It depends on what plants you're bringing -- some will be hardy, and some probably won't. Whatcha got?

I have tropical and hardy waterlilies, water lettuce, water fern, water poppy, lotus, horse tail reed, duck potatoe, purple prickle, swamp lilies, lizard tail and LA iris. I also have lots of daylilies.

Okay --

Hardy waterlilies should be left in the pond -- just set the pots in the bottom of the pond. Same with the lotus and the horse tail. Tropical lilies need to be lifted and stored in a cool dark place -- you'll have to ask other people about how moist to store them, I've never tried it!

Here's a great list of pond plant hardiness ratings. You'll be in about zone 6, so you can judge for yourself:

http://www.bonniesplants.com/how_to/zone_hardiness_and_light_require.html

Here is a link that might be useful: pond plant hardiness list

Thanks so much for the links. I will go and check them out now. I have a correction to make. I am moving to Cookeville or Sparta (not sure which one house is in). We found a 100 year old farm house to rent. I am so happy.

Thanks again
Betty

We will be moving to cookeville in the Spring, I was just drooling over the swap meet, i have been reading all of your postings and can not wait to meet you all in the spring,we live in Phoenix,and can not wait to get back to green pastures.

I look forward to meeting you dasiy and everyone else too!! Isn't Cookeville beautiful? Have you been to Burgess Falls?

Betty

We just was there for a week looking for a home, and fell in love with the area, now i have to find a good nursery for plants and bushes, as there is not much there at the new house at all.The people who owned it were not into gardening if you can believe that. So if any one could help in the nursery dept it would be a great help. Also there are some varigated plants i would give you some in the spring tortoisekeeper.

Can't wait to meet you Daisy!! I saw a few nurserys in Cookeville but hubby would not stop. The place we are going to live does not have a garden. It does have a place for a veggie garden fenced off from the rabbits. I am bringing my daylilies and pond. The property does have apple trees, pear trees and walnut trees. It is going to kill me to have to wait all winter before I can plant. Guess that will give me plenty time to plan it out. I will also finally be able to get nice big rocks for around my pond. There is a nice nursery I went to in Crossville (about 30 miles away)a few years ago. Maybe we can get togather and so plants shopping. You have to see Burgess Falls.

Betty

Dear Betty and Daisy ,
welcome to the beautiful Upper Cumberlands.
The climates can be different.
Crossville is z6 and Cookeville is z7 and Sparta perhaps a degree or two warmer than Cookeville.
When its raining in Sparta or Cookeville in winter , its most likely snowing in Monterey or Crossville.
Enjoy the valley !
You can grow cold hardy palms in Cookeville and Sparta if you think you may miss them in your old home places.
Sable Minor and Needle Palm do very good here , both are smaller bush like palms . Musa Basjoo (Japanese Fiber banana) are great banana trees that can live here and needs no winter protection except for perhaps some mulch over the clump when it falls down in dead winter during the first couple of years you have it planted.
Winters are mild , damp and short with a couple of good hard freezes thrown in for good measure ( kills the bugs and insects..lol)
The Chinese Windmill Palm (not chinese fan) does great here and its a trunking palm but you must mulch the palms here in winter.
If you do decided to plant these tropicals , come back here next fall for proven proper winter protection .
You wont be planting tropicals now , its too late.
The Sabal Palmetto x Birmingham is another hardy trunking palm tree for Cookeville and Sparta areas , Hardy Camellias, Hardy Gardenias and Hardy Lantata strains will survive here.
The old people around here say ; you can just about plant anything around here if yer willing to throw a box over it during cold / bad spells..LOL.
McMinnville ( west of Sparta on the US 70s turnpike )
is the nursery capitol of the United States.
There is a nursery on every corner , dont miss that place next spring .
Im from Livingston about 15 minutes north of Cookeville on the 111 and one of my favorite nursuries closed recently due to retirement of the owners....I sure would have liked you to see our favorite here in Livingston.
We have a day lily farm with over 1500 varities here , maybe in the spring you can visit it.
Nashville has a few great nursuries...
one of my favorites ( but a bit pricey) is Bates.
You can see their complete inventory on-line by going to www.batesnursery.com
and a good tropical nursery , yet again a bit pricey and 3 hours south of us (North Atlanta)
is Randys. www.randysnursery.com
Closer would be Savannah Nursery in Columbia,Tennessee (just south of Nashville on I-65. They have tropicals priced fair and have what you need for this cimate. Here is a photo of my Sabal Palmetto , the state tree of Florida and South Carolina but seems happy here :
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Here are two that are trunking that were planted out several years ago from 3 gallon pots:
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Here are some Chinese Windmill Palms that you might like in your yard:
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Here is a favorite windmill that seeds alot every fall:
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Desert Yuccas can live here if planted on mounds ,
here is a bad pic of Yucca Elata , state flower of New Mexico:
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and here is a photo of my moms Washingtonia Robusta (Mexican Fan) palm . It has to have protection from the winter dampness but seems to do well........Thats right , I throw a box over it...LOL.
{{gwi:1291737}}
Sorry to tropical you'all to death but having lived in Miami for many years , I needed something to remind me of changes in latitudes and changes in Attitudes.......its 5 oclock somewhere :)

Thanks so much for your post and photo's. I can't wait to get there.

Betty

Just so you know. The weathermen in Nashville are predicting flurries both today, tonight and tomorrow for the Plateau which definitely covers both Cookeville, Crossville and Sparta. You will definitely see some snow this winter when you move. Warren County (McMinnville) is the nursery capital of the world and if you want it you can find it. Most of the field digging is done in December and January so you should be able to see the nursery industry in action. Mary's greenhouse is an awesome and huge annual and perennial place in McMinnville. Look for Daylilly Farm located of off higway 70 (Sparta Highway) in Rock Island and they are big time hybridizers along with lots of other goodies. You will see the fields of daylillies from the main highway (very nice people too!).

Thanks Shady! I will be sure to check them out.

Betty