Holiday Crafts Pop-Up at Red Wagon Plants

Craft Workshops, Baked Treats, Garden Goodies, House Plants and more

We can’t promise snow and a stunning view of Camel’s Hump. But we do promise delicious scents from the Bake Shop kitchen, creative inspiration at our workshops, and warm vibes from good company. On Sunday, November 17th, 2024 we are open for a pop-up shop and crafty workshops. You are invited to join us between noon and 4pm to browse our herb products, gardening tools and Red Wagon Plants merch, peruse the garage sale, enjoy treats from the Bake Shop or participate in one of our workshops. More details will follow as we get closer to the event, so we recommend staying in touch via Newsletter (you can sign up at the bottom of our welcome page). Below you can find some of the offerings for the day.

Workshop Schedule

10:00am - 12:00pm Herbal Mocktails FOR WINTER FESTIVITIES with Sophie Cassel

Get ready to entertain in style this winter. By stocking your bar with herb-infused syrups, vinegars and bitters, you can enjoy delicious mocktails all holiday season. We will use a variety of garden-grown herbs and essential kitchen spices which do double duty as tasty ingredients and health-promoting tonics. Participants will go home with lots of recipes and some handcrafted samples to enjoy. Ages 14 and up. $48. Sign up here.

1:00pm - 5:00pm Birch bark ornaments with Penny Hewitt

Enjoy the simple pleasure of creating a decoration or gift from materials responsibly harvested in VT. Utilizing techniques common to the Scandinavian and Russian style of basketry, you will craft birds and stars using strips of inner bark from the paper birch tree. Included is a discussion on how these materials are harvested and prepared. Everyone will leave with three ornaments. Ages 14 and up. $135. Sign up here.

2:00pm - 4:00pm RUSTIC Dried flower WREATH with Susan Lepple

Do you appreciate the whispyness of grasses, the mounding greens of mosses, the complexities and colors of flowers, the texture and form of seed pods and the irregular nature of branches, twigs, and vines? In this workshop Susan will provide instruction on how to use natural materials to create a beautiful rustic wreath to adorn an interior space. All materials have been grown or collected by Susan and she is happy to answer questions on the process of growing, foraging, drying and storing. Each participant will have enough materials to make one large wreath or two small wreaths. Please feel free to bring your own special materials, if you like. All ages, kids under 11 need to be accompanied by an adult. $65. Sign up here.

All Day Activities
12pm - 4pm

pop-up plant shop

with houseplants, pots and containers, our favorite garden tools and amendments. There will be staff members to aid you with any gardening related questions and it’s a great chance to inhale the scent of being in a greenhouse one last time before they go dormant.

garden related garage sale

This is our second edition of a garage sale with garden and plant related items. All profits go to the Hinesburg Community Resource Center that runs the food shelf and many other offerings benefiting our local community.

KNIFE SHARPENING

Linda Furiya of Madam Cutler and Co. will be back in time to sharpen your knives for the holidays. You can find more info and a price list on her website.

bake shop

We will be offering treats from the Bake Shop: Soups and flatbread, cookies, muffins and cake. Also, the beloved chocolate sourdough is back. Take a look at our menu below.

To pre-order items, follow this link.

We look forward to seeing you!

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We would love to share our space with you.

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Use our beautiful space for your next meeting, birthday party, luncheon, book club, and more.

Our indoor gathering space has been a big hit with our Bake Shop customers, taco lovers and we are now ready to share the space as a rental for small events and meetings. The views of meadows, woods and Camels’ Hump are stunning, and in nice weather, the outdoor terrace and gardens are available for use as well. We think our space is perfect for

  • celebrating a big birthday

  • dance parties (tango lovers have been here already)

  • analog work meetings (the space cannot be darkened for digital presentations)

  • a catered meal (kitchen rental is extra)

  • a small rehearsal dinner or micro-wedding

  • art groups, book clubs, meditation groups

The space measures 17 by 34 feet and features up to 3 large wooden tables with seating for up to 30 people. Standing capacity is up to 40 people. The large windows display a view of Camel’s Hump and in winter there is a wood stove that makes for a cozy feel. Indoor and outdoor speakers are available for music too.

The Red Wagon Plants commercial kitchen (17’ by 26’) includes the following:

  • 5 burner induction range and stove with hood

  • Rackmaster hearth oven

  • 3 basin sink

  • produce sink

  • hand sink

  • commercial dishwasher with a 4min wash cycle

  • commercial coffee grinder and coffee maker

  • refrigeration space for the rental period

  • plenty of work space

The whole space is barrier free and rental includes the use of the ADA compliant bathroom.
Tables and benches can be rearranged or removed depending on your needs.

If you have specific questions, please let us know. Contact us at info@redwagonplants.com.

Prices for the Winter 2024/25 season:

GATHERING space RENTAL

2h minimum. Includes use of the outdoor patio, no kitchen use

  • 2h $100

  • 4h $200

with Red Wagon PLANTS catering

Snacks, drinks or rustic farm style lunch

  • $20-75 per person depending on menu

kitchen rental

2h minimum

  • $50 per hour + refundable cleaning deposit

If you are interested in renting our space, please contact us at info@redwagonplants.com.

Please include preferred time and dates, offerings you are interested in and any questions you might have. We look forward to hosting you!

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The Bake Shop - Fall Edition

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Delicious baked goods from our very own Red Wagon Plants kitchen.

At the bottom of this page you will find a sample menu of your September Bake Shop items including delicious Apple Hand Pies and Sweet Corn & Maple Muffins. But first:

Sandwich offerings in September

For Saturday morning breakfast Carey and Amy will be preparing two types of egg sandwiches:

Cheddar & chive egg sandwich on focaccia

Spinach & Swiss egg sandwich on a biscuit

On Sundays Sara is our sandwich chef with these two delicious offerings:

Crispy tofu with herbs & veggies on O’Bread baguette
this banh mi style sandwich is vegan

Roasted turkey, smoked gouda, apple, and fig spread panini
this pressed hot sandwich is made with O’Bread sesame wheat

Sample Fall Menu

Our September hours are Thursdays through Sundays 8am until 3pm or until we sell out. Our last day of regular hours will be Sunday, September 29 2024. We look forward to seeing you and enjoying fall together!

Pest and disease resources

Squash bug eggs on the underside of a zucchini leaf.

All throughout the growing season we get a lot of questions from our customers about pest and disease issues. Here are some guidelines and resources that we hope you find helpful.

My plants have a pest or a disease, what do I do?

Don’t panic.

Take a closer look:

  • What triggered the “my plant is sick” alarm? Is it holes in the leaves, yellow leaves, visible pests, rotten parts of the plant? Try describing the damage in words, this will help you use the right words in a Google search or describing it to someone else.

  • How many plants are affected? Is it just one type of plant or all plants in one area?

  • Can you detect an insect, caterpillar, slug or other animal?

  • Are there eggs? Look at the underside of leaves.

  • Does anything in the immediate surrounding give you clues, like a soggy spot in the garden, a vole hole nearby? Has the weather been exceptionally rainy or dry, hot or cold?

  • Take photos. Make sure the lighting is good - shade is often better than harsh sunlight. Take pictures from various angles. Take whole plant photos as well as close-ups.

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with your situation, you’re ready for the next step:

  • See what a Google image search with the name of the plant and a description of the symptoms brings up.

  • Visit this helpful University of Minnesota Extension page and click through the questions.

  • Contact the UVM extension gardener helpline here. You can either fill out a form with detailed information on your plant issue and submit photos or give them a call during their hotline hours.

  • Send us a description and photos to info@redwagonplants.com. Give us a few days to get back to you, especially during our busy season. We’ll do our best to help.

What to do next:

  • This will greatly depend on what your disease or pest turns out to be. Some situations will require no action, other times you may need to remove leaves, squish bugs or use an organic spray. We’re happy to give you our tips on best practices once you know your disease or pest.

Things we don’t recommend:

  • Give up gardening.

  • Please don’t bring diseased plants or weeds to our nursery (or any other place that grows plants) for ID, not even in Ziploc bags. You could unintentionally be spreading diseases to our plants. Send photos instead.

  • Spray with insecticides without knowing if an insect you found is really a pest. Many bugs on your plants are either harmless or beneficial.

This post was written by Kat Consler.

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The Bake Shop - Summer Edition

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Delicious baked goods from our very own Red Wagon Plants kitchen.

Seven Days wrote an article about our Bake Shop. It’s very sweet. You can read it here.

It's what your friend might serve you at their house, if that friend were an excellent cook.


Our Summer hours are Thursdays through Sundays 8am until 3pm or until we sell out.

Below you can find a sample summertime menu.

Three ways to trellis and prune tomato plants

Staff garden cherry tomatoes grown with a string and clip method in a greenhouse

First of all: Why trellis and prune tomato plants? Many gardeners let their tomatoes grow without ever trimming a branch or adding any support. This may produce some great fruit, but here are a few reasons why I recommend trellising and pruning your tomato plants:

Ease of harvest - Trellised and pruned tomato plants make for easier harvest. Easier access to the fruit also means you’re less likely to damage the plants when reaching in to get a ripe tomato. Less damage means less diseases and you’re less likely to miss ripe fruit that is hidden behind overgrown foliage.

Disease prevention - Good airflow, through spacing of plants, and pruning away some branches and leaves, is the best prevention for fungal diseases. Other diseases spread when leaves come in contact with soil, so keeping your tomato plants up off the ground and trimming the lower leaves will greatly reduce this from happening.

More fruit that ripens - You can force a tomato plant to put its energy into ripening existing fruit by removing some of its foliage. This is especially helpful at the end of the season. Three to four weeks before the first expected frost, I clip the head off of my tomato plants, so they will put their energy into turning the last fruits red.

The Cage

This is the most common way to keep tomato plants upright in a home garden. Typically the cages used are too short for tomatoes and better suited for pepper plants. It can be a good option if you have limited garden space and are only growing a few tomato plants. Find the tallest cage possible, ideally 5 ft or more. The sturdier the wires, the better. Square folding cages are made of sturdier wire and won’t fall over easily. They are also more expensive.

Set up your cage right after planting your tomato starts in the ground, this way you’re less likely to damage the plant. Push the bottom wires as far down into the soil as possible.

Since tomato cages are rather short, I aim for a branched plant or choose determinate varieties that won’t grow as tall. I prune all leaves and suckers from the bottom of the plant up until right beneath the lowest flower cluster. Once that fruit is harvested, I continue pruning leaves up to the next flower cluster, always working my way from the bottom up. Always leave some foliage to shade the fruit to prevent sunscald. When the plant gets very dense inside the cage, I prune out some weaker suckers and leaves that are pointing inward. Anything that looks diseased or discolored is always my first choice for cutting off.

Basket Weave

This is a great method if you are planning to have a row of tomato plants. You could use it with as few as 2 plants and up to the full length of your garden. Mark your tomato planting holes in a straight line about 18 inches apart. Then drive a 8 ft t-post (or other tall, sturdy stake) between every 2 or 3 plants and at the ends of the row. Anchor the outer posts so they won’t pull towards each other under the weight of the plants. I usually add two shorter stakes at an outward angle to the end posts. Once your structure is in place, plant the tomatoes. When they are about a foot tall, I start weaving. Attach one end of your string to one of the end posts and start weaving between the plants: Right of the first plant, left of the second and so on. When you reach a post, loop the string tightly around it. When you reach the other end of your row, tie a knot to the last post, run the string between anchor and last post a few times and tie it off. Now do the same with an opposite weave. Each plant will now be held up by string on either side. I weave every 6-10 inches, which is about once a week. Take leaves out as described with the cages. I usually thin each plant to 6-8 strong leaders and remove all other suckers. This creates a kind of espalier look where all fruit is easy to reach and there is lots of airflow.

String and Clip

My wild veggie garden on August 1st 2021 with tomatoes trellised along front of house

The easiest pruning and harvesting will be achieved with a string and clip set-up. I grow tomatoes along the south side of my house and attach the strings with hooks to the overhang of the roof. This picture was taken August 1st - Tomatoes get tall if you let them! 

If you have a greenhouse, this is a great method. Or you can build a frame of 2x4s as was done in our display garden last year. As with any of these methods, you want to sink the posts as deep in the ground as possible. I have grown tomatoes in pots on a patio and attached their strings to a nearby building. The string doesn’t have to be perfectly vertical either, you’ll just want to anchor the bottom of the string in the ground, so any wind won’t tear the plant out. In our display garden set-up we ran a horizontal string a few inches above the ground between the wooden frame and attached the trellising strings to it. You could use tent stakes or tie the string to a stick and poke it into the ground.

Next you’ll need tomato clips. These are made of plastic and can be used for many years until they break. They clip tightly to the string and then encircle the stem of the tomato plant without strangling it. I recommend clipping every 10-12 inches, beneath a leaf. Don’t place them directly under a cluster of flowers/fruit as the weight of the plant could eventually snap them off. 

If you don’t have tomato clips, you could tie a piece of string tightly to your supporting string and then loosely around the tomato stem.

Pruning with this method is pretty straightforward: Each vertical string gets one leader. This means you’ll prune off all side branches. You can grow two leaders per plant, but they each need their own support string. Let your freshly planted tomatoes grow for a bit before you choose the strongest side branch as a second leader. Typically it will be the branch right beneath the lowest set of flowers.

The string and clip method can also be used for cucumbers!

Cucumbers in a greenhouse using string and clip method

Pruning best practices

  • Tomatoes are very susceptible to fungal diseases that can be spread from one plant to the next through your hands or tools. Avoid pruning and harvesting when the plants are wet as water can be a great vector for diseases. 

  • Use sharp clean snips when pruning. Don’t touch the wounds and avoid tearing off branches as the large open wounds created can be entry points for diseases. Start with the healthiest plants and prune diseased plants last. You can also disinfect your snips between plants or after each pruning session. A bleach solution or alcohol works great for this.

  • When watering, direct your hose at the base of the plant, not the foliage itself. Mulching can be a good way to prevent water from splashing soil onto the bottom leaves when watering or from rain.

  • Some diseases live in the soil and can overwinter there. I recommend a good clean up of all tomato plant material at the end of the season to minimize future disease issues.

I prune and trellis once every week. All it takes is a few minutes per plant. If you have never done anything to your tomato plants but are curious to try, start with one plant and see how it compares to the others.

This post was written by Kat Consler, RWP’s tomato pruning genius.

Bake Shop - Spring Edition

Delicious baked goods from our very own Red Wagon Plants kitchen.

In Spring 2024 we are open Thursday through Sunday from 8am to 5pm or until we sell out.

Everything is made right here by the supremely talented Carey Nershi and Amy Vogler. Coffee is roasted by Karen Strauther of KS Coffee in Waitsfield.

Several of our baked goods are made with almond flour or buckwheat flour and no gluten ingredients: Brownies, Financier and Pistachio cookies. Our Chia / Oat parfait is made without gluten or nuts and is vegan and sweetened with a micro dose of maple.
We use, in part, Vermont grown rye flour that we mill in house and Amy uses her sourdough as the leavening for the focaccia. Seasonally appropriate, we use herbs and flowers grown here on the farm.

We rotate through various menu items, you can always expect some sort of bread, several types of cookies and slices of cake. Below you can find a springtime sample menu.

Las Hermosas Tacos at Red Wagon Plants

An addition to our food & plants offerings.

Las Hermosas will be back at Red Wagon Plants with their delicious cooking every Tuesday through May and on select Saturdays in Summer. The first edition sold out pretty quickly, so it is highly recommended to pre-order using this link.

Very Berry Weekend

Let’s celebrate berries in all their colorful delicious beauty.

To celebrate the start of berry season, we invite you to a weekend of very berry fun. We are offering a palette of berry themed workshops and classes as well as free activities and learning opportunities with topics ranging from growing your own fruit and plant care to turning your harvest into tasty treats. You’ll also have a chance to weave your own harvest basket. To round out the weekend fun, we will have delicious berry-packed lunch, snack and drink options available for purchase.

VERY BERRY WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Saturday June 8

10:00 am - 5:00 pm BASKET WEAVING workshop: BLACK ASH BERRY BASKET with penny hewitt

Here is a unique chance to make your own basket and in the process learn one of the oldest crafts in human history. For thousands of years, baskets have served as indispensable objects in every culture. Let's carry on this tradition and take home a beautiful, durable and useful berry basket, crafted from local and responsibly harvested, hand-pounded black ash logs. This is a great introduction to the extraordinary qualities of the black ash tree. In this class, participants will weave a square to round basket, approximately 6”x 6” with optional leather strap. Included is a discussion on how the material is harvested and processed.  

Cost: $165. Limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM BERRY GROWING Drop-In

Drop in for this free berry growing session. You may learn how and when to plant strawberries, which blueberry varieties might suit you best, or how to prune raspberries. Bring your berry curiosity. No sign-up required.

Sunday June 9

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Growing berries in Vermont with Jacob Holzberg-Pill

From the common to the lesser known fruit, this class will cover all the bases to get your backyard berry patch going. Vermont’s climate brings its unique challenges and opportunities for berry production. Participants will learn which varieties to choose depending on their site and how to care for them. This includes propagation to multiply your plants, and pruning to keep them healthy.

Cost: $25. Sign up here.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM BERRY GROWING Drop In

Drop in for this free berry growing session. You may learn how and when to plant strawberries, which blueberry varieties might suit you best, or how to prune raspberries. Bring your berry curiosity. No sign-up required.

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM HANDS-ON, honey-Based jams with v smiley

What better way to celebrate berries than turning them into jam with local honey and fruit. In this class with V Smiley from V Smiley Preserves, you will learn how to make delicious berry jams with local ingredients. The class covers selecting, preparing and preserving fruit with honey and without added pectin. V Smiley will teach the fundamentals of flavor construction and the stages of jam cooking, using honey instead of sugar. Through tasting a wide selection of preserves and making variations on two berry jams, you’ll open up your jam making to the spice cupboard and herb garden. This is a hands-on workshop and you’ll head home with multiple jars of berry jam.

Cost: $120. Limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.

We look forward to seeing you! Our greenhouses will be open regular hours, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

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Gardening 101 Extravaganza

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A full day of learning in support of newer gardeners.

This is our first ever all day learning event. Our goal is to be welcoming and supportive of new gardeners. Throughout the day we will offer many opportunities to explore the basics of growing your own food and flowers and dreaming up your ideal landscape. In this new learning format, we have a whole day of activities planned and you are welcome to come for just one component or stay the whole day.

GARDENING 101 SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 20th

ASK ME ANYTHING ROUNDTABLES — 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Join us around the table to discuss your gardening questions with a Red Wagon expert as well as fellow gardeners. This is a free drop-in station where you can get inspiration and find answers, and no sign-up is required. Different members of Red Wagon’s team will be staffing the table and each block of time will focus on a specific theme.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm Plan your garden and create a vision board with Julie Rubaud

We are going analog! Whether you’re designing your veggie garden or your perennial beds, we invite you to get creative and dream big. All materials will be provided but feel free to bring in your own pictures, magazines, Pinterest board or favorite garden journal. This is a free “drop-in” program and you can come and go as you please. No prior registration required.

12:00 PM - 2:00 pm FOCUS on soil, from testing to amending with Chad Donovan

If you have ever sent in a soil sample and don’t know what to do with the results or you’re curious what healthy, fertile soil looks like, this is the time to stop in. This is a free “drop-in” program and you can come and go as you please. No prior registration required.

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Focus on Seeds - starting them indoors, outdoors, reseeding and more with Kat Consler

Some plants like to be transplanted, others prefer to have their roots be undisturbed. Kat will help you determine the best way to get your plant babies off to a great start. This is a free “drop-in” program and you can come and go as you please. No prior registration required.

WORKSHOPS

Three workshops fill out this Gardening 101 day. They cost $25 each and are limited to 12 participants so we recommend that you sign up ahead of time.

10:00 am - 11:30 am Vegetative Propagation with Jacob Holzberg-Pill

Learn how to make more of your favorite plants with Jacob Holzberg-Pill. This workshop will offer a broad overview on many different types of vegetative propagation: crown division, root cuttings, scaling, tip layering, softwood and hardwood cuttings. In this hands-on workshop we will explore which asexual techniques work best for different species and genera. Participants will practice some of these techniques and take home some fun new plants. Sign up here.

12:30 Pm - 2:00 pm Favorite tools for the veggie garden with Julie Rubaud and Kat Consler

We all have our favorite tools to use in the garden. From trellising supports and row cover to weeding tools and gloves. Julie and Kat will talk about their successes and failures with various materials and how to get the most use out of their favorite garden tools without having to purchase too many things. Sign up here.

3:00 PM - 4:30 pm Growing Cut Flowers with Lily Belisle

Are you dreaming of endless summer bouquets? Lily will help you make that dream come true. In this class, she’ll talk about her favorite cutting flower varieties and which flowers and foliage plants to grow and harvest to keep bouquets on your table throughout the seasons. You’ll get tips for successful growing and learn which tools to use to increase abundance and ease. Please bring all your cutting flower questions and leave with inspiration and plant wish lists. Sign up here.

We look forward to seeing you! Our greenhouses will be open normal hours, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The 2024 Season is Opening and we are Celebrating!

Red Wagon Plants is opening for the season on Friday, April 12 at 8am.

Join us on our opening day to enjoy the colors and fragrance of our Spring crops growing. We will have many cold hardy flowers, herb and vegetable starts for sale, as well as all the seeds, soil, pots and tools you need to get the season started. We will open at 8 am.

Stay (or come back) for an evening of music, food and drinks during our opening day party!

Opening Day PARTY starts at 5pm

  • Live music by the Thaya Zalewski Jazz Quartet

  • Farmers & Foragers Food and Drinks

  • Las Hermosas Tacos

  • Caledonia Spirits Cocktails

and of course, good company with many friends, neighbors and gardeners excited to talk about plants.

We aren’t selling tickets for this event, but parking is limited. So please carpool, if you can.

Free flowers for full cars!

Our parking attendants will hand out 4-packs of pansies to every car with 3 or more people. Please carpool with your friends and neighbors because our parking is limited.

Starting April 12 we will be open 8AM - 6PM every day. We look forward to seeing you.

Starting your own raspberry patch

I love all fruit, but the aromatic flavor of raspberries is my absolute favorite. If you feel the same way and have a little space in your yard: Grow your own!

You’ll find all the instructions you need in the following quick guide - feel free to download it and print it out for future reference. To tell if your variety is of the everbearing type (primocane) or summer bearing (floricane), check the plant label or ask one of our plant experts while you're shopping in our greenhouses.

Lily Belisle has written a great post on how she prunes her raspberries. Read it here.

This post was written by Kat Consler.

Open (Green)House '24

Join us for a sneak peek into our 2024 season!

We invite you to stroll through our greenhouses to see what’s growing and chase the winter blues away with a hit of green life.

We will be open Saturday, March 30 from 10am to 2pm for a sneak peek and an early season garden pop-up shop.

Free behind-the-scenes tour with Julie at 12pm.

Lily, Julie and Kat will be there to help you out and answer any questions about your upcoming garden dreams.

Our pop-up garden shop will be stocked with seeds, tools, soil, houseplants and early season, cold hardy plants such as pansies and herbs to get your season off to a great start.

Creation Station

During our Open House, we will set up a potting station so that you can make adorable springtime planters for your indoor table scapes.

No need to sign up…this is a free activity with some guidance from Julie, Kat and Lily as needed.

Cost is based on size of basket and amount of plants used.

March 30th - 10 am to 2 pm

Starting Friday, April 12th, we will be open every day from 8 am to 6 pm.

We are Hiring!

Open Positions for the 2024 season……

Red Wagon Plants is known for high-quality organic plants, an efficient, system-based work flow, and stellar customer service. We have a fun work atmosphere with fellow plant lovers, a paid lunch break, free plants for your own garden, and a beautiful work environment.

Want to join our team?

Red Wagon’s RETAIL TEAM in Hinesburg, VT has openings.

Our retail crew is the face of the operation and we count on our staff to be knowledgeable, courteous, and confident. When not helping customers, people on the retail crew are moving plants all day long, restocking, and keeping the greenhouses clean and tidy. We are continuously making room in the retail greenhouses for new plants from the production greenhouses, creating displays and filling our space with color. We expect our retail crew to have a strong memory so they can recognize our regular customers, remember plant names and also know where all the plants are located. Our retail crew is responsible for watering and maintaining plant health within the retail greenhouses.

Interested in being a Retail Crew Member? 

Requirements: 

  • You are a gardener and plant lover with a strong background of gardening in Vermont. 

  • You have a growing interest in perennials, annuals, container gardening, vegetable gardening, you have the confidence to give advice to beginner and more advanced gardeners. 

  • You are physically fit to work outdoors in all weather and lift heavy plants repeatedly. 

  • You are friendly, kind, and patient. 

  • You enjoy working in a team. 

  • You are able to keep your calm in a busy and crowded retail setting. 

  • You can work independently and have a sense of responsibility. 

  • You have already worked in either a retail garden center, a vegetable or flower farm, for a landscaper or a nursery OR you have at least 5 years of experience gardening in a climate like Vermont's. 

When? 

  • Seasonal Position, Mid April to June/July/August - end date varies case by case. 

  • Full time and part time positions are available.

  • Daily schedule varies. We’re looking for both opening shifts, beginning at 7:30am and closing shifts, ending at 6:30pm.

  • 3 to 5 days a week, and must be available for at least 1 weekend shift per week. 

  • Starting pay $18-$20 per hour depending on experience.


If you would like to apply, please contact Retail Manager, Lily Belisle, lily@redwagonplants.com with a resume and references, and tell us why you’d like to work with plants and with Red Wagon.

Red Wagon’s PRODUCTION TEAM in Hinesburg, VT has openings.

Our production crew is the heartbeat of Red Wagon. We seed, plant and water everything we grow and we count on our team to be quick on their feet and hardworking. This job is repetitive by nature and very physical. It’s great for a natural listener, someone that loves to participate in systems, and a person who pays attention to details.

Interested in being a Production Crew Member? 

Requirements: 

  • You are a plant lover.

  • You are physically fit to work outdoors and in greenhouses in all weather and lift heavy plants repeatedly. 

  • You are friendly, kind, and reliable. 

  • You enjoy working in a team. 

  • You are able to keep your calm even with an enormous to do list. 

  • You can work independently and have a sense of responsibility. 

When? 

  • Seasonal, 6-week Position, Mid April through May. 

  • Full time and part time hours are available.

  • 3 to 5 days a week, flexible with what days of the week. 8:00-4:00


If you would like to apply, please contact Production Manager, Sarah Bacon, sarahb@redwagonplants.com with a resume and references, and tell us why you’d like to work with plants and with Red Wagon.

Morning Waterer

We are looking for someone who would help us with just watering in April and May. This is a part time position, and 2 to 3 hours a day. It could happen early, before another job or a little later in the morning after kids get dropped off at school. This is a great way to start the day - plants and quiet focus and a little physical activity.

If interested in helping us with watering, please email sarahb@redwagonplants.com

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Year End Giving

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You all helped us reach some really lofty goals with our giving campaigns this year. We were able to match your donations of $500 for flood relief and donate $1000 in cash to two local farms and New Farms for New Americans. We also donated over $30,000 in cash and plants to over 40 area groups working on food security, garden education, justice and equity, and other worthy endeavors that strengthen our sense of community. We share this list with you in case you are in a position to share your bounty.

  • JUMP

  • Boys and Girls Club Burlington

  • Burlington Dismas House

  • Lake Champlain Waldorf Shool

  • Vermont Day School

  • AALV

  • St.Michaels

  • Underhill School

  • Whole Heart

  • Special Olympics Vermont

  • CP Smith PTO

  • People's Farm/Intervale Center

  • Branch Out! Burlington

  • Pride Center of Vermont

  • Vermont Garden Network

  • New Farms for New Americans

  • CVOEO

  • Mercy Connections

  • Charlotte Senior Center

  • Janet Munt Family Room

  • Women’s correction facility garden

  • COTS

  • First Roots Preschool

  • Quarry Hill School

  • UVM Master Gardener Program

  • New Communities

  • Food Not Bombs

  • Hinesburg Resource Center

  • Friends of the Hort Farm

  • Community Health Center of Burlington

  • Burlington Garden Club

  • VT Fresh Network

  • Sustainability Academy

  • Bixby Library

  • VT Kidney Association

  • Starksboro Coop Preschool

  • Starksboro Harvest Fest

  • Burlington Food Shelf

  • HANDS

Growing Ginger in VT

Fresh ginger is juicy and tender and the fragrance will make your head spin.

Zingiber officinale, or ginger, is a tropical plant, native to Southeast Asia. It grows attractive, bamboo-like foliage and has aromatic, fibrous rhizomes at soil level.

This year, as an experiment, we are growing ginger in small pots for home gardeners curious about trying a new crop. We will be offering these starting this Friday, June 16th. We only have 25 pots to offer, and they are first come, first served. This has been a labor of love with the ginger slowly coming to life on heat mats in our shade house (#3) after being planted back in early March. It is finely sprouted and growing enough to send off to your homes.

Growing in VT

Ginger needs warm, rich, well draining soil. It prefers part sun, frequent watering, and regular fertilizing. We recommend growing your ginger plants in a large container or raised bed. A 5 gallon grow bag would be great.  

Details

Fill your container with great soil that is nutrient rich and well draining. We recommend Fort V from VT Compost Company. Gently separate your ginger plants and space them in your container. As the plants are getting established keep them moist, but never too wet or the roots will rot. As the plants grow, fertilize with a couple handfuls of Compost Plus every week or so. Keep them well watered. At the end of summer, before frost,  gently dig out your ginger rhizomes and enjoy this tender homegrown treat. 

Each pot has 3 to 4 ginger sprouts in it, and will yield, in ideal conditions about a half pound of ginger.

Fresh ginger should be kept in the refrigerator or frozen for longer storage.

Grow your own bouquets from our plant starts

Nigella add lots of texture with their lacey leaves, bright blooms and geometric seed pods

Who doesn’t love a bouquet of fresh flowers brightening up their indoor living space?

Whether you’re new to growing your own cut flowers or want to expand your bloom options, Red Wagon Plants has a wide selection of flower starts for your garden! We’ve put together a list of plants available at our greenhouses this season and sorted them by function in a flower arrangement. If you’re new to growing cut flowers, I recommend starting with the ones marked for long vase life. Zinnias and Verbena bonariensis for example, are great staples that we like to grow in our display garden every year. They bloom proliferously throughout the summer and have long stalks to make bouquets of any size. They also are great attractors for pollinators!

The images above are Breadseed Poppies and a wheelbarrow full of Dahlias from Lily’s garden.

To find pictures of all the above-mentioned plants, visit our “What We Grow” page on our website.

A few top picks are described in the following guide:

Gomphrena make great dried arrangements

If you would like more inspiration and guidance on how to grow, harvest and arrange your cut flowers, below are some of our favorite resources. And as always, stop by at our greenhouses in Hinesburg and let us help you make the best selection for your garden.

This post was written by Kat Consler.

How to start your own backyard blueberry patch

Growing blueberries in your own back yard can be very rewarding. Picking the plump ripe berries make a great fresh snack for young and old!

Here are a few things to pay attention to when planning your new blueberry patch:

  • Cross-pollination: Like many other backyard fruits, you will need to plant at least two varieties to get good cross-pollination and fruit set. Following is a list of varieties that we carry or have carried in the past. Personally, my favorites are ‘Northland’ for their exceptional flavor reminiscent of wild blueberries and ‘Bluecrop’ for their large clusters that make for easy picking.

  • Your soil pH: Select a sunny site in your garden and then get your soil tested! Blueberries will only thrive in acidic soil and most garden soils will need to be amended with a soil acidifier. This is the same product you would use for hydrangeas.

  • Spacing: Give your blueberry bushes enough elbow room. Depending on the varieties chosen this will be 4-6 feet of space between the plants. Check the tag on the plants you purchase to know their mature size and recommended spacing.

  • Take your time: For the best success and least maintenance, plan ahead and prepare your planting spot in Fall, then plant in Spring as soon as the soil warms up enough to work it. Blueberry bushes can be planted any time of year but will require good watering (mulching helps!) and weeding especially in the first few seasons. As tempting as it is to let your berry bushes fruit as soon as possible, it is recommended to remove all flowers in the first year. This way your plants can put all their energy into growing a healthy root system. That will in turn give them more energy to bear more fruit the next season. Patience pays off.

For more growing and maintenance tips, please refer to this handy growing guide or come by in our greenhouses and ask one of our plant experts!

This post was written by Kat Consler.

The first fruit of the season: Strawberries

Strawberries, our first delight of Summer here in the Northeast!

They are easy to grow in your own garden and will produce for several years, if well maintained. The secret to success is renovation: After your first harvest in the second year, mow down all of the old foliage and thin plants back to a spacing of 6-10”. Select healthy vigorous plants to keep and weed out old or very small ones. Mulch with a layer of mature compost and keep well watered until the leaves grow back.

Everbearing varieties are best grown as an annual crop. Remove all flowers for the first 4-6 weeks after planting and remove all runners. Everbearing varieties will produce berries from Summer until frost! We sell them in hanging baskets, which make them a great option if squirrels and chipmunks are a problem or you have limited garden space.

This post was written by Kat Consler.

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Behind the Scenes: Pest Management at Red Wagon Plants

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Red Wagon Plants operates as an organic agricultural business. What does this mean for pest and disease management?

Beneficials, our best friends

When visiting our greenhouses you will occasionally find a hanging basket with nothing but tall grass growing in it. Aesthetically maybe not quite pleasing enough to hang on your front porch, and you might wonder what it’s doing here! When you look more closely, you will see that the grass is covered in little black aphids. Depending on how long this ‘banker plant’ has been in use, you will likely also find aphid-sized golden balls attached to the blades of grass. Some of them have a tiny hole cut into one end.

Parasitized aphid mummies

What’s going on here? One of our best and most effective ways to control aphids is the use of parasitoid wasps. If you’re imagining a swarm of yellow jackets buzzing around in our greenhouses, let me paint a different picture: These tiny wasps are less than an ⅛ of an inch long and won’t sting us, so they are not very scary to humans. Aphids are the ones that should be afraid, though. The female wasps lay their eggs into live aphids! When the egg hatches, the larva eats the aphid from the inside, then pupates, turning the dead aphid into the golden-tan mummy out of which it emerges.

We use these beneficials as a preventative measure, so we may not have aphids in our greenhouses when we release them, but we want them to be ready as soon as we have an aphid outbreak. This is where the banker plants come in.

The banker plants - made up of some species of grain and bird cherry-oat aphids - is a nursery for the wasps to lay their eggs in. Bird cherry-oat aphids will only attack cereals and not other crops in our greenhouses, so we are not spreading one pest while trying to manage another.

There are various types of parasitoid wasps, many of which will also visit your garden and aid in your pest management. One of my favorites are the ones that lay eggs on tomato hornworms and eat them up from the inside!

Parasitoid wasps are not the only invertebrate helpers we employ here at Red Wagon Plants. There are many other beneficials that can be used as a preventative measure. Most of them specialize in eating aphids, thrips, spider mites or all of the above, as well as other tasty pests.

Lacewing larva enjoying an aphid meal

Scouting for pests and diseases

Besides beneficials, scouting is the key ingredient to good pest and disease management. This means taking a close look at one plant of each variety each week. This is a lot of work, but it keeps us up to date with what is going on in the greenhouses. As soon as a pest or disease is detected, we can intervene. Oftentimes this means squishing pests by hand, picking off diseased leaves, or moving plants to a dedicated “hospital” area for special treatment and monitoring. Knowing where the pest hotspots are, tells us the most effective place to spread our beneficials each week.

Only if all other measures fail, do we apply broad-spectrum insecticides. Even though these products are approved for organic production, they do not differentiate between friend and foe. So we use them very sparingly and in a localized manner. This is how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) differs from conventional pest control: We only spray after a certain level of pests have been detected, not on a calendar schedule. This has obvious benefits for the environment, and the health of staff and customers.

Preventative Sprays

As any gardener in Vermont knows, fungal diseases are widespread in our humid climate. To limit diseases like powdery and downy mildew, we use preventative sprays. Some of these products actively kill spores on contact by drying them out and changing the pH level. Others contain a beneficial bacterium that will compete for space with pathogens. This means that if the beneficial bacteria is there first, the mildews have less room to spread. Unfortunately every new leaf that grows will need to be treated with this beneficial, so this spray is applied on a weekly schedule as soon as conditions are conducive for mildews. So if you see me walking around at Red Wagon Plants with a Ghost-Busters backpack sprayer, that’s likely what I’m doing!

A display of healthy blooms and foliage plants

This post was written by Kat Consler, RWP’s Integrated Pest Management specialist.