How to Make a Living From Your Perennial Garden
It is also possible to have a quarter-acre perennial garden with this spacing make between $15‚000 and $40‚000 a year selling plants‚ cut flowers‚ and workshops once the garden is well established․ This will not happen in the first year‚ and it won't happen if you're growing whatever you personally like without checking to see what actually sells well in your area․ Here is everything you need to know about which plants grow best in Tennessee and the Southeast‚ how long it takes before you start turning a profit‚ and how to close the divide between a hobby and being able to pay your mortgage with divisions and cut stems․
Start With Plants That Sell in Zones 6-7
Most of Tennessee is in USDA zones 6b and 7a‚ with 6a in a few parts at higher elevation east of Knoxville․ This is an advantage‚ because you can grow many plants that do not do well in the extreme heat of the Deep South‚ and also cannot survive a cold Midwest winter․ Use that․
Daylilies are also the workhorse crop; they divide every 2 to 3 years and they grow better in our clay soil than most perennials․ A large clump produces 3-5 sellable divisions annually․ Hostas thrive in the shadier‚ wetter gardens of Middle and East Tennessee and sell well‚ as herbaceous plantings that tolerate shade have become acceptable in many areas of the United States․ Coneflower (Echinacea) and Black-Eyed Susan are both close enough to home to be in demand with the pollinator-garden crowd that has been steadily rising these last few years․
Find out what native perennials are in your area to sell to designers and contractors․ Tennessee coneflower‚ wild bergamot‚ and native asters sell for 20-30 percent more to landscapers who install pollinator or rain gardens than to those who don't․ These designers pay for straight species‚ not possibly native hybrids․ This is why TN Nursery's native perennial and pollinator plant list is worth studying; regional native stock has a built-in market that mail-order competitors from other climate zones cannot serve․
Deer pressure becomes an issue‚ and if you're anywhere near woods or a rural area‚ which describes a lot of Tennessee growing‚ you're losing a season's worth of stock to deer․ These include deer-resistant perennials like Russian sage‚ catmint‚ and lamb's ear‚ which protect your investment and give you something to market to customers who have the same problem․
The Realistic Timeline
Year one is setup and mostly loss․ You're testing the soil‚ you are conditioning the beds and experimenting with stock you can't divide․ However‚ most perennials take a year or two to grow big enough to be divided without harming the parent plant‚ so if you plant a bare-root or small division in spring 2025‚ you won't have much to sell until spring or fall 2026․
Cash flow begins in year 2․ Daylilies‚ hostas‚ and coneflower clumps can be divided and sold by their second or third year․ Cut flower income may also kick in if you're growing coneflower‚ black-eyed Susan‚ or perennial salvias for bouquets‚ since many of these can be cut the same year they're planted․
A well-run perennial operation‚ after three years‚ should start looking like a business with income potential‚ not just a side venture․ You will have several generations of divisions‚ a good customer list and experience‚ and you should have enough items that you can always be selling something each month from April to October․
Site and Soil: Don't Skip This
The biggest problem for new growers in Tennessee is the red clay․ Most of them don't know that red clay drains poorly and becomes hard as concrete‚ killing the roots of plants that need good drainage‚ like lavender and Russian sage․ A soil test from your county UT Extension office is either free or costs only a couple of bucks‚ and you'll know what you're dealing with when you plant something commercially․
Heavy clay can be ameliorated with composted pine bark fines and grit or coarse sand․ Peat moss should not be used as it tends to worsen drainage by absorbing too much water․ If your budget allows‚ raised beds solve the problem of excess water․ 12 to 18 inches of good garden soil over the clay lets you grow things that would rot in native ground․
Most perennial flowers need full sun‚ defined as six hours or more per day․ If your yard's afternoon sun is blocked by tree lines‚ as many wooded Tennessee lots are‚ plant shade perennials such as hosta‚ astilbe‚ and heuchera․ Don't fight to plant sun-loving flowers in shade‚ where they may bloom poorly or not․
Pest Control Without Losing Your Margin
Japanese beetles are the number one pest problem in Tennessee perennial production․ They will heavily damage roses (if you're growing them with your perennials)‚ hibiscus‚ and some daylilies․ If your plot is small‚ you can still handpick them into soapy water each morning‚ a labor-intensive but chemical-free solution favored by producers selling to organic customers during the beetle season in June and July․
Neem oil is effective against most soft-bodied insects and is safe when applied early or late‚ without harming pollinators that accompany and increase seed-grown stock․ Synthetic pesticides should only be applied according to directions when bugs have compromised your plants‚ as extended use will eliminate the helpful insects controlling aphids and spider mites․
Turning Inventory Into Income
Division is your main source of profit; if you plan for it‚ it's all profit․ Daylilies‚ hostas‚ and most of the ornamental grasses will need to be divided every 3 or 4 years to maintain good production and healthy plants․ You're not choosing between better plants or more income‚ you're going to do both at the same time․ However‚ for most perennials‚ fall division (September-October in Tennessee) is preferable due to cooler‚ wetter fall weather reducing transplant shock․
Other income sources beyond plant sales include these:
Farmers markets are the fastest and least expensive way to establish a customer base before building a website․ Nashville‚ Knoxville‚ and Chattanooga have permanent farmers markets with space for plant vendors․ Cut perennial bouquets sell better than potted plants․
The largest orders are typically those made by landscape professionals․ For example‚ a relationship with a local landscape contractor to provide 200 coneflower plants as part of a commercial pollinator planting is worth more than a season of $8 retail sales․
Workshops and consultations․ Teaching a $35 workshop on division and propagation encourages people to come back for other plants‚ especially if you've got a display garden that people want to see in person․
Getting Found Online
A simple website with actual photos of your actual garden beats a stock-photo site every time․ Garden buyers want to know you grow what you sell! Take your before and after pictures‚ record when blooms happen in our Tennessee climate and note prices that are realistically what you want․ Local Facebook gardening groups‚ and Nextdoor‚ produce more qualified leads for perennials small operation than any social media posts․ These groups are people who are looking for plants in your specific area․
It is not only very possible to make money from a hobby garden‚ with the right plants‚ some patience during the inevitable slow first year‚ and a marketing plan that draws on local‚ legitimate knowledge‚ it is actually pretty straightforward․
