About Us Gardens And Arboretum
Elmwood Cemetery is a place of natural beauty. It was founded in 1852 as a part of the Rural Cemetery Movement, which embraced the idea that cemeteries should conform to the landscape. The cemetery was designed with majestic old trees, seasonal and perennial plantings, and shady spots in mind.
The cemetery is home to almost 1,500 trees. It is a Tennessee Urban Forestry Department Level II Arboretum, and many of its trees are tagged with scientific and common names. There are both self-guided and docent-led Arboretum Tours available for children and adults alike; email Linley Schmidt for more details about these tours.
Three formal gardens are located at Elmwood.
The McCallum Garden
Located next to the Victorian Cottage, this beautiful cottage garden features brick pathways within a wrought iron fence. With its shady crepe myrtles, roses, native vines, forget-me-nots, perennials and many other pass along plants, it is an inspiration to cottage gardeners.
The McCallum Garden was donated to Elmwood by the late Virginia and Robert McCallum.
The Miller Garden
The Miller Garden welcomes guests into Elmwood as they enter the cemetery across the arched bridge. The bridge is framed on either side by seasonal color and lovely shady retreats. The garden features azaleas, boxwoods, hostas, hydrangeas, lilies, ferns and a variety of trees including ginkgos, hollies, maples, cherries, and oaks.
The Miller Garden was donated to Elmwood by Cathy and Joseph Miller.
The Butterfly Garden
Located behind the Victorian Cottage, this garden continues the theme of sun-loving perennials with butterfly-attracting plants such as butterfly bush, zinnias, liatris, phlox, passion flowers, dill, fennel, and cone flowers.
The Butterfly Garden features picnic tables and a clematis-covered arbor. Restrooms and a water fountain are located next to the Butterfly Garden, which makes this area a perfect spot for tour groups to congregate for picnic lunches after a walk about the grounds.