Hi Hill Kid, I'm in 6b on the Va side. I don't have much shade but for sun I love my 'the fairy' rose, blooms spring through fall, disease resistant hardly no maintenance but give it plenty of room, other resistant low maintenance roses on the smaller side drift roses, I have 'pink' and 'peach', love them, and I bought last year reblooming weigela 'sonic bloom pink' love this one too, it has rest periods but blooms alot throughout the season. And perennials, salvias, daylilies, iris, lilies, and coneflowers. All low maintenance, easy to care for.

'Sonic bloom pink'

This is a fav. of mine too but short bloom time Baptisia 'purple smoke'

Welcome to middle TN! I'd recommend daylilies for areas that get lots of sun and hostas for the shady areas. Both are low-maintenance and do very well in middle TN. If you have space for peonies, some of them (especially the earlier blooming ones) do very well in our area.