A nonprofit TN organization supporting horticulture education in TN, the use of perennial plants and effective gardening techniques
ABOUT US
The Perennial Plant Society of Middle TN is a nonprofit TN organization supporting horticulture education in TN, the use of perennial plants in the landscape and giving advice about effective gardening techniques. Our activities include:
Monthly public meetings with expert speakers, private garden tours, meeting plant swaps, a huge annual plant sale, and funding of horticultural scholarships to Tennessee students.
WHAT'S NEW AT PPS
PLANT SOCIETY MEETING 2026
Date: Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026
Time: Social Hospitality: 6:00 pm Meeting at 6:30 pm
Location: Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville
Topic: Getting a Meadow Is Like Getting a Puppy — Debunking Trendy Myths of Modern Gardening
Is a lecture that promises to pull back the curtain on the lawn-and-meadow craze that’s swept the gardening world. Jenks’ new book pulls no punches. Over more than three decades, he’s ridden the tide of hype, stumbled in his own beds, and watched as flashy simplifications promised paradise but delivered more confusion than clarity. Now, with candor and a lot of practical experience, he aims to help Southerners and aspiring gardeners actually succeed by understanding the real interplay of plants, soil, climate, and even the often-forgotten role of fungi.
What makes this presentation different is its grounded, no-nonsense approach. Jenks isn’t here to sell you a one-size-fits-all miracle; he’s here to lay out the fundamentals. When you know how soil chemistry works, how moisture moves through your landscape, and how different organisms interact below the surface, you gain the tools to tackle any gardening project whether you’re growing vegetables, nurturing flowers, shaping shrubs, maintaining a lawn, or attempting a meadow that looks effortless but isn’t. Get ready for a fast-paced, informative, and occasionally candid exploration of modern gardening. Join Jenks as he shares the realities behind the meadow craze and helps you cultivate a landscape that stands the test of time and climate. This isn’t just a lecture; it’s a roadmap to building a garden that reflects your values, your climate, and your patience.
Speaker: Augustus Jenkins Farmer (Jenks Farmer)
Bio: Brought a vision to life while creating the two largest botanical gardens in South Carolina. Born and raised on a rural farm, he left at 18 to travel and study around the world. But as an adult, Jenks returned to build gardens, write, and inspire plant lovers in his home state. Although he holds degrees in plant science and museum sciences, Jenks most values lessons from self-taught gardeners. He has written five books, including Deep-Rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories from Generations of Gardeners (2014), Funky Little Flower Farm (2019), Crinum: Unearthing the History and Culture of the Biggest Bulbs in the World (2022), Garden Disrupters: The Rebel Misfits Who Turned Southern Horticulture on Its Head (2023), and Secrets of Southern Gardening (2025).
He has also written many professional articles and travelled the lecture circuit, giving lively and thought-provoking presentations to organizations ranging from the Smithsonian and the Master Gardeners International Conference. In 2026 he was the first garden writer ever to be inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors along side such luminaries as Pat Conroy and James Dickey.
Jenks current runs a design and gardening business and his specialty nursery of the genus Crinum - the rennoceiance of which he has worked endlessly on for 35 years. He’s recently created the master plan for South Carolina’s newest botanical garden. Jenks, a 10th-generation South Carolinian, and his husband Tom live with their very extended family on a 1750s farm in Beech Island, South Carolina.
Benefits of Membership
The Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee is for people who enjoy landscaping, gardening and growing flowers, especially perennials that come back every year. The group and its invited speakers offer ideas, education and friendship to all. Members include amateurs and professionals, beginners and 'old hands,' and their gardens range from large estate landscapes to small plots beside the kitchen door.
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Invitations to attend private garden tours at some of the most beautiful gardens in the Middle Tennessee area.
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Attend monthly society meetings with special program presentations from guest speakers
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Swap plant ideas and plants with other society members
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Be a part of one of the largest plant sales in Tennessee
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Help fund scholarships for local deserving horticultural students
2026 PERENNIAL PLANT SOCIETY PLANT SALE IS OVER
On behalf of the Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee, I’d like to thank every gardener who came to our sale on Sat. April 11. It was the most amazing turnout—certainly the largest we have had in the 32 years of the sale. Lines were long, but we appreciate everyone’s patience and good humor. This wonderful response has enabled us to continue to fund the horticultural scholarships at Tenn. Tech and to support free educational programs on gardening throughout the year.
We are very grateful to our customers for their help in meeting our mission goals.
