Grassmere Historic Farm at the Nashville Zoo

Grassmere Historic Farm at the Nashville ZooApproximately 20 acres are dedicated to the Grassmere Historic Farm Exhibit, complete with barn and farm animals.

Behind the 1800 brick mansion, Davidson County Master Gardeners are in their ninth year of restoration of the gardens. Five generations of the same family lived and tilled the soil on the 200 acres in south Nashville that is now of the three terraces of heirloom flowers, vegetables, antique fruit trees and grapes. This is in addition to several large iris beds, and gardens in the front and around the mansion, a rose garden and a kitchen herb garden to the rear of the summer kitchen. An entire section contains vegetables, flowers and herbs used for medicinal purposes. Display plantings of cotton and tobacco are also included.

This project uses companion planting methods of planting, composting with no chemicals. A complete listing of heirloom plants grown on this project may be viewed at http://www.nashvillezoo.org/visitor_home_heirloom.asp.

Three days each week from 7 a.m. until noon Master Gardeners and Interns are found in the Gardens. During the late fall and winter months they build trellis, fences, etc. MGs interpret this project with the daily visitors and special tours scheduled by the Zoo. To date, over 20,000 volunteer hours have been spent in the research and restoration of the gardens to the 1850 - 1880s. This is one of the most labor-intensive projects of Davidson County Master Gardeners and one of the most rewarding. The volunteers share the vegetables and extras are welcomed by the Zoo’s animal commissary. Elephants love okra, even the stalks, turnips and sweet potato vines.

"Harvest Days" is an annual celebration held the last weekend in September. This is the 9th year of the festival. Master Gardeners in costume interpret gardening and harvest times to thousands of family visitors who participate in many of the traditional gardening tasks performed on a working farm of the 1800s.