A nonprofit TN organization supporting horticulture education in TN, the use of perennial plants and effective gardening techniques
2025 Society Meetings & Events
.png)
PLANT SOCIETY MEETING 2025
Date: Tuesday,Apr 15
Time: Social Hospitality: 6:30 pm Meeting at 7:00 pm
Location: Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville
Topic: “A Home For Butterflies” with Rita Venable
What kind of real estate do butterflies look for when choosing a home? Do they like what they see, smell and taste at your garden or do they turn up their antennae and look elsewhere? This presentation will focus on what butterflies need and how to plan your garden space. It will include a list of top nectaring plants for Tennessee butterflies. Also, we will discuss hostplants—including trees—for butterflies. We’ll go over practical considerations about the garden along with three real-life examples of butterfly/pollinator gardens—a professionally designed public area, a parking lot island and a backyard home pollinator garden. There will be a question/answer period at the end and some resources for further study.
Rita will have copies of her book, Butterflies of Tennessee, for sale at the PPS meeting. Cash, credit card and check all accepted.
About the speaker:
Rita Venable is a speaker, writer, photographer and consultant whose much-loved subjects are pollinators and gardening with native plants.
She is the author of Butterflies of Tennessee by Maywood Publishing and a host for NPT’s “Volunteer Gardener.”
The Franklin, TN resident is a consultant with the University of Memphis for a Tennessee Dept. of Transportation project. She has published numerous articles and photographs in American Butterflies, American Gardener, Backpacker, Discover the Outdoors and National Wildlife Online.
You can read more about Rita at her website, https://ritavenable.com.
New Perennial Plant Society Meeting Place
In response to a membership survey and feedback, the PPS board has decided to relocate our meetings to the Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. The auditorium has been recently renovated, and there is ample parking. Time for meetings remains the same. We will also continue the plant swap. We would also like to encourage anyone who wishes to bring a treat to share. Social hospitality will still begin at 6:30 p.m., with the formal meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Directions on how to reach Ed Jones are below. Any questions, please email mariwynevans @att.net.
From Franklin Road: Turn east onto Hogan Road and continue on Hogan.
From Harding Place: Turn south onto Trousdale Drive by CVS. Continue on Trousdale and then turn left onto Hogan Road (by Crieve Elementary)
Hogan Road will end at entrance of Ellington Agriculture (Marchant Drive is the cross street - do not turn here for Ed Jones) Go through gates into Ellington and then turn right. Follow road through Ellington following signs to Ed Jones at the top of the hill passing the museum. There is parking on both sides of the auditorium.
ā
From I-65:
Take Exit #78-A east on Harding Place. Take a right at the second light onto Trousdale Drive. Travel south on Trousdale for approximately 1.5 miles. Turn left on to Hogan Road at the four-way stop. Hogan Road ends at the front gates of the Ellington Agricultural Center. Note: all buildings have identifying lawn signs for your convenience.
From I-24:
Take exit #56 west on Harding Place to the Nolensville Road intersection at Harding Mall. Turn left onto Nolensville Road and travel south 1/10 mile and turn right onto Edmondson Pike. Travel 1 1/2 miles on Edmondson Pike. The west entrance to Ellington Agricultural Center is on the right
ā