later, of course.

Ontario doesn't have the redbud/dogwood show you're about to experience in April. It'll knock your socks off. Redbud blooms first, then dogwood, with overlap in some years. It's weather dependent, of course.

Enjoy!

Marty

Let me be ther first to invite you to the middle TN plant swap May 20th about 2 hours from you. Go to www.midtnplantswap.com for info. Make sure you read all the pages. If you need more info be sure to email Jeff our swap nazi(secretary) at jtoothmanindadj@comcast.net
You will meet some of the nicest people here and go home with a bunch of new plants and a full belly.

Enjoy your first TN springtime.

Jan

Dangit Jan! Well let me be the second to invite you. Check out our website (provided by the wonderful Canahavana) at:

http://www.midtnplantswap.com/ you'll see a picture of our speaker, friend, member and all-around awesome plant brainiac...Souer aka Marty DeHart.

Thank you all ! I am becoming very familiar with the counties of TN; I now work for a biotech firm based in KY and I cover the entire state of TN. With a focus on agriculture, I spend most of my time in rural counties; I was through Centerville last week. We are staying in an empty house on my in-laws farm at College Grove until our home in the north is sold, then we will be looking for some land of our own !Given prices in Williamson County, I expect we may be getting to know our neighbours a whole lot better in Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, Bedford, Hickman,Maury and Giles Counties of southern Middle Tennessee.

My wife is a native of College Grove/Franklin and she is VERY, VERY glad to be home.

Thanks for the timeline on flowering shrubs, and I will see about attending the plant swap.

Sorry Marty.
I meant Soeur not Souer.
That's French for "sister" and it's pronounced "sewer", right?

Hick, welcome to middle TN, to Williamson Co. in particular. I live in Williamson Co., NW of Franklin. You will be able to get all the plants you need for your new house from generous TN gardeners. Even better is the friendship and information you glean from gardeners with decades (dare I say centuries??) of gardening experience. Again, a warm welcome.

Ann

Hick, be sure to check out the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show that will be held March 2 - 5.

Our average last frost date here in Knoxville is April 9 (April 16 for Nashville), and I usually have most of my plantings out by the 3rd week in April. So spring planting will come much sooner than what you are accustomed to.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nashville Lawn and Garden Show

Well, it could be pronounced "sewer" if there's a thick southern accent involved, I guess. Closest to the true pronounciation is "sur". You know those French, they just like to string oodles of vowels together to confuse all non-French folk. Actually, if I'd given any thought to southern pronounciation patterns, I would have dropped the nick when I came south to the land of milk and honey. "Sewer" never occured to me, LOL.

Marty

You also need to learn the witch hazels, Lonicera fragrantissima, and winter jasmine, which has already bloomed.
(And grass down here never looks as beautiful as it does in Ontario.)

Well I'm Southern and most folks think I'm thick too.

I heard the headline today on CNN the the French haven't surrendered to anyone this week.
Sorry.