The Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee

PLANT SOCIETY MEETING 2025

Date:  Tuesday, Sep 16

Time: Social Hospitality: 6:00 pm  Meeting at 7:00 pm

Location: Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville

Program Topic:A Year in the Life of a Sanctuary Garden

Presenter: Steve Mydelski

Steve Mydelski, founder of Natchez Glen House in Franklin, will take us on a seasonal journey through the sanctuary herbaceous perennial long borders he has been cultivating for the past seven years.

 

This presentation is both visual and practical, offering a year-round look at garden dynamics through Steve’s lens as a professional horticulturist and garden designer. Sanctuary Gardens—Steve’s signature design philosophy—blend native plants with romantic classics like peonies, irises, and daylilies to create densely layered, ecologically rich, and emotionally powerful spaces.

 

Drawing on over two decades of hands-on experience, mentorship from renowned garden figures like Adrian Bloom and Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd, and continued global travel to study the finest nurseries and gardens, Steve will guide attendees through his soil preparation techniques, plant selection philosophy, fertility and pest management strategies, and the creative potential that emerges in deeply planted, floral-forward gardens.

 

This talk will be especially valuable to perennial enthusiasts seeking to combine sustainability with beauty, and for those curious about how public and residential gardens alike can evolve into living sanctuaries that support pollinators, manage stormwater, and uplift the human spirit.

 

Whether you’re a gardener, designer, or simply someone who loves flowers—this is a program to inspire and inform.

Speaker bio:

Steve Mydelski is the founder of Natchez Glen House, a horticultural design studio and working perennial garden located just outside Franklin. Over the past two decades, Steve has built a practice rooted in intentional, flower-driven design that balances sustainability, ecological function, and—above all—emotional beauty.

 

His signature approach centers around the creation of Sanctuary Gardens—large-scale herbaceous perennial plantings that support pollinators, improve soil health, manage stormwater, and celebrate the full seasonal range of floral expression. Now entering their seventh year in the ground, the Sanctuary Gardens at Natchez Glen are both a living classroom and a deep well of horticultural experimentation. They serve as the foundation for Steve’s continued design work and public advocacy.

 

In addition to public and civic spaces, Steve also brings this philosophy to residential garden design, working closely with homeowners to craft deeply personal, floral-forward gardens.

 

These home landscapes combine ecological awareness with layered beauty—often incorporating native plants alongside classic perennials like peonies, irises, and daylilies—creating immersive gardens that are both practical and poetic. His work is grounded in practical management—soil fertility, pest control, and maintenance—yet always driven by a clear aesthetic goal: to create beautiful, meaningful gardens that butterflies and bees happen to love as well.