Learn about native plants, beneficial insects and Smart Yard practices at the UT Gardens, Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Interested in making your yard more sustainable and friendly to pollinators? Attend the fourth annual Smart Yards and Friends Festival to learn how to better manage stormwater, start a compost and ways to help native plants, bees and birds.
The event is Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Gardens, Knoxville, 2518 Jacob Drive on the UTIA campus. It’s hosted by Knox County Master Gardeners with support from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Tennessee Smart Yards is a program led by University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Extension.
At the festival, visitors can explore the Gardens, talk with and ask questions of Master Gardeners and learn about water management, composting, native plants, lawn alternatives, soil conservation and gardening for wildlife.
The event is free, but pre-register for extra raffle ticket giveaways such as a rain barrel, worm bin and native plants. There will be a food vendor on site and a selfie booth. You must be present to win. Pre-register online at tiny.utk.edu/smartyards2026.
Tennessee Smart Yards guides Tennesseans on practices to create healthier and more ecologically-sound landscapes and communities. Residents incorporate nine foundational principles to have a certified Tennessee Smart Yard. The principles include planting the right plant in the right place, managing soils and mulch, practicing sustainability, watering efficiently, fertilizing appropriately, managing yard pests, reducing stormwater and pollutants, providing for wildlife and protecting the water’s edge. The program is a 2025 winner of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for Environmental Education and Outreach and has certified nearly 1,000 yards across the state in the last six years.
Here is a schedule of events:
10 a.m. – Doors open
10:45 a.m. – All About Bats presentation
11:30 a.m. – Our Living Sponge: Water Harvesting with Rain Gardens presentation
12:15 p.m. – Native Food Plants in Landscaping presentation
1 p.m. – From Waste to Wonder: Composting for Greener Yards presentation
1:30 p.m. – How to Get Started with Smart Yards and sign awards presentation to sprout certifiers
2 p.m. – Festival ends
For more information about Tennessee Smart Yards, visit tnyards.utk.edu/.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.