Celebrating the City-Wide Tradition of Red Wing Moss Baskets
The city of Red Wing hung their very first set of Red Wing Moss Baskets in 1989 and since, the tradition has grown into an icon of the city’s beauty. Sargent’s Nursery proudly designs and grows the beautiful hanging baskets you see around town and has done so since they were first hung over 30 years ago!
While they represent the city of Red Wing, this unique basket program is actually funded by Red Wing’s Noontime Kiwanis Club (since 2004) and no tax dollars are used for the flower basket expenses. Kiwanians take full responsibility for raising funds for everything from seeds to fertilizer and even the seasonal city employees who water the baskets!
Purchase Your Own Red Wing Moss Basket
Our hanging baskets are available for purchase by the public! These at-home baskets are built from the same sun-loving plants as the larger city baskets, and are planted in a 14″ basket rather than a 16″. Special hanging brackets are also available to help accommodate their weight.
At Sargent’s Nursery, we produce well over 500 flowering baskets for our customers yearly and they are only available for a limited time. Red Wing Moss Baskets are typically available May 1st each year, but that can depend on the weather! They do sell quickly, so if you’re travelling long distances to purchase, please call the day of expected travel to ensure stock is available!
Plant Your Own Moss Basket with Sargent’s Nursery
Early each spring, we offer several moss basket planting classes where we let you in on the tradition and give you all the tips and tricks you need to make your very own Red Wing masterpiece! We provide you with the supplies you need–a wire basket, a moss liner, soil, fertilizer, and of course beautiful plants–to create your very own replica of a Red Wing Moss Basket to display at your home.
When you’ve finished planting, we tag your basket and find a home for it in our greenhouse where we care for it until sometime in May when you can pick it up and bring it home with you!
To reserve space for yourself or a group, please check our events page in February or March; you can locate the exact dates on our event calendar.
Donate to Help the Noontime Kiwanis!
The Red Wing Noontime Kiwanis invite you to help keep the tradition blooming and to be a part of making your community bright and beautiful. Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Red Wing Kiwanis Foundation-Flower Basket Trust.
Red Wing Moss Basket Care Tips
FULL SUN
The Red Wing Moss Baskets are designed to be hung in a sunny location. The trademarks of these baskets are the volume of foliage and the number of flowers. If your basket doesn’t receive at least of 6 hours of bright sun each day it just won’t maintain the classic full look and may have fewer blossoms.
LOW/NO WIND
A location sheltered from the hot wind can help prevent wilting and breakage.
WATER
Your ability to water the basket properly will dictate the success you will have with it. In May, the days and nights are still relatively cool and the plants are small, so you may only need to water every few days. In the heat of the summer you will likely need to water your basket daily. Check the basket daily to determine its water needs.
A few techniques to determine watering needs:
- Lift it slightly from the bottom to determine the weight. (If it feels lighter than when you bought it, it’s time for water!)
- If the moss on the outside is dry, the basket may also be dry inside.
- Touch the Soil. If it’s dry, it’s time for more water.
BLOOMS CARE
Deadheading is not necessary, these petunias—when properly cared for—will continue to produce new blooms.
FERTILIZER
Fertilizing is crucial to the success of your basket! Even if you’ve never used fertilizer before, this is the time to start! We recommend using two products Miracle Gro and Miracid throughout the season to achieve the best results.
We recommend one of the following options:
- Once a Week: With watering can, water your basket one week with full strength Miracle Gro (1 Tablespoon/ gallon water) and the next week with Miracid at full strength (1 Tablespoon/gal.) Alternate all season long.
- Fertilize Daily when watering at ¼ strength (1 teaspoon/gal.) Use Miracle Gro regularly and substitute with Miracid every 3rd watering.
Enjoy The Tradition!
How can we help?
We encourage you to visit the garden center to explore our full offerings and connect with our team of experts. Our team is on hand to help with any questions you have, and can help you with memorials, deliveries, special orders, and tree planting and more…
