Events

Welcome to the native landscape and gardens of Rita and Phil Venable! Our garden is in suburban north Franklin near the Cool Springs mall. 

We love our native garden and the wildlife it attracts but we must work within the guidelines of our HOA and want to do it in a friendly way that is also in step with the neighborhood. How? Come and see.

Although the landscaped area around the house has changed many times over the last 20+ years, currently the lawn area has been cut by 1/2 and transformed into a an area friendly to pollinators, birds, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals. We use native plants in the landscape to help control erosion and provide wildlife habitat all the while incorporating “cues to care.”

The gardens will be open for drop-in visitors 9:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 27. Both front yard and back gardens will be open for viewing and native plants will be labeled. Please register so we know how many to expect and can let neighbors know to accommodate parking. 

The following should be in bloom: sweet, gray and zigzag goldenrods, hoary vervain, New York, late purple and aromatic asters, hairy golden aster, whorled sunflower, beautyberry, ironweed, autumn sage and southern wild senna. Some non-natives will also be in bloom.

Rita