UT Gardens, Knoxville
2518 Jacob Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Contact Information:
Whitney Hale
(865)974-4265
Mission:
To inspire, educate, and cultivate an appreciation of plants through horticultural displays, educational programs, and research.
The UT Gardens includes plant collections located in Knoxville, Crossville, and Jackson, Tennessee. Designated as the official botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the UT Gardens are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens’ mission is to foster appreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden displays, educational programs and research trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons and are free to the public.
Education Programs:
UTG can assist with (school) garden consultations and advice. UT Gardens also hosts a horticultural therapy certificate program in which participants take college-level courses about the theory and application of horticultural therapy.
Also, individuals can find plant information in the UT Gardens Plant of the Month archive on our website.
Student Education – After school programs, At school - class time programs, Virtual - class time programs, Field Trips / Day trips, Summer camps, Weekend / evening programs
Program Details:
Summer camp: ages 6 and up; assorted topics that each connect to horticulture/plant science; offered most weeks during the summer
Field trips: all ages; can accommodate most group sizes with advance notice; designed to fit school needs (most field trips meet NGSS and can often be connected with another subject)
School visits/programs: all ages; designed to meet standards and support/supplement curricula; can be focused on green industry careers
Workshops: topics vary and include both crafts and horticultural topics; most are for adults but some are for the entire family
Symposia: various topics including gardening and outdoor education professional development
Virtual programs: topics chosen by instructor and garden staff; all ages but 4th grade and up preferred.
We offer workshops and symposia for adults throughout the year. Topics include everything from sustainable landscape design to wreath-making. Additionally, we offer family-friendly events and workshops.
Placemaking:
We are a public garden that includes wetlands, a kitchen garden, an arboretum, a monarch waystation, and more. We act as a living laboratory and an outdoor classroom space, too.
Educator Programs:
Workshops, Symposia (single day), Conferences (multi-day), Continuing education, Curriculum Development, Virtual professional development
We partner with other local organizations to host/participate in Grow Teach Knox, which is an educator-focused symposium during which educators learn basic gardening skills, outdoor classroom management, food prep for the classroom, and more.
Additionally, we are beginning to conduct research and are creating curricula that will be shared with the public.
Website and Social Media:
@utgardensknoxville (Facebook, Instagram) @utgardens (X)