By William Ezell
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There's something about a Middle Tennessee summer that makes the backyard feel like the center of the house again. Long evenings, neighbors out walking dogs past dusk, the smell of someone's grill drifting over the fence — it's the season for actually using the space you've got, not just mowing it.
If you've been eyeing your backyard and thinking "I could do something with that," here are five projects Nashville homeowners are tackling right now, plus what each one actually takes to pull off.
1. A Raised Bed for Late-Summer and Fall Crops
It's not too late to start a raised bed this season. Peppers, beans, fall greens, and a second round of tomatoes all do well going in a fresh bed in early-to-mid summer, and raised beds sidestep Nashville's notoriously stubborn clay entirely — no digging through hardpan required.
The fastest path is a simple frame (cedar holds up well in our humidity) filled with a real soil blend rather than bagged topsoil, which tends to compact and drain poorly on its own. Our SuperSoil! Raised Bed Blend is built specifically for this — it holds moisture evenly through Nashville's hot, dry stretches without staying waterlogged after a storm.
2. A Pollinator Patch Along the Fence Line
Bees and butterflies are having a moment in Middle Tennessee gardens, and a pollinator strip is one of the lowest-maintenance ways to add real color to a yard all summer. Coneflower, bee balm, black-eyed Susan, and native milkweed all thrive in our region with minimal watering once established.
Work a few inches of compost into the planting strip before you put anything in the ground — most Tennessee yards are sitting on clay that native pollinator plants will tolerate, but they'll establish faster and bloom heavier with a little organic matter mixed in. Garden Blend is a solid, general-purpose option for this kind of in-ground bed.
3. A Mulch Path Between the Patio and the Garden
If your backyard has that worn dirt track between the back door and wherever you actually spend time, a mulched path is a weekend project that makes the whole yard feel more finished. It also cuts down on mud getting tracked inside after a Tennessee thunderstorm.
A few inches of mulch over a simple edged path suppresses weeds, holds up to foot traffic, and looks intentional instead of accidental. Compost Mulch (Clyde's Pride) breaks down slowly enough to last the season while still feeding the soil underneath as it does.
4. A Backyard Compost Bin (or a Drop-Off Habit)
Summer cookouts, garden trimmings, and farmers market produce all generate a lot of organic waste — and Nashville has more options for dealing with it than most people realize. If you're not ready to manage a bin yourself, our drop-off sites make it easy to bring food scraps and yard waste in rather than sending it to the landfill, and you can pick up finished compost while you're there.
It's a small habit that pairs naturally with anything else on this list — every project above benefits from the compost on the other end.
5. A Lawn Topdressing Before the Worst of the Heat
Lawns take a beating in Tennessee summers, and topdressing with a thin layer of compost is one of the most underused ways to help a lawn hold up through August. It improves the soil underneath without the disruption of a full renovation, and it's a project most homeowners can knock out in an afternoon.
Premium Screened Compost is fine enough to topdress evenly over an existing lawn, and a little goes a long way.
Whichever of these you tackle first, our compost calculator can help you figure out exactly how much material you'll need before you order — no guessing, no extra trips. And if you're local to Nashville or Ashland City, you can pick up in person or have it delivered straight to the yard.