About Us

A Hometown Staple

We’ve been providing beautiful plants, garden & landscaping materials, and charming gifts to home and business owners throughout Red Wing and the surrounding areas since 1928!

As a family-owned business, we offer you an alternative to the big box store garden experience. Our friendly staff works hard to create a relaxed and personal atmosphere where you can spend time shopping, asking questions, or browsing our greenhouses and gardens. We are known for our large selection of healthy, hearty landscape plants, landscaping materials and garden decor.

Meet Our Experts!

Hometown Staple

A Warm Place to Visit All Year Long

You can visit Sargent’s Nursery all year long! Most of our shopping areas are covered to provide a comfortable experience in all weather conditions. And, our plant experts offer a wide range of services like one-on-one advice on plant selection, helping with special plant orders, and assisting you in loading your materials in your vehicle.

Explore the Garden Center

Landscaping Services

Did you know that we also offer landscape design and installation services? From yard beautification to backyard gardens and lavish outdoor spaces, we’ve got the teams, talent, and expertise to make your outdoor dream a reality! Your beautiful yard is only a visit away! Call to set up a design appointment at your home or visit our Garden Center for inspiration and gardening supplies.

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Our History

We owe our longevity to the wonderful and talented horticulturists who have managed our business throughout most of the 20th century, and to our incredible customers who keep us going strong into the 21st!

In 1928, Forrest H. Sargent purchased the bankrupt Burnside Nursery and renamed it Red Wing Nursery, Forrest H. Sargent & Sons. Initially, the business sold bare-root shrubs and trees only in the spring, but as they grew they started to sell fruits and vegetables in the summer and fall. In 1940 the name was shortened to Red Wing Nursery. Forrest passed away in 1942 and until 1948 the nursery was owned and operated by Ed Sunquist of Lake City, Minnesota. After WWII, Forrest’s son, Max, returned and purchased the nursery from the Sunquists, who were in poor health.

Max Sargent and his wife Carol successfully ran the business from 1948 – 1987. During his tenure, Sargent’s added a landscape design and installation department, expanded the retail store, and built our first retail greenhouse. Max and Carol were well known throughout the Red Wing community as outstanding business owners and kind people. Max passed away in 1987 and Carol in 1995. They are both greatly respected and missed!

In 1973, Max’s daughter Marge and her husband, Bob Lewis, joined the business. In 1984, Max and Carol’s daughter Julie, and her husband Lloyd Peterson, became active participants. This team of four created a strong company that continued to grow and prosper. Julie and Lloyd managed the landscape design and installation department, and Bob managed the annual production process, with Marge taking care of the bookkeeping.

In 1998 Marge and Bob’s son, David Lewis, became an official member of the ownership team and began his career as Garden Center Manager. He had worked at Sargent’s for most of his life prior to college and pursued a horticulture degree at the University of Minnesota, so he was a natural fit for the role.

Lloyd and Julie’s daughter, Anne Matzek, decided to make horticulture her career in 2002. With a background in multimedia design and a childhood job shadowing her parents in design, installation, and garden care, Anne found her place as a Landscape Designer at Sargent’s. Cousins Anne and Dave now serve the business as fourth-generation Sargents and their respective children can often be seen shadowing and helping out!

In 2015 Dave Lewis became the majority owner with Bob and Marge staying in place as minority owners.  Julie Peterson and Anne Matzek co-direct the landscape department, and Dave’s wife Nikki does all of the accounting! Since 1928, Sargent’s Nursery has had an incredible team of employees providing the customer service and support that makes it all possible!

Growing Green

At Sargent’s Nursery, we strive to find products to meet the needs of our customers and that help them garden in a way that is responsible and safe for the environment. We carry a wide variety of both natural and organic gardening products. Natural products are made from ingredients that come directly from the earth while our organic products are certified for organic gardening.

  • Potting soil
  • Soil amendments
  • Animal repellents
  • Granular and liquid plant fertilizer
  • Disease and insect control
  • Weed killer

  • Garden soil
  • Soil amendments
  • Animal repellents
  • Granular and liquid plant fertilizer
  • Disease and insect control
  • Weed preventer

Use the National Tree Benefit Calculator to determine how much one of the trees in your yard benefits you!

  • Trees filter pollutants, absorb carbon dioxide and help fight erosion.
  • A healthy tree cools the air equivalent to ten room-sized air conditioners operating 20-hours a day.– USDA Forest Service.
  • Trees reduce storm water runoff by capturing and storing rainfall in the canopy and releasing water into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. – Trees are Good Website
  • Trees planted in urban areas can help reduce heating and cooling costs by 20%. – Center for Urban Forest Research

For more ideas on how you can begin growing green visit ourearth.org.

Visit The Garden Center

Growing Green
Community Outreach

Community Outreach

At Sargent’s, we enjoy giving to, and working on, community projects that beautify and benefit Red Wing. We’ve had the opportunity to participate and support a number of causes throughout the years, but a few of our favorites are:

  • Donating plant materials, design, and labor to community garden projects which included a new sign at Red Wing Athletic Field Ballpark.
  • Providing plant materials to local/community garden clubs for city beautification projects.
  • Providing space for and donating all the food items for the weekend hot dog stands in May that benefit local charitable/ non-profit organizations.
  • Participated on the “Red Wing in Bloom” task force city beautification projects.
  • Providing a relaxing meeting space for several local non-profit organizations.
  • Donating to many local fundraisers and benefits throughout the community.
  • Giving tours to many school groups from the community

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…

Contact Us

Sargents Nursery