Is TN nursery family owned?

Yes, TN Nursery is owned and operated by the Sons family of Tennessee. Tammy Sons serves as CEO, working alongside her husband Dennis and other family members who help manage the business. The nursery's heritage can be traced to 1959, when Tammy's father, Roscoe Tate, established a nursery in Altamont, Tennessee.

Although TN Nursery now sells plants through an online store, its history began long before internet shopping became part of everyday life. The business evolved from traditional nursery practices involving growing, harvesting, preparing, and selling plants to an operation serving customers across the country.

For anyone researching TN Nursery before making a purchase, this family background provides useful context. The company has recognizable owners, a documented nursery history, and multiple generations involved in its development.

How TN Nursery Grew from Local Roots to Nationwide Sales

The history behind TN Nursery reflects the changes that have taken place throughout the nursery industry over several decades.

In earlier generations, nursery businesses commonly relied on printed price lists, telephone orders, established customer relationships, and direct communication with buyers. Reaching new customers often meant mailing catalogs or developing relationships with other plant growers.

Roscoe Tate operated in that environment when he established Mountain Ornamental Nursery in 1959. His daughter Tammy grew up watching the practical work involved in running a nursery, including plant handling, customer orders, and the responsibilities required to maintain a small business.

Those lessons later became the foundation for Tammy and Dennis Sons' own company. In 1994, they started TN Nursery on a 12.5-acre farm, gradually developing the operation into a larger business.

As the internet became more accessible, Tammy recognized opportunities to reach people who previously might not have been able to purchase plants directly from a Tennessee nursery.

Online sales allowed customers to browse trees, shrubs, and perennials regardless of their distance from the growing operation. Product descriptions and photographs helped introduce unfamiliar species to gardeners across the country.

This transition also required new skills. A nursery selling plants online must maintain accurate product information, coordinate orders, communicate shipping expectations, and organize the work involved in packing living plants.

As the customer base expanded, the business continued adapting its operations and online presence.

Today, TN Nursery focuses on supplying plants through its retail website, while Tennessee Wholesale Nursery serves customers requiring larger quantities for landscape projects and other planting needs.

More information about the company's history is available in The History of TN Nursery.

The business has changed significantly since the days of handwritten nursery price lists. What has remained consistent is the family's continued involvement in selling and growing plants.

The Family Members Behind TN Nursery's Operations

One reason family ownership is important to TN Nursery's identity is that several relatives continue participating in the business.

Tammy Sons remains responsible for the overall direction of the company. As CEO, she oversees strategy, business development, and the continued growth of its online nursery operations.

Her husband, Dennis Sons, has worked alongside her in developing the business. Their shared involvement helped establish the company and expand its capacity over the years.

Their son, Tristan Sons, serves as a partner and field operations supervisor. His responsibilities involve the growing and production side of the nursery, including coordinating inventory and overseeing field activities.

Bailey Sons, their daughter, is also a partner and serves as Director of Media and Communications. Her work includes the communication and promotional activities that help customers discover TN Nursery's products and learn about the business.

Karastin Sons handles finance and operations, contributing to the accounting, payroll, order management, and organizational work necessary to support the company's activities.

This distribution of responsibilities illustrates how the business combines traditional nursery experience with modern commercial requirements.

A company selling plants online needs knowledgeable people involved in plant production, but it also requires effective systems for managing orders, finances, and customer information.

Family participation across these areas allows the owners to contribute directly to the work involved in operating the company.

Readers can learn more through Tennessee Wholesale Nursery's article Who Owns TN Nursery?, which discusses the family's involvement.

For customers, knowing who manages the business adds context to the nursery's public identity. It shows that the company remains connected to the family that developed it rather than having been absorbed into an unrelated corporate garden center organization.

What Makes TN Nursery's Plant Selection Worth Exploring?

One of the most useful aspects of TN Nursery's online store is its selection of trees, shrubs, ferns, and perennials suited to different landscaping goals.

Some gardeners want attractive flowering trees that provide seasonal color. Others are interested in native fruit species, shade plants, or perennials that support butterflies and other beneficial wildlife.

The Eastern Redbud Tree is one example of a plant suited to ornamental landscapes. It produces clusters of pink to purple flowers in early spring, often before its leaves emerge. Once established in an appropriate location, the tree provides an attractive feature for home gardens.

Gardeners interested in native fruit trees may enjoy the Pawpaw Tree. Known for its large leaves and unusual fruit, pawpaw is native to eastern North America. It can provide both ornamental interest and an edible harvest when suitable growing and pollination conditions are met.

For customers planning larger projects, Tennessee Wholesale Nursery offers Redbud Trees in wholesale quantities and bulk Pawpaw Trees for native landscapes and fruit plantings.

Before selecting plants, customers should evaluate their growing conditions carefully. USDA hardiness zones provide a starting point, but soil type, drainage, sunlight, and available growing space are equally important.

Young trees need sufficient moisture during establishment, and planting depth can affect long-term health. The root flare should remain properly positioned, while mulch should be spread around the surrounding soil rather than piled against the trunk.

Customers should also review how their plants will arrive. Many trees and perennials sold by online nurseries are shipped bare-root, often during seasonal planting windows. These plants may look different from the mature photographs displayed online.

Planning the planting location before delivery and following the nursery's care instructions will help give new plants a strong start.

For larger orders, buyers should also calculate mature spacing and consider the eventual size of their landscape. A successful planting plan should account for how the trees and perennials will grow over several seasons rather than focusing only on their appearance at installation.

TN Nursery's family history is an important part of its identity, but customers benefit most when they combine that background with sound plant selection and proper growing practices.

Ultimately, TN Nursery remains a family-owned Tennessee business. The nursery tradition established by Roscoe Tate in 1959 continues through Tammy Sons, Dennis Sons, and their family today. From small-scale nursery beginnings to nationwide online sales, the company has changed with the industry while keeping family leadership at the center of its operations.