Our family and company began with John B. Kinsey in Knoxville, Tennessee. John established Kinsey Gardens in 1940 with a passion for horticulture and a few lathhouses in his backyard. Now, his passion passed down for three generations and counting, has bloomed into a thriving wholesale production nursery with four Tennessee farms and a distribution nursery in East Knoxville.  We have continued to weather all the changing elements for growing a variety of quality hardy nursery stock that meets the needs of the current market. Plant selection is regularly changing and improving. New methods of plant propagation, production, breeding and selection are frequently influencing our business. We strive to stay knowledgeable and always resourceful in this industry. We are friendly in the traditions of farm people and enjoy sharing our knowledge and experience with our customers and community. Our prices stay competitive due to our extreme resourcefulness and ability to grow the majority of our nursery stock here locally. We have field grown and greenhouse nursery stock available.  We also supply specialty stock from top growers around the country and patented brands like: Encore®, First Editions®, Drift®, Endless Summer®, Garden Debut®, Knock Out®, Proven Winners® and Southern Living Plant Collection®.

With our extensive nursery stock selection and variety of sizes, packaging and quantities, we strive to be a one-stop shop for landscapers, retail garden centers, local businesses, contractors, builders and industry professionals.

Deep Roots

John B. Kinsey was born 1904 in Dayton, Ohio. In his mid to late teen years, he traveled alone to Chicago, Illinois. He spent the “Roaring 20s” in Chicago working on the elevated railroad and delivering ice blocks. He became involved in a program at the local YMCA that led him to enroll at Maryville College in Maryville, TN. There, he studied Botany and Chemistry, he was a member of the wrestling team and facilitated in the physical education department.

During his college years, John began working for the former Howell Nursery in Knoxville, TN.  He worked his way up to a landscape salesman and developed quite a following and personal interest. He decided to propagate and grow his own landscape favorites. By 1940, John, with the help of his wife, Elizabeth Ayers Kinsey, started Kinsey Gardens on five acres of land at their home in Holston Hills. John was a very personable, lovable and intelligent gentleman. He had a great faith and loved his wife and family. He worked hard and always pursued his passions. He was active in his Church, Boy Scout troop and community. He was scoutmaster for the same troop his son, grandsons, and great nephew would later earn their Eagle ranks in.

John and Elizabeth had five children: Sonja, Jane, Adele, John Edward (Ed) and Lusada. When Ed was 5 years old, he planted his first garden. As he nurtured his crops of corn and beans with his father’s help – he decided, plants would be his lifework too.

Ed Kinsey grew up in the landscape business working with his father. He learned young how to build, maintain and tend to lathhouses and greenhouses.  He attended Holston High School and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Botany in 1968. Then in 1970, he earned a master’s degree in Horticulture from The Ohio State University. After a brief time of active duty in the military, he helped develop the Horticulture Department at the then brand new Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio – a branch of The Ohio State University. He was the head Assistant Professor to begin the first year of the Technical Institute in 1972.

Back in Knoxville, from 1968 to 1972, Kinsey Gardens converted from a landscape nursery to a wholesale production nursery and became self-sufficient as propagators and growers only. In 1975, Ed and his new wife left Ohio and returned to his father’s growing business. They moved to a 14-acre farm in East Knox County, where Ed developed Kinsey Gardens’ second location which today, is our main propagation farm.

Ed married Cynthia Stuckey Kinsey (Cyndee) in 1975. They met while she worked as the Dean’s secretary at the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, OH. They have four children: Sara, Samuel, Matthew and Ruth.

Through the years, Kinsey Gardens became a teaching nursery and hosted University of Tennessee horticulture students and graduate students for internships and jobs. Kinsey Gardens was once one of East Tennessee’s largest nurseries and to this day is still probably one of the largest growers of Rhododendrons and hardy Azaleas in Tennessee. John and Ed Kinsey grew to become rewarded and respected horticulturist and outdoorsmen.

  Ed served as founding president of the East Tennessee Horticulture & Landscape Association. He was President of the Tennessee Nurserymen’s Association. He was a member of the Northeast Christmas Tree and Nursery Association, The Southern Nurserymen’s Association, The American Association of Nurserymen. The International Plant Propagators Society published three of his papers. He was an active member in the Eastern Region of the International Plant Propagators Society for over 20 years.  Ed gave educational lectures, demonstrations and tours, he regularly shared his knowledge and expertise with other growers and industry leaders. He has been a guest speaker at The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.  He was honored as Farmer of the Year in Knox County in 1990. He was Wholesale Nurseryman of the Year for Tennessee Nursery Association in 1991. He is a former president (1983) and Hall of Fame member of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.

Ed also followed his father in being very active in Boy Scouts of America the Great Smoky Mountain Council. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and served as the Scoutmaster of Troop 30 for 20 years at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. We are forever grateful for Ed’s expertise, leadership and generosity.

Kinsey Gardens would not be where we are today without John, Ed and the help of dedicated employees, managers and family. We are especially thankful for our customers and community for their continued interest and support through the years. We value our relationships and appreciate your business.

Present Time

Kinsey Gardens is led by its third generation, Samuel E. Kinsey.  Sam is married to Amanda Anderson Kinsey. They have two daughters, Emmalyn and Abigail. They live on the Jefferson County farm, where he grows field-grown hardy ornamental trees and plants. Sam having grown up in the industry all his life, naturally developed his horticultural, mechanical and analytical skills. He attended Carter High School and earned his rank of Eagle Scout with BSA Troop 30. He graduated from The University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design in 2000. He is a member of multiple hunting, outdoorsman and horticulture nursery clubs and associations.  In 2010, Sam earned the Young Nursery Professional of the Year award from The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA). In 2023, he became the third sitting Vice President of TNLA. He is active in his community and church. He participates in his daughter’s 4-H journeys and extracurricular activities, and he and his wife enjoy lots of hobbies. Like his grandfather and father, Sam is a loved and respected horticulturist and outdoorsman.

Kinsey Gardens is proud of our roots and hopeful for our future. We will continue our mission to grow and supply a broad line of excellent quality hardy ornamental trees and plants for landscape professionals, garden centers, builders and industry professionals in Tennessee and the midsouth.