What to plant in Nashville, Tennessee

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage

• Weigela 'Wine & Roses'

  × 1

  Weigela florida 'Alexandra'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 4–5 ft tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Shrub rose 'Knock Out' or Dwarf panicle hydrangea 'Little Lime'.

• Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'

  × 3

  Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jul–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Northern sea oats or Pink muhly grass.

• Blazing star

  × 16

  Liatris spicata

  Filler · Back of bed · quart pot · 1 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Jul–Aug

  Can't find it? Use Garden phlox 'David' or Lavandin 'Phenomenal'.

• Anise hyssop 'Blue Fortune'

  × 7

  Agastache 'Blue Fortune'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jul–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Hardy geranium 'Rozanne' or Yarrow 'Moonshine'.

• Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

  × 16

  Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Creeping phlox or Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 75% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Gardenia 'Frostproof'

  × 4

  Gardenia jasminoides 'Frostproof'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope' or Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'.

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Autumn fern or Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'.

• Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'

  × 7

  Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Chinese astilbe 'Visions' or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• Hardy geranium 'Rozanne'

  × 5

  Geranium 'Gerwat' (Rozanne)

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Cast iron plant.

• Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'

  × 5

  Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 88% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata' or Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'.

• Lilyturf 'Big Blue'

  × 14

  Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

• Bleeding heart

  × 5

  Lamprocapnos spectabilis

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Hosta 'Sum and Substance' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

• Lenten rose

  × 7

  Helleborus × hybridus

  Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Feb–Apr

  Can't find it? Use Chinese astilbe 'Visions' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

• Mondo grass

  × 16

  Ophiopogon japonicus

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance' or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.