The art and science of culinary gardening, simplified.

We empower people in Middle Tennessee to grow organic food at home, helping them slow down, reconnect, and experience the magic of the garden.

We’ll build your dream garden

You share your garden goals and approve our design. We’ll determine what works in your space, install the garden beds and plant the fruits, flowers and veggies you want. We can even set up seasonal maintenance to reduce the overwhelm. All you need to do is harvest.

 

Featured in:

A colorful blurred background with the text 'Volunteer Gardener' in bold green font.
Cover of Edible Nashville magazine, Winter 2026 issue 65, featuring a glass of coffee with foam and cocoa powder, a small glass of dark liquid, and a coffee maker in the background.

How to work with us

  • Young leafy green plants growing in garden soil, with a drip irrigation line installed in the soil.

    Connect

    Inquire below. We will send you an intro brochure and a link to schedule a Connection Call with us. We're eager to learn about your garden goals!

  • Close-up of person's hand holding dirt or soil outdoors during daytime.

    Design

    We will visit you to analyze what elements your garden will need, and follow up with a design. This service starts at $150.

  • Two people gardening on a large, elevated rust-colored planter with seedlings, near a white porch of a house, surrounded by green trees.

    Build

    We have a skilled carpentry, masonry and irrigation crew to install your garden with high quality, locally sourced materials. See our portfolio of designs here.

  • A woman wearing a large striped sun hat planting flowers in a garden bed.

    Grow

    Whether you're a beginner or a master gardener, we can guide you through the growing process. We have both maintenance and coaching services to support your needs.

Connect with us

Whether you want a full installation, coaching, or a maintenance plan, our consultations will provide ideas to get you inspired and information to get you un-stuck.

Get started

Garden Services

 

Building from the Ground Up?

If your yard is a blank canvas and you don’t know how to get started, Tennessee Kitchen Gardens can help remove the overwhelm. First, we will listen to your gardening goals— what do you want to grow and how much time do you have to spend? Then, we can design and create a garden that works for you.

View Portfolio

Need Gardening Guidance?

If you have an established garden, but could use planning, planting, or maintenance tips, we can help. We know the common pitfalls of Tennessee gardening, and we can support your growing experience with personalized coaching, planting plans, and inspiring ideas that work for our region.

View Services

Community Workshops

We periodically host workshops in various locations around middle Tennessee including schools, community gardens, private homes, and educational farms. These events give you a chance to learn about seasonal planning, planting, maintenance, and harvest. We will share seeds and recipes, and stories of successes and failures from our own garden spaces.

Cultivate a healthy, grounded lifestyle in the garden.

Meet the Team

  • A woman kneeling next to a wooden planter box of plants outdoors, wearing overalls, a white tank top, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gardening gloves, smiling at the camera.

    Sarah Ruzic

    FOUNDER AND CEO

    A proud “garden nerd,” Sarah started her first veggie patch in a remote village in Guatemala in 2005, and has been designing and redesigning gardens in Tennessee since 2012. After a decade of balancing her career as a high school English teacher with her passion for gardening, she founded Tennessee Kitchen Gardens to share the joy of growing your own food with her community. Whether it’s comma placement or soil composition, she’s curious about everything. Her favorite crop to grow is kabocha squash.

  • Woman with curly hair and glasses smiling, holding a tray of potted plants outdoors.

    Abi Tapia

    DESIGNER, DIRECTOR OF GARDEN OPERATIONS, AND WHATEVER ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE

    With a 25-year career in the music business, including roles as a singer-songwriter and live event producer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Abi has been immersed in creativity. But while music was her career, gardening has always been her love language — she’s left a trail of veggie plots and flower beds at every rental house and ex-boyfriend’s yard she’s ever set foot in. Now she channels her creativity into growing all the flowers and lives for lettuce season in her East Nashville garden.

  • A woman with curly brown hair standing outdoors in a garden with green foliage and white flowers, smiling at the camera.

    Melissa Beasley

    GARDENER

  • A woman with brown hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a tan jacket, standing in front of a house with gray siding and a tree with no leaves.

    Emily Hardesty

    GARDENER

  • A smiling man with a beard and a beige cap outdoors near a house with blue siding and a tree.

    Justin Hiltner

    GARDENER

  • Leia Buchanan

    GARDENER

    Nashville native, boy mom, and certified green enthusiast. A proud member of the 'just one more chapter' book club and a hopeless overachiever who struggles to sit still—unless there’s dirt to dig or new sprouts to admire.

  • A woman smiling outdoors in front of a house with gray siding and a bush. She wears a camouflage cap, a dark jacket, and has a braid over her shoulder.

    Kayla Younglove

    GARDENER

  • Kate Lougee

    GARDENER