Hi,

There is a nursery called Sunlight Gardens off I-75 at the Clinton exit just north of Knoxville.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunlight Gardens

You're looking in all the wrong places! :-)

Heading south on I-75 you need to visit Sunlight Gardens at exit 122 some 20 miles north of Knoxville.. They have a website and a nice catalog. Mostly wildflowers. Very nice place. Located about 3 miles from the interstate; get directions from website.

At the Riceville exit immediately south of Athens, TN is the Mouse Creek Nursery. Don't remember exit #. Get off at exit and turn east. Take first right. Look for greenhouses on right. Maybe 3 miles from interstate. Big on hostas there; also pricey in my view. But they have a lot of stuff.

In Waynesville, NC there is Rux Nursery. Also big on hosta and shade plants, but not nearly as pricey and nice people! Located on Old Balsam Hwy. In phonebook. They have a website.

Just north of Asheville/Weaverville at the Monticello Exit of US 19 is Reems Nursery. Worth your time! Also have a web site. Use website for directions

In Asheville, NC stop at Israel's in the "Farmer's Market". The Farmers Market is signed on the interstate and I believe it is spotted on the Asheville inset of the Official NC Highway Map you get at the Welcome centr on I-40. This is a very nice place. You can easily drop 3 hours at the Market. looking around. I believe tere is probably a web site for the market, as well; use it for specific directions. Less than 1 mile from interstate 40.

Have you discovered the display and trial gardens at the University of Tennessee next to the river, take the James White Parkway off of I-40 and drive down river (to the southeast) past the stadium toward the Ag Campus. When you see the blooms, turn right and to the parking lot.
No sales, but lots of interesting plants.

Michael, are you going to Cheryl's swap?

Rebecca

I want to thank y'all for making my next trip to Alpharetta Georgia an extra day longer than normal. I have all the sites located and mapped and in the glove box of the van. Looks like an overnight stay in Asheville will be required and that ain't a bad thing.

Thanks so much for the replies

Oh, here is another that shouldn't be missed! Sunshine Hollow is located between Knoxville and Chattanooga. It is a tad off the interstate, but it is well worth the visit.

Tell Dave and Vicki that Doug and Rebecca Holder sent ya!

Rebecca

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunshine Hollow Gardens

Ooo, if yer staying in Asheville -- BB Barnes nursery! It's about 5 miles off I-40, take exit 51 and follow 25A South until you see it on your right. Dangerous place!

If you are looking for some interesting small (baby/young) trees, shrubs, or perennials I would also check out Beaver Creek Nursery. In some ways, I think this is the neatest nursery in the Knoxville area (I should be paid to be their spokesperson LOL). It's less than 4 miles off I-75 at exit 112 (Emory Road). They seem to have a lot of stuff that is hard or impossible to find anywhere else locally. I will include their web address below. In my opinion they are hard to locate through any browser I have found.

Here is a link that might be useful: beavercreeknursery.net

Adding all these additions to my files - Brandon, is exit 112 where the new Rusty Wallace Honda Dealership is located?

No, it's the next exit north of that. (Emory Road)

I-40 in west knoxville (Farragut) take Lovell Rd. Exit to Kingston Pike. turn right, a block down on the left. Sapplings Garden Center. i work there and so does David Street (shrub/tree expert from the nursery that closed next to brown squirl furniture) [i wish a college degree in hort that im working on would teach me 1/2 the stuff David knows] its all retail featuring monrovia, local growers and al's garden art. its a little pricey but we have some different stuff. (everythign in west knoxville is pricey)
~Ryan

Hiya Ryan! I'm sure you've seen me over there at Saplings. I'm the tall lady with the white van who always asks annoying questions. ;-)

I had forgotten about it, but we stopped at Saplings last summer. We had spent the night at the Baymont Motel on Campbell Station Rd and took Kingston Hwy back over to I-140 to go south into Georgia. Nice place as I recall and nice selection of plants.

I second Mouse Creek Nursery. It's about 3 miles off I-75 between Chattanooga and Knoxville, take exit 42 Riceville . If going North on 75 go right if going south turn left after exit. Go about 1 1/2 miles and see turn on right. There is a sign. Then about another mile. Its on the right. Lots of perrinals, hostas, and some annuals. Limited shurbs and vines. I have found stuff there that I have never found anywhere else. I go at least once every year. Sometimes more. If looking for shrubs and trees, Varnell Nursery off Exit 11 (Ottawah (sp)) slightly north of Chattanooga. Its a few miles away from the interstate though. Halfway to Cleveland on the back way.

Poppytart - thanks for the favorable second opinion on Mouse Creek

well as long as we're venturing into Knoxville.....there is Stanley's greenhouses and nursery. It's off I-40 at James White Parkway. go thru town across the bridge that goes over the river, and past Baptist hospital. You'll see a shopping center on the right (Disc Exchange sorta juts out at you) and on the left is Shoney's restaurant, and I think a Ruby Tuesday. But there is a light right there that you'd turn left at. Follow the road up a bit until it T's at a stop sign. Turn right (you'll see a little sign saying Stanley's greenhouses and pointing right) and take the gentle curve and you can't miss the main nursery. It's worth the visit. awesome selections of perennials and annuals and most impressive shrubs and the like. I lost my mind there Sunday and overspent what I intended to. And then spent my last $20 on a variegated Mock Orange and a Sweet shrub......I went sedum mad though. Angelina, Harvest moon, some I can't recall their names but unusual and not what you'd expect. Nice selection of cactus and the like too. No taxes as they grow their own. Awesome selection of clay pots and stuff too. I love this place. Had I known about it before last year I'd be working there! (I had to help a few people with questions about plants throughout the visit there, even did a plug about me to Mr. Stanley to see if I could snag a job there.......one day I WILL be working there.
madgardener up on the ridge, where we're getting a bit of Locust winter, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English Mountain in Dandridge.

Madgardener, I went to Stanleys on Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised to see different sedums too. They had 4 that were unique, and that's not easy for me to say since I have over 80 different types. I had called Popes and asked them what sedums they had in, and they have the regular types. It's very frustrating ! I wish we had an area greenhouse or nursery that specialized in succulents.
I had went to Stanleys in search of the new Kong Coleus and was not dissapointed, they have tables FULL. Very pleased with my purchases there. I also couldn't resist a pot of Spiderwort 'Bilberry Ice'

Cheryl

Now Cheryl and Madgardener, please let me know when you go to Stanley's so I know to get there before you all :)! Mel and I went on Sunday and the Sedums were picked over. I did come home with some striped portulaca, a Tiarella and some fertilizer. Love the no tax!

Rebecca