Tennessee Greentimes - Spring 2026

The Official Publication of The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association

2025 Top Landscape Annuals

Plus, Highlights from UT’s Beacon Event

The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Tennessee Greentimes, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ©2026 by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Tennessee Greentimes is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Greentimes allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

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500 lb. capacity

Adjustable from 36" – 72" wide

Ground drive for consistent application

Linkage for positive height adjustment

Four easy change sprockets for feed rate adjustment

Stainless steel hoppers and metering system Approximate feed rates: 16-16-16

CULTIVATORS

Side shields float

Pneumatic gauge wheels

Works great for planting covercrop with seeder

or

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Greasable agriculture disc bearings

Shovel eliminates center line

12, 16" notched blades

Four adjustable cutting angles

float in rear 2 1/2 square tube frame

Adjustable side shields contain soil

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TNLA would like to thank the following companies for being Membership Sponsors

GOLD Membership Sponsors

Barky Beaver BASF

Blankenship Farms and Nursery

Boyd & Boyd Nursery

BWI of Memphis

Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc.

Carpe Diem Farms

Douglas & Lanier Agency

Drees Plant Wholesalers

Farm Credit of Mid-America

Flower City Nurseries

H & R Agri-Power Farm & Turf

Haller’s Landscaping & Nursery, Inc.

Home Nursery, Inc.

Lawn Doctor

Legacy Labor

Mid-South Nursery

Mike Brown’s Wholesale Nursery

Nashville Landscape Systems NYP

Pirtle Nursery, LLC

Randall Walker Farms

Riverbend Nurseries, LLC

RJV Equipment

Swafford Nursery

Tennessee Valley Nursery, Inc.

TN Wholesale Nursery

Triangle Nursery, Inc.

Warren County Nursery, Inc.

Youngblood Farms, LLC

SILVER Membership Sponsors

Botanico, Inc.

Dayton Bag & Burlap Co.

GreenForest Nursery

Kinsey Gardens, Inc.

Old Courthouse Nursery

Rusty Mangrum Nursery

Sam Kinsey

Stronger Together

For those that may not know me, my family has had a wholesale nursery in Knoxville since 1940. My grandfather is in the TNLA ‘Hall-of-Fame’ and my father was president in 1983. I haven’t just grown up in this industry; I have also been around this association my whole life. This year, I am excited to serve as president for 2026 and to work with the board.

I believe 2026 will be a great year for the TNLA. We will start with a field day at the Nursery Research Center on May 7th. Then in June, we will have our annual field day in Knoxville at University of Tennessee Trial Gardens. Please plan on attending one or both of these. There will be plenty of pesticide points offered. Then on par, the Golf Tournament will take course, and then finally ending with our annual TNGRO Tradeshow.

We have big plans for the tradeshow in the coming years and it is never too early to start thinking & talking about it. It is now an annual event that is held in Lebanon. We are working to better advertise to buyers in order to raise attendance. I challenge everyone to inform their customers and share TNLA’s social media posts about the tradeshow and other events. We are also working on more social events to come.

Finally, I would like to challenge every one of you to invite someone to join TNLA. Tennessee’s Green Industry is stronger when we are together and speak with a unified voice. Here’s to a prosperous 2026.

Sam Kinsey TNLA President

The Tennessee Greentimes is the official publication of The Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.

115 Lyon Street McMinnville, TN 37110 (931) 473-3951

Fax (931) 473-5883

www.tnla.com

Email: mail@tnla.com

Published By

Leading Edge

Communications

206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718

Fax (615) 794-4524

Email: info@leadingedge communications.com

Editors

Dr. Bill Klingeman

Dr. Amy Fulcher

Associate Editors

Dr. Karla Addesso

Dr. Becky Bowling

Dr. Midhula Gireesh

Dr. Nar Ranabhat

TNLA Officers

President

Sam Kinsey Kinsey Gardens

1st Vice President

Trista Pirtle

Pirtle Nursery

2nd Vice President

Jason Peace

Home Nursery, Inc.

3rd Vice President

Keith Youngblood Youngblood Farms, LLC

Secretary-Treasurer

Bryan Tate

Mid-South Nursery

Associate Director

Eli Eldridge

EBE Land Services

Ex-Officio

Ozzy Lopez

Ozzy’s Lawncare and Hardscape Services

Executive Director

Danae Bouldin

Assistant Director

Blake Higgins

Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program and Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program CONGRATULATIONS to the 2025 Graduates of the

By Amy Fulcher, Extension Specialist and Professor

Ornamental Plant

Assistant

Tennessee Master Nursery Producer (TMNP) Program and Advanced TMNP are professional development programs for nursery crop producers led by the University of Tennessee. Growers who take the TMNP acquire knowledge and skills that they convert into economic value! Graduates estimate realizing more than $11,000 in reduced costs and increased inventory value as a result of changes they anticipate making from information learned in the TMNP or Advanced TMNP program, and estimate enjoying a reoccurring annual savings of 10% from refined use of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides.

In 2027 UT will offer both programs in Canvas, the same Learning Management System that undergraduate students use to take online courses, instead of K@TE. Canvas is easy to use as a student, and it allow the team behind the scenes to update content more readily. We look forward to launching an updated and more interactive TMNP and Advanced TMNP in 2027 and hope that the new content will increase the economic impact even more! In the meantime, you can continue to take both programs in K@TE.

For more information, please visit the TMNP website: www.tnmasternursery.com

If you have questions about the Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program, please contact Dr. Amy Fulcher afulcher@utk.edu

Congratulations to the 2025 Original and Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program graduates!

Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program Graduates

Brandon Fuston, Fuston’s Nursery

Parker Maners, Hardin County Growers

Kenneth Oakes, Oakes Daylilies

Michael Smith, Parsons Nursery

Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program Graduates

Matthew Brown, River Farm Nursery

Nichole Bull, Bluebird Springs Farm

A.J. Carter, Cherry Creek Nursery

Justin Cooper, Ultimate Landscape Supply and Nursery

Jimmy Couch

Ashley Davis, Davis Farms

Mareah Fermin, Glass Farm Nursery

April Fincher, Middle Ridge Nursery

Paul Flanders, Botanico

Jeff Grissom, Road to Road Nursery

Janie Haston, Groundcover Farms

David Hughes, Rock Bridge Trees

Alex Hutson, Silver Lake Garden Center

Steve Hutson, Silver Lake Garden Center

Michael Lorance, Cherry Springs Nursery

Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center 472 Cadillac Lane McMinnville, TN 37110

Earn pesticide credits. Lunch provided. Must register online. https://tnla.com

June 11, 2026 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

UT Gardens 2518 Jacob Drive Knoxville, TN 37996

Earn 6 CEUs Lunch provided. Register online. https://tnla.com

Building a Regional Hub for Connection Across the Turfgrass Industry BEACON 25

By Becky Grubbs Bowling, PhD – University of Tennessee

TheUniversity of Tennessee’s BEACON 25 event was held in Knoxville, TN on October 14 – 15, 2025 and showcased the strength of collaboration between education, research, and industry in advancing the turfgrass profession. The two-day program drew more than 180 participants, including students, employers, faculty, and guests representing golf, sports turf, landscape, and allied sectors from across the country.

This year, BEACON welcomed 40 visiting students representing turfgrass and sports turf programs from across the Southeast that included the University of Tennessee, Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Sandhills Community College (Pinehurst, NC), the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program, the University of Georgia, and Clemson University. As hosts, we were honored to provide a space where these programs could come together in a shared learning environment (Figure 1). BEACON continues to grow as a regional gathering point for young professionals in turfgrass management, offering opportunities not only to connect with employers but to learn from one another. By fostering these peer and professional relationships early, we hope to help strengthen the network of turfgrass leaders who will continue shaping the industry across the region for years to come.

Day 1: Connecting Education, Industry, and Opportunity

Day 1 of BEACON 25 centered on professional development and networking. We were grateful to welcome 28 employers, including the Knoxville Smokies, premier golf clubs such as Augusta National, Valhalla, Desert Mountain, Essex County Club, Quail Hollow, The Honors Course, and Pinehurst, along with major companies such as Harrell’s LLC, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Syngenta, SiteOne Landscape Supply, Ewing Outdoor Supply, and PBI-Gordon (Figure 2).

New in 2025, students began the afternoon with a Career Fair Prep Session designed to help them sharpen interview skills and build confidence before meeting employers (Figure 1). Respondents to an anonymous post-event survey described the session as “a neat opportunity that should stay in the agenda” and appreciated the chance to network with peers while practicing professional communication. Concurrently, UT students had the opportunity to have a professional photo taken (Figure 3) and interview with Vols in Turf alumni for competitive student scholarships.

Professor and Department Chair Charles Granger, from Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) in South Carolina, reflected on the experience: “Beacon 2025 at The University of Tennessee showcased the power of industry engagement, student collaboration, and the development of essential soft skills. The exceptional programming provided by the UT Turf Team left a lasting impact on both students and industry professionals. The highlight of our experience was connecting with the staff from the Knoxville Smokies.”

The Career Fair offered meaningful engagement between students and employers, and we were encouraged by the level of professionalism and curiosity on display throughout the afternoon. Respondents to a post-event survey praised the quality of interactions, with one noting, “This was a great event. The career fair could have continued for additional time as there were plenty of conversations still ongoing.” One visiting student wrote, “Overall fantastic! … I enjoyed the activity we did with other students. I got to meet a lot of people going into the same [industry] I am and hear their stories.” Throughout the event, students also had access to a professional headshot booth to support their growing portfolios.

Following the Career Fair, small-group student–industry dinners across Knoxville provided time for informal conversation and mentorship. Attendees emphasized that these dinners helped them build genuine relationships with industry leaders and peers. We were encouraged by how engaged students and employers were in those settings and are already considering ways to expand and strengthen these dinners in future years.

Research and Innovation in Action

Day 2 of BEACON 25 took place at the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center – Plant Sciences Unit, where we had the opportunity to share ongoing turfgrass research with students, educators, and industry professionals from across the region (Figure 4). Through guided tours of the research plots, attendees explored studies focused on sports field performance, sustainable turf and groundcover systems, weed and disease management, and broader management practices for golf, sports, and landscape turf (Figure 5, page 12).

Participants described the research tour as informative and useful, noting the value of seeing research in progress and having time for discussion. Many appreciated the balance between demonstration and conversation, with several respondents highlighting that each stop offered something practical to take back to their own programs or operations.

Exciting New Perennial Varieties from Seed

The morning concluded with a networking lunch sponsored by Syngenta, providing an opportunity for continued dialogue between researchers, students, and industry representatives.

Looking Ahead

Discover Diversity

Discover Diversity

As we continue working to connect students, educators, and industry partners through collaboration and shared learning, we are already planning and look forward to hosting BEACON again in October 2026. We plan to expand opportunities for alumni involvement through the Vols in Turf network and will be encouraging greater employer participation in student preparation activities. After asking BEACON 2025 attendees and participating professionals about their experience at the event, more than 85 percent expressed satisfaction with the program’s diverse participants and the professionalism of participating students and employers. More than 80 percent reported making at least two new professional connections, with about one-third noting five or more. When asked about next steps, more than 75 percent said they intended to follow up with employers or peers they met during BEACON, and more than half planned to apply for a position or internship as a direct result of attending.

PH: 919-772-7255

PH: 919-772-7255

FX: 919-773-0904

FX: 919-773-0904 www.PenderNursery.com

www.PenderNursery.com

2620 Wall Store Road Garner, NC 27529

2620 Wall Store Road Garner, NC 27529

Participants described the event as motivating and valuable. One respondent shared, “I met several people I plan to follow up with for internships and future work.”, while another wrote, “BEACON helped increase exposure to the industry and made it easier to talk with professionals.” Participating industry professionals even reflected on how their experience might carry forward, with one noting, “We plan on being an employer at the Career Fair next year.”

Each year, BEACON gives us a chance to learn alongside our partners while strengthening relationships and considering how we can better support the broader turfgrass industry across the region. Please put BEACON 2026 on your professional calendars in October, and plan to join the event as a participant or industry professional.

The Top LANDSCAPE ANNUALS

By Jennifer Northam and James Newburn

UT Gardens, Knoxville evaluated over 135 annual bedding plants during the 2025 growing season and has determined our top performers. Our plant evaluation program is the main research component of the Gardens and has been since its inception. Our program serves many green industry professions including plant breeders, commercial growers, landscape professionals and even consumers by providing accurate information that leads to informed choice and management decisions.

The UT Gardens are an All-American Selections test garden – evaluating unnamed new varieties against established comparisons, and breeder trials for commercial production companies. Breeders and consumers alike value the information on plant performance in the climate of East Tennessee since it is like a broad area of the southeast and beyond. Data that we collect and share helps drive marketing and promotional strategies.

Annual bedding plants are qualitatively judged based on disease resistance, drought tolerance, color, growth habit, and overall vigor. Each cultivar is evaluated three times throughout the season. Trial plants are grown from seed or plugs in our greenhouses and transplanted to our trial beds in early May and evaluations start in June.

Three new beds have been installed at the UT Gardens for full sun perennial trials and one for shade trials. This allows us to easily accept the expansion of perennial trials which is an ever more popular gardening choice. Since perennial trials take up real estate for several years, this addition has greatly added to the capacity of the perennial trial program.

More information can be found, including trial results from Knoxville and Jackson, at utgardens.tennessee.edu

Top Performing Annuals – 2025

Begonia Surefire Cascade™ Red (Proven Winners) – A bold and beautiful red begonia with a unique arching shape that held through the summer and is stunning into the fall. (Photo 1)

Oenothera Superlophus™ Sunglow (Proven Winners) – Bright yellow flowers covered these nicely compact and spreading plants holding up to heat and humidity with little attention. (Photo 2)

Petunia Supertunia Vista® Cool Jazz™ (Proven Winners) – Produced a mass of light lavender pink blooms that had very good vigor and did well through the summer heat. (Photo 3)

Begonia Surefire® Rose (Proven Winners) – All the begonias in the Surefire® series perform well through summer and really shine into the fall. Surefire® Rose has excellent color and contrasts well with other colors. (Photo 4)

Coleus ColorBlaze® Wicked Witch™ – Amazing vigor and ability to fill a space that held up through heat and humidity. It is very capable as a medium height annual to tier and contrast with a lower border and higher background. (Photo 5)

Lantana Luscious® Basket Tangeglow™ (Proven Winners) – A hardy lantana with medium vigor and a great shape covered in multi-level blooms all over. This one takes the cake with a beautiful bright and cheery orange and yellow bi-color glow. (Photo 6)

Petunia Supertunia® Bubblegum® – A flower power winner in the garden. This petunia forms a vigorous sea of hot pink that does not fade until extreme colder weather. (Photo 7)

Ipomoea Sweet Caroline Medusa™ Green – Attractive dentated leaves cover this vigorous spreader. It contrasts well with darker colors and produces a robust mound of colorful foliage. (Photo 8)

Celosia Sol™ Gekko Green (Fleuroselect Winner) – Eye catching hot pink blooms on multicolored foliage make this coleus extraordinary in the garden. It makes compact mounds that do well all summer. (Photo 9)

Lantana Heartland® White (Dummen Orange) – The most vigorous of the Heartland® series that bloomed all summer. The pollinators loved this and the pink flowers of Heartland® Sunrise. (Photos 10a & 10b)

Helianthus Desire Red (Fleuroselect Winner) – Easily grown sunflower with the longest bloom time, and a favorite for the bees. The dark flowers and foliage contrast well with yellow sunflowers that look great in mass plantings. (Photo 11)

Agastache Pink Pearl (Terra Nova) – This perennial excelled with the summer heat and looks great into the fall. It is covered in multiple spikes of light pink blooms on a compact plant. (Photo 12)

Prairie Dropseed ‘Golden Needles’ – A lovely perennial ornamental grass with great texture, summer hardiness, and bright chartreuse color. This Sporobolus cultivar looks great in mass and would contrast well with darker foliaged perennials. (Photo 13)