Horticulture Expert: Tammy Sons

 

The History Of a Horticulture Expert: Tammy Sons

For more than three decades, I’ve dedicated my life to growing, studying, and supplying native plants to gardeners, landscapers, designers, and restoration teams across the United States. As the CEO of TN Nursery, a nationally recognized online plant nursery with roots in over 65 years of family tradition, my work combines hands-on horticultural experience with a lifelong passion for sustainable growing.

Horticulture expert Tammy Sons with blonde hair and sunglasses on head

I grew up learning about the behavior of native species through all four seasons—how they respond to drought, freezing temperatures, soil variations, and pollinator cycles—and that early education has shaped the way I run TN Nursery today. 

My journey began long before the advent of the online world. I watched my father, Roscoe Tate, grow and harvest wildflowers in the foothills of Tennessee, supplying them to customers across the nation. When I took the reins, I carried forward his legacy while building one of America’s most trusted online native plant nurseries.

 Today, TN Nursery ships millions of bare-root plants—trees, perennials, ferns, shrubs, and pollinator species—to customers in every state. My goal has always been simple: make high-quality, sustainable native plants accessible to everyone.

Nationally Recognized Horticulture Expertise

Over the years, my plants have been chosen for some of America’s most respected landscapes and historical spaces, including:

  • The Washington Monument
  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • The History Channel
  • The Discovery Channel
  • State and federal restoration projects
  • University research programs
  • Wildlife habitat restorations and streambank stabilizations

These partnerships reflect the trust experts place in TN Nursery’s plant quality and my team’s decades of horticultural knowledge.

Teal TN nursery logo with stylized tree icon by Horticulture Expert Tammy Sons

Educational Background & Professional Development

I expanded my horticulture foundation with advanced business and marketing studies through Harvard Business School Online, where I focused heavily on digital strategy, consumer behavior, and building strong, trustworthy online brands. This training helped me take TN Nursery from a local Tennessee business to a nationally recognized e-commerce brand serving customers across the U.S.

 

Featured In National Media

My horticultural insights and plant expertise have been featured across major publications, including:

  • Real Simple
  • Homes & Gardens
  • USA Today (select regional features)
  • Martha Strewart
  • Sustainability & eco-focused publications
  • Forbes
  • Newsweek
  • Gardening blogs and professional horticulture sites

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Expert Specializations

My primary areas of expertise include:

  • Native plants & pollinator ecosystems
  • Bare-root tree propagation
  • Perennial and fern cultivation
  • Woodland gardening
  • Soil health & sustainable planting methods
  • Large-scale ecological restoration
  • E-commerce horticulture operations
  • Cold-hardy species evaluation and overwintering

A Personal Mission Rooted in Nature

While TN Nursery has grown into a national brand, my mission has never changed—to help people discover the beauty and resilience of native plants. Whether someone is transforming a backyard, restoring a wetland, or planting their first perennial bed, I believe in providing gardeners with the right plants and the confidence to grow them well.

Every day, I work to ensure that TN Nursery continues to deliver exceptional plants, transparent education, and a level of service that honors the legacy my father began. Native plants aren’t just a business to me—they’re a deeply personal commitment to biodiversity, environmental stewardship, and helping gardeners create landscapes that truly thrive.