Bates Nursery and Garden Center
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a fourth-generation, family-owned retail nursery in Nashville, Tennessee, selling container-grown plants, proprietary EarthMix soils, and garden supplies to homeowners and landscape professionals through a single storefront, local delivery, and a multi-format content ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1932
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bates Nursery and Garden Center does
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned retail nursery founded in 1932 by Bessie Bates in Nashville, Tennessee, currently operated by David Bates. The company operates a single physical retail location at 3810 Whites Creek Pike, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, and sells container-grown plants including trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vegetables, southeastern U.S. native plants, houseplants, tropicals, bulbs, and seeds, along with landscape supplies, containers, decor, and soil and mulch products. Its proprietary EarthMix brand soils and amendments are formulated in-house with coconut coir, real topsoil, and mycorrhizal fungi, and the nursery holds Monrovia Boutique status with exclusive access to Monrovia's premium container-grown plant line, supplemented by inventory from Iseli Nursery, Imperial Nurseries, and Bert Hybels, Inc.
The business runs a multi-channel go-to-market model: physical in-store sales, online ordering for in-store pickup (no shipping), and flat-rate local delivery to the greater Nashville area. Pricing is quote-based for many items because plant material varies by size and variety, and the company operates a free BatesRewards loyalty program offering 15-30% member discounts, exclusive promotional pricing, and access to educational events. A dedicated content marketing engine includes the weekly "In the Garden" blog, the "Gardening Inside Out" Saturday live show and weekly podcast distributed across Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Buzzsprout, and Botanical Bootcamp staff-led webinars, all driving top-of-funnel engagement and community stickiness in the Middle Tennessee market. The company is independently capitalized with no parent company, no external investors, and no disclosed funding history, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
Bates Nursery and Garden Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bates Nursery and Garden Center
- Legal name
- Bates Nursery & Garden Center
- Website
- https://batesnursery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1932
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a fourth-generation, family-owned retail nursery in Nashville, Tennessee, selling container-grown plants, proprietary EarthMix soils, and garden supplies to homeowners and landscape professionals through a single storefront, local delivery, and a multi-format content ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bates Nursery and Garden Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Garden Center Retail
- NAICS
- Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)
- SIC
- Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)
Keywords
Where Bates Nursery and Garden Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bates Nursery and Garden Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Plant Sales: Physical retail sales of container-grown plants, trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, houseplants, tropicals, and landscape supplies. In-store purchases with option for online ordering and pickup.
- Delivery Services: Local delivery of plants, soil, and mulch to greater Nashville area. Flat rate pricing for truck deliveries based on size.
- Gift Cards: Sale of physical and digital gift cards for use in-store and online.
- BatesRewards Loyalty Program: Free customer loyalty program providing access to sales, special offers, and educational events. Members-only pricing on promotions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bates Nursery and Garden Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a fourth-generation, family-owned retail garden center in Nashville, Tennessee, selling container-grown trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, native plants, houseplants, tropicals, bulbs, seeds, containers, and landscape supplies. The company also sells its proprietary EarthMix® brand soils and amendments, offers gift cards, local delivery to the greater Nashville area, and an online ordering system with in-store pickup. It operates exclusively as a brick-and-mortar retailer with local fulfillment — no shipping is offered.
Product overview
Bates Nursery & Garden Center is a retail garden center offering a comprehensive selection of container-grown plants and garden supplies. The product portfolio includes Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals & Vegetables, Southeastern U.S. Native Plants, Houseplants, Tropical Plants, Bulbs & Seeds, Containers & Decor, Landscape Supplies, and Soil & Mulch. The nursery sells its own proprietary EarthMix brand soils and amendments (including EarthMix Garden, EarthMix Landscape, EarthMix SuperNatural, and EarthMix Veragra worm castings). Additional offerings include Gift Cards, Local Delivery service to the Greater Nashville area, and the Gardening Inside Out media show/podcast. They are a Monrovia Boutique and carry plants from Iseli Nursery, Imperial Nurseries, and Bert Hybels, Inc.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gardening Inside Out: A live Saturday morning show and podcast featuring gardening and plant advice, hosted by David Bates and Josh Cary with co-hosts Austin, Caroline, and Tyler.
- EarthMix®
Products and services
- Trees Container-grown trees ranging from saplings to large specimen sizes, available year-round for residential and landscape use.
Companies that use Bates Nursery and Garden Center
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bates Nursery and Garden Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Bates Nursery and Garden Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MonroviacoreBates Nursery is a Monrovia Boutique, offering exclusive access to Monrovia's premium container-grown plants known for quality and variety.
- Iseli NurserycorePremium grower supplying specialty ornamental plants including Japanese Maples and conifers.
- Imperial NurseriescoreQuality plant grower supplying container-grown inventory to Bates Nursery.
- Bert Hybels, Inc.minorSpecialty plant grower supplying select inventory to Bates Nursery.
- University of Tennessee (UT) Institute of AgricultureminorAcademic partner providing gardening resources, frost date information, fruit and vegetable garden calendars, and research-based gardening guidance referenced by Bates Nursery.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Bates Nursery and Garden Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Armstrong Garden Centers: California-based independent garden center chain offering plants, garden supplies, and landscape services across multiple locations. Comparable multi-site specialty garden retail model with emphasis on premium plant selection.
- Sneed's Nursery & Garden Center: Nashville-area independent garden center and nursery selling plants, trees, and landscape supplies to homeowners and contractors. Directly comparable as a family-run retail nursery competing for the same Middle Tennessee customer base.
- SummerWinds Nursery: Multi-location independent garden center serving the western US with a curated selection of plants, pottery, and garden essentials. Comparable specialty retail garden center model targeting homeowners.
- Gardens of Babylon: Nashville-based garden center and landscaping supplier offering plants, garden supplies, and design services. Closely comparable to Bates in product range, geography, and target customer.
- Calloway's Nursery: Texas-based multi-location independent garden center chain selling plants, garden supplies, and landscaping products with strong content and educational programming. Comparable business model combining retail, content marketing, and homeowner education.
Broad incumbents
- Home Depot Garden Centers: The home improvement giant operates extensive garden centers nationwide selling plants, soil, and outdoor supplies. Overlaps with Bates on core SKUs at lower price points, representing the dominant competitive threat.
- Lowe's Garden Centers: National home improvement retailer with garden centers offering plants, mulch, and soil. Comparable to Bates on key merchandise categories, competing primarily on convenience and price.
- Walmart Garden Center: Mass merchant offering seasonal garden and nursery products at value price points, including plants and soil. A broad competitor serving overlapping entry-level gardening demand.
Others
- Monrovia Nursery: Premium wholesale plant grower supplying branded container-grown plants to independent garden centers, including Bates as a Monrovia Boutique. An upstream supplier and ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Nature Hills Nursery: Online-first nursery shipping trees, shrubs, and perennials nationwide. Competes with Bates on premium plant categories but operates entirely through e-commerce with no physical retail footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bates Nursery and Garden Center social profiles
Digital presenceBates Nursery and Garden Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bates Nursery and Garden Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bates Nursery and Garden Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bates Nursery and Garden Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bates Nursery and Garden Center
What does Bates Nursery and Garden Center do?
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a fourth-generation, family-owned retail garden center in Nashville, Tennessee, selling container-grown trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, native plants, houseplants, tropicals, bulbs, seeds, containers, and landscape supplies. The company also sells its proprietary EarthMix® brand soils and amendments, offers gift cards, local delivery to the greater Nashville area, and an online ordering system with in-store pickup. It operates exclusively as a brick-and-mortar retailer with local fulfillment — no shipping is offered.
Is Bates Nursery and Garden Center a public or private company?
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Bates Nursery and Garden Center founded?
Bates Nursery and Garden Center was founded in 1932. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bates Nursery and Garden Center based?
Bates Nursery and Garden Center is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bates Nursery and Garden Center make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Plant Sales are the primary driver. The others are delivery Services, gift Cards and batesRewards Loyalty Program.
Who are Bates Nursery and Garden Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Armstrong Garden Centers, Sneed's Nursery & Garden Center, SummerWinds Nursery, Gardens of Babylon and Calloway's Nursery. Broad incumbents are Home Depot Garden Centers, Lowe's Garden Centers and Walmart Garden Center. Monrovia Nursery is listed as an others. Nature Hills Nursery is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bates Nursery and Garden Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bates Nursery and Garden Center.
What industry is Bates Nursery and Garden Center in?
Bates Nursery and Garden Center's product category is Garden Center Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAIAB, Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers). Its NAICS code is 44424 and its SIC code is 5200.