Reeves shares decades of horticulture experience and expertise

Visitors to UT Gardens, Jackson, in the springtime can’t help but to stop in their tracks when they see red poppies with flowers the size of the palm of your hand, standing 4-feet tall, throughout the flower beds. Summertime brings bursts of blooms and elephant ears that will soon max out at 6-feet tall, with leaves spanning five feet in width. 

For most, winter is a time when people head indoors to cozy up beside a fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and their favorite book. For Jason Reeves, it’s that time of year when he heads to the greenhouses on the grounds of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson to plant new seeds in anticipation of the growing season.

Horticulture has been a part of Reeves’ entire adult life. As the Garden’s ornamental horticulturist, he spends his days and nights planting, nurturing and studying numerous varieties of plants. Since the beginning of the Gardens more than 20 years ago in 2002, ornamental research on the grounds of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center has grown to include three growing houses encompassing about 9,000 square feet. There are approximately 20,000-square-feet total dedicated to behind-the-scenes production. 

Reeves said about half of the beds on the UT Gardens grounds are dedicated to plants he and his team trial for companies. He said each year they test about 200-300 plants for performance in our climate. 

“Some include new varieties and others may have been on the market for 30-40 years,” according to Reeves.

Each year, data is compiled into reports and made available online via the Gardens’ website. Test plants include annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and shrubs. In addition to trial results, Reeves and his assistants compile a Best and Beautiful annual report, where they highlight the best performers as well as visitors’ favorite varieties. Some of the nurseries across the region provide their customers with that information for their purchasing decisions.

As a result of the research, information about plant varieties have evolved. For example, Reeves shared that most heliotropes are not heat tolerant nor perennial. He has trialed a variety called Augusta Lavender that has performed well all summer and has come back for the last three years.

If keeping ornamental beds in tip-top, showy states at UT Gardens isn’t enough of a task for Reeves and his team, he manages to find time to participate as a speaker in garden seminars across the nation. He professes to be “very much a home gardener.” He recently bought a farm and commenced planting more than 12,000 daffodils (one of his favorite flowers) and more than 300 varieties of plants and shrubs.

In addition to his role at UT Gardens, Jackson, his guest speaking and working on his farm, Reeves also offers a Facebook page, Jason Reeves - in the garden, and helps contribute content for the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s various publications and media releases. The UT Institute of Agriculture offers three UT Gardens sites in the state - Jackson, Crossville and Knoxville. The horticulturists at each location, along with their assistants, provide “Plant of the Month” spotlights from their experiences. When they pen a “Plant of the Month” spotlight, they also include which of the locations feature that variety.

Jason’s passion is plants. When asked what are his favorites, that created a bit of a pause, as he says there are so many. Honorable mentions by Reeves included lantana, a favorite of butterflies; vinca and sweet potato vine.

One of his favorite trees is the tall and slender Kindred Spirit oak tree. When discussing his favorite shrubs, it was evident that hydrangeas were at the top of Reeves’ list, with their showy blooms and capacity for sun and shade tolerance.

While sharing information for stakeholders, nurseries and homeowners is one of Reeves’ favorite aspects of his role at UT Gardens, Jackson, sharing the grounds with the public is one of the most-rewarding aspects. He and his team keep the ornamental beds of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center filled with seasonal plants and shrubs. Winter offers visitors a variety of lettuce, Swiss chard, kale and pansies. 

Spring and Summer offer colorful displays as the beds showcase a wide diversity of plants, resulting from hours of work put into test plots and displays.

The public has an open invitation to visit the grounds from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week throughout the year. Scattered throughout the flower beds, visitors will also find unique art displays featuring recycled pieces. Reeves welcomes visitors to “bring a picnic if you want” and take in the sights and scents of UT Gardens, Jackson. 

The Gardens are located at 605 Airways Blvd., Jackson. 

Sabrina Bates, sabrina@richardsonmediagroup.net