Planters for all seasons

An early Spring planter with lamium, viola, stock and alyssum.

SPRING

OUR FAVORITE FROST HARDY ANNUAL FLOWERS

Pansies and violas: The obvious first choice for springtime color, they withstand a frost or a snowstorm with ease. With their wide range of colors, patterns and sizes, they match any color palette - and they smell so good! Edible flowers.

Nemesia: Snapdragon-like flowers float above deep green foliage. You’ll need to lean in, but it’s worth sniffing these blooms: Their scent is amazing.

Alyssum: Lovely low growing plant with fluffy white or purple flowers who’s smell is sweet as honey.

Lobelia: Shades of true blue make this plant special. They are a great ground cover or filler for springtime planters.

Lobularia: Their intoxicating scent will win your heart instantly. They mix well with pansies or shine on their own, spilling over the edges of a hanging basket.

Stock: This cold loving cut flower blooms for weeks while exuding a wonderful perfume.

Osteospermum: Not quite as cold hardy as the other plants, but still well able to tolerate temperatures in the 30ies. Cute daisy like flowers in many shades of the rainbow.

Argyranthemum: Similar cold hardiness as Osteos. Fine foliage with multi-stemmed daisy like flowers in pinks, yellows and white. If kept deadheaded, they will bloom all the way through fall.

Cold Hardy Herbs and Vegetables that we love to mix in for texture, color and flavor:

• Chervil

• Curly and Flat Parsley

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Sorrel

• Mustard Greens like Tokyo Bekana and Ruby Streaks

A sun loving summer basket filled with purple petunias, lobelia, and verbena.

EARLY SUMMER

A SEASON FOR ALL COLORS

Once all chance of frost has passed, the palette of flowers widens: Geraniums, Begonias, Zinnias, Bidens, Petunias, Verbena, Lantana, Angelonia, Marigolds, Ageratum and so many more are now safe to grow outside.

Especially beloved by bees and hummingbirds are Agastache, Salvias, and Cuphea.

Options for foliage plants to create a green (or multicolored) backdrop range from trailing Plectranthus, Dichondra, and Sweet Potato Vine, to bushy Eucalyptus, Coleus, and Iresine, all the way to spiky upright Cordyline, and ornamental grasses.

Great choices for planters in part shade: Begonias, Coleus, Browallia, Impatiens, and Torenia.

MID SUMMER

TIME FOR A REDO

By July most planters that were created earlier in the year are starting to fade and can benefit from a makeover. Cool weather plants just don’t enjoy the heat, but you don’t need to pull them out. You can keep them tucked away in a shady spot, idly awaiting their time to shine again later in Fall. Oftentimes pansies, violas, stock and other cool weather flowers will stay alive through the heat of summer if they are kept in the shade of other plants and they will send out new flowers once the weather cools later in the season.

Make sure to fertilize your planters with a handful of compost or a dose of liquid fertilizer at least every two weeks. Gently trim back plants that look overgrown by cutting a few branches by a third or to half their length. Remove dead leaves and flowerheads to prevent diseases from spreading.

Excellent choices for their heat tolerance: Chrysocephalum, Gazania, Portulaca, and any silver leaved foliage plants.

LATE SUMMER INTO FALL

A SECOND CHANCE FOR COOL LOVING PLANTS

Cannas, ornamental grasses, Rudbeckia hirta, begonias, fuchsia and foliage plants are a great way to create a colorful look that will transition from high summer into early fall. We love to use perennials in our summer pots too. Heuchera, hosta, and anemone are all fun plants for adding color and texture and they transition well into the garden after serving dutifully in your planters.

Fall color provided by rudbeckia.

You can find our full annual flower plant list here.

This blog post was written by Julie Rubaud and Kat Consler.

Starting Seeds at Home

Onion starts with the black seed hulls still clinging to the new growth.

Late February is when we start onions, leeks, and shallots in the greenhouse. If you are doing your own seeding at home, you can start those at the same time as well. Growing seeds at home is so fun, but we encourage you to get set up with good grow-lights and to use good soil.

If you need potting soil for your seed starting, we recommend VT Compost Fort Vee. This is the soil we recommend for everything, not just seed starting. Please note that many soils labeled “Seed Starting Mix” are devoid of all nutrients. They are sterile growing media that is intended to be used solely for germinating seeds. Once the seeds are germinated they must be taken out of that soil and potted into something with nutrients or they must be fed soluble fertilizer. If you would like a simpler and more ecological approach, we suggest that you simply start with a compost based soil like the one from VT Compost Company and you don’t have to fuss that much or wonder why your plants are turning yellow and not growing.

A couple weeks later you can start to seed cold hardy greens, peppers and eggplants. We don’t recommend seeding tomatoes until the end of March, or even early April. They just grow too quickly and then are too big and leggy for most indoor growing set ups.

Pro Tips

When seed-starting at home follow these guidelines for best results:

• Only cover your seeds with a small amount of soil, about the same thickness as the seed itself. Many newer gardeners bury their seeds too deeply and lament the poor germination results.

• Find out if your seeds need light to germinate. The seed company you use should have some information about that on the packet or on their website. Those light loving seeds are simply pressed into the top of the soil and not covered at all.

• When seeding, first make a firm seed bed by pressing 4 fingers down onto the soil surface to ensure it is smooth and solid. Then sprinkle on your seed(s) and either press the seed into the soil if it needs light to germinate or sprinkle more soil on top (a very small amount) and gently pat the soil down again.

• When first watering seeds, use the most gentle nozzle or rose on a watering can. It is best to not disturb the soil and seed with pressurized water. You can even water the seeds from the bottom by setting your seeded pot into a pan of water until the soil wicks up enough water to be damp. If you use this method, remember to take the seeded pot out of the dish of water within a few hours so it is not sitting in water for too long.

Baby artichokes.

The most common mistake is to seed things too early. Remember that our average last frost here in Vermont is not until late May. Some plants can tolerate a frost, and some cannot. Some plants grow slowly and some grow quickly. To have good seedlings at the right time of year takes some knowledge and planning. If you are looking for more information on seed starting, we recommend looking at the seeding specs on the Johnny’s website. They are geared towards professional growers and give the most detailed information about timing and planning.

The other most common mistake is to give your plants insufficient light. Grow-lights need to be just an inch or two above the germinated seeds and they need to be raised up as the plant grows. A south facing window is not enough light and will generally lead to leggy plants that lean towards the window.

Given all of that, we certainly hope you start seeds at home! Seeing new plants pop out of the soil is a miraculous process and brings joy every single time. Don’t let a not perfect set up stop you.

Tomato seedlings at two different age stages.

This blog post was written by Julie Rubaud and Kat Consler.

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.

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.

Gardening 101 Extravaganza

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.

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.

Download "Raspberry Growing Guide"

This post was written by Kat Consler.

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.

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.

Download "Blueberry Varieties"

• 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!

Download Guide "Growing Blueberries"

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.

Download "Strawberry Planting Guide"

This post was written by Kat Consler.

The Lemon-Scented Garden

Lemon bergamot

If you wander through the herb section of our greenhouse, you’ll notice quite a few plants with “lemon” in their name. While their aromas and flavors differ slightly, these herbs all offer a bright, citrusy scent that will perfume the herb garden as well as your kitchen. 

Many of these lemony herbs are actually in the mint family (Lamiaceae), a group of plants already well known for their diverse and potent aromas, thanks to high concentrations of volatile oils that are encased in bubble-like trichomes on the leaves and flowers. When the leaves are rubbed or dropped into hot water the trichomes open up, offering the heady aromas and flavors we have come to love.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a beloved herbal remedy that is as tasty as it is healing (we love it so much we already wrote a whole blog post about it). The plant itself is a mounding perennial that grows about two feet high and up to three feet wide. Harvesting the leaves for fresh or dry tea will also help this plant keep its shape.

In the kitchen garden, lemon basil and lemon thyme are indispensable. At Red Wagon, we love layering piles of fresh lemon basil underneath a chicken before grilling or roasting it. And lemon thyme is fabulous both fresh and dried. Crumble the dried leaves into soups, rubs, and marinades to impart a citrusy zest all season long- no real lemons required. Lemon basil is an annual, but lemon thyme may perennialize if it’s happy, similarly to lavender in the northern garden.

The fourth member of the lemon-scented Mint family is lemon bergamot (Monarda citriodora), with no relation to the citrus plant Bergamot orange. This plant has a lovely upright habit and tall pink flower spikes that pollinators adore. Use the leaves and flowers in tea, where it offers a lemony, floral aroma with a hint of spice, although less potent than its cousins, lavender and scarlet bee balm. Unlike those species, M. citrodora is an annual, although it may self seed in the garden. Try planting alongside Verbena bonariensis and clary sage for a riot of fragrance and pollinator attraction.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia tryphilla) is one of the most potently fragrant lemon-scented herbs. Grown as a woody perennial in warmer climates, in Vermont it does well in a pot, brought inside to overwinter. The coarse, lanceolate leaves are full of citrusy aroma and flavor. Bring bunches inside to perfume the home, and blend into teas and simple syrups. For a very Mediterranean tea blend, toss a few lemon verbena leaves and a sprig of fresh rosemary into a cup and fill with hot water. It’s a simple afternoon pick-me-up with no caffeine and a delicious, easy-to-love flavor.

Perhaps the most well known lemony herb is lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus). While the cool Vermont summer doesn’t produce stems that are quite as thick as what you will see in stores, it’s still easy to grow this grassy annual in a pot or herb garden for fresh use. To best retain the full flavor, cut back and freeze the stalks at the end of the season- you will capture more of the citrusy essence than with dried leaves. The leaves have a tough texture, so they’re best used similarly to a bay leaf and removed after cooking. We like to infuse coconut milk with homegrown lemongrass before adding it to soups and curries.

Lemon verbena in our high tunnel

This blog post was written by Sophie Cassel, Red Wagon’s wholesale coordinator and community outreach team member. Sophie is an herbalist and educator. You can find her workshops here.

Cleaning up the Asparagus bed

After producing all spring, asparagus benefits from a clean up and some fertility. First, weed the bed carefully using a knife and your hands. You want to cut the weeds out and gently remove them without disturbing the asparagus roots.

After weeding.

In order to not disturb the roots later in the season, it is important to prevent weeds from growing during the summer. I laid down cardboard along both sides of the row. This is a young asparagus patch, and still growing in a row. If yours is older, it is likely much wider than this or growing in a circle or oval. If that is the case, mulch the whole perimeter with cardboard.

I use Perennial Blend and compost from VT Compost Company. The Perennial Blend covers the cardboard, which will later break down, turning into soil along with the Perennial Blend. The compost is applied right to the crown of the asparagus and will feed the plant which will in turn feed the roots to make a great patch for next year.

The darker compost is in a strip right over the asparagus crowns. The lighter soil is the Perennial Blend. It hides the cardboard (which blocks out the weeds) and both will break down to feed the soil and the asparagus.

Growing Gourmet Greens

We are growing some truly gourmet greens this year for you to try out in your garden. In addition to adding new flavors to your plate, many of these vegetables have better pest, disease and heat tolerance than some of the more commonly grown vegetables like spinach or arugula. If you love growing your own salad, you should pick a few of these to try this year!

Mache- Mache is the best cold-season salad green, and woefully underutilized given our long, cold spring climate. Sweet, thickly textured glossy green leaves add depth and nutty flavor to your salads, and are best eaten as a whole plant, cut right above the roots. Wash well and dress lightly with olive oil, hazelnut oil, or walnut oil, a squeeze of lemon and some good sea salt.

Radicchio- This spring we have a few radicchio varieties available: Leonardo, Virtus, and Bel Fiore, and you should try growing them all. These chicory family members develop small, cabbage-like heads that are mildly bitter, with a delicious crunch that make them ideal for raw salads, dressed with a creamy vinaigrette. They are also delicious grilled or broiled. All radicchios prefer cooler growing temperatures and are mildly frost-tolerant, so they’re a great option for the early spring garden. Plant again in the late summer for fresh greens that will last well into the fall.

Frisée- Another member of the chicory family with frilly, finely cut leaves that mature into a giant head. Use the young leaves in salad, or allow the head to fully mature, when the center will blanch and become extra tender.

Escarole in the garden

Merveille des Quatres Saisons

Escarole- A staple of Italian cooking, escarole shines as a cooked green alongside brothy white beans. When growing, patience is an asset, as the flavor improves and the inner leaves become more tender when allowed to fully mature. Pale inner leaves are great raw in salads.

If you’d prefer to stick with the more familiar head lettuce, you can still experiment with some new varieties! Two of our favorites are Merveille des Quatres Saisons and Forellenschluss. Merveille de Quatres Saisons is a French heritage variety that translates to “Marvel of Four Seasons”, and it lives up to the name with sweet, red-tipped bibb leaves that produce in all types of weather. Forellenschluss, AKA Speckled Trout Back, is an Austrian heirloom romaine that boasts speckled leaves and grows well through the summer heat.

Mache, Frisée, lettuces and chicories ready for the garden

What is Hope up to in the Garden?

Here is a little update from Hope Johnson about what she has been up to in her garden. Hope is an unmatched talent in many departments and creative ventures including quilt making, garden design, and as an advocate for bees and pollinators. We always look to her for inspiration and now you can too!

She says:

Turned the compost which is now thawed enough to do so.

Pruned back and reduced the bed size of the Fall Gold Raspberries. Added a dusting ofwood ash (not enough to alkalize but good for potassium), lightly weeded and mulched a lot.

After a very positive experience growing winter squash last year, I am expanding my vegetable beds in the sunny area of my yard since the star magnolia has turned my kitchen garden into a part-shade environment with the consequence of inadvertently growing miniature vegetables.
NO DIGGING. Put down a generous layer of partly decomposed horse manure and bone meal, then wet cardboard, and a layer of locally sourced leaves (from my lawn) and straw. By planting time in late May, I think the microbes and invertebrates will have done their thing and I'll addhomemade compost to each planting hole.
The garlic is up and I planted two new varieties this year, Duganski and Vietnamese Red.

Edible Annual Flowers

Many of our beloved annual flowers have applications beyond their beauty in the garden or the vase. You may already be growing edible flowers without realizing it! These flowers are great for adding color and flavor to summer dishes or freezing in ice cube trays for magical floral beverages. Choose from this list when growing a kid-friendly cutting garden to allow for as much hands on interaction as possible.

It’s important to note that “edible” does not necessarily translate to “delicious”. But many of these flowers do offer a nice addition of flavor, and those that are more bland or bitter are still worthwhile choices for decorating cakes or using as a garnish. 

Additionally, as with anything headed for the kitchen, it’s important to either grow from seed or purchase plants from an organic greenhouse like Red Wagon, so that you know they haven’t been treated with chemicals that would render the flowers less than lovely to eat.

Stock and Sweet Alyssum, both edible flowers in the Brassica family

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima): This sprawling member of the Brassica family has the four-petaled flowers that identify that genus, and the leaves and flowers are characteristically peppery. Include in an arugula salad for some color and extra zing. As a bonus, alyssum (and its bigger cousin, the Lobularia cultivar) provide some helpful early pollinator habitat and pest protection when planted in the vegetable garden.
Violets and Pansies (Viola spp.): The colorful violas and pansies found early in spring at the greenhouse are nearly identical to those sweet spring flowers poking through the grass in your backyard, and all parts of the plant are edible. The fresh flowers have a sweet, almost wintergreen-like flavor and look gorgeous when candied and pressed into cookies or iced cakes.

Calendula and Marigold (Tagetes spp.): We’re such big fans of these two genus we made a whole other blog post about them! Calendula has long been used as a tea herb, and the different marigold species have a wide array of edible and medicinal uses dating back to Aztec times. 

Bachelor Buttons (Centaurea cyanus): One of the easiest “true blue” flowers to grow, Bachelor’s Button flowers also come in a sweet array of purples, whites and pinks, with a mildly sweet and vegetal flavor. The petals retain their blue color quite well when dried, so be sure to harvest and dry some to brighten up herbal tea blends this winter. 

White Snapdragons against a backdrop of African Blue basil

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.): While the flowers of this eye-catching species certainly aren’t going to win any taste tests (they are typically described as “bland” and “bitter”), they are in fact edible. Pluck the petals from the bitter base of the flower and arrange on a platter to create a showstopper garnish for any summer meal. 

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.): Nasturtiums are one of the most commonly used edible flowers, and are well known for their bright, spicy flavor. Add leaves and flowers to salads, infuse a flower vinegar, pickle the buds and seed pods… the possibilities are only limited by your imagination and affinity for their peppery bite.

Stock (Matthiola incana): A longtime favorite of florists, four-petaled stock is in the Brassica family like sweet alyssum. The flowers are peppery and clove-like, so try adding them to salads or atop grilled fish and vegetables for a colorful kick.

Dianthus (Dianthus caryophyllus): The annual species of this classic carnation has been in cultivation for well over 2,000 years. The flower petals are fragrant and have a mild clove-like flavor, perfect for adding to iced beverages and fancy desserts. Pluck petals off the bitter green base before use.

Scarlet Runner Bean ‘Painted Lady’ (Phaseolus coccineus): This vining relative of the common bush bean is native to the highlands of Central America. The beautiful red and white flowers can be enjoyed as a snack or in salads, or left to ripen to mature beans which can be eaten fresh or dried down. 

Hyacinth Bean Vine (Lablab purpureus):This gorgeous vining bean is similar in habit and use to scarlet runner bean, and has been cultivated as a food crop in Africa and the tropics for millenia. The elegant purple leaves make a good cooking green, and the beans are edible when fully cooked.

Ruby Moon Hyacinth bean vine

Grow a Purple Food Garden

Purple Napa cabbage ‘Merlot’

If you thought that color-coordination was reserved for the flower garden, try expanding your palette (and your palate) this year. These purple-hued veggie and herb varieties combine to make a dramatic edible display, whether grown together or interspersed in the garden. In addition to being stunners in the garden, highly pigmented foods tend to contain high levels of antioxidant anthocyanins, elevating healthful eating from garden to plate.

Early in the season, tuck vivid purple alyssum alongside herbs and salad greens like ‘Red Batavia’ lettuce, one of our favorite head lettuces for its vibrant color and sweet tender leaves. The alyssum will continue to bloom even as spring lettuces are replaced by summer herbs. Purple basil and purple shiso are both grown in a similar manner- pinch back after transplanting to encourage bushier growth, harvest leaves for culinary use or allow them to flower for a more ornamental look. Purple basil is used just like green Genovese basil, and shiso is a popular Japanese herb with a flavor like cumin and clove. Use the leaves to make lettuce wraps or color radish pickles a vibrant red.

If you have the room and patience, cauliflower offers a fun payoff, and the ‘Graffiti’ variety boasts a wild purple head peeking out from blue-green leaves. Cauliflower can be sown in spring as long as they are kept watered through summer (and maybe offered some purple shade using ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth); sow mid-summer for a fall harvest.

While traditional red cabbage always deserves a place in the garden, this year we are thrilled to be growing purple Napa cabbage, which offers all the versatility and crunch of green Napa in a stunning wine color. We can’t wait to chop it into colorful slaws and kimchi later this year.

Freshly dug garden potatoes are easy to grow and very rewarding, and digging up ‘Adirondack Blue’ potatoes really feels like unearthing buried jewels from the garden. The reddish-purple skin reveals violet flesh that holds its color even when cooked, making for stunning roasted or mashed potatoes.

Another unusual addition to the purple garden is the ‘Colorado Star’ artichoke, whose spiny 1-3’ tall plants produce a relatively high yield of buds in a range of purple hues. This artichoke variety matures earlier than others, making it a good option for our relatively short season. Grow them as an annual, and combine with purple-topped Verbena bonariensis and flavorful bronze fennel to create height and architectural interest in a garden that transcends the boundaries between edible and ornamental.

Verbena bonariensis

This blog post was written by Sophie Cassel, Red Wagon’s wholesale coordinator and community outreach team member. Sophie is an herbalist and educator. You can find her workshops here.

Many Marigolds

Giant African Marigolds in the garden of RWP friend Bob Furrer

Marigold: even the common name evokes a sense of radiance and joy, which is exactly what these plants bring to the garden. But not all members of the Tagetes genus are the same, and it can be confusing for the new gardener to know which type is best suited to which part of their planting plan. Read on to learn about some commonly confused species and a few other marigolds you’ll want to include in your garden. All marigold petals can be dried and used as a seasoning in winter time.

French Marigold

Tagetes patula, French Marigold. This cute, compact species is often planted as a companion in vegetable gardens, as it attracts beneficial insects and produces alpha-terthienyl, which helps deter nematodes and other pests. T. patula only reaches about a foot tall at most, and doesn’t have a spreading habit, so it’s easy to tuck in between tomato plants or around the edges of the garden bed. They come in a rich display of saturated sunset colors on 2” blooms, with many cultivars boasting variegation on the petals and a crested, double bloom.

Tagetes erecta, African Marigold, American Marigold, Mexican Marigold. Also known as Giant Marigold, which is a helpful reminder that this species can grow well above 3’ tall depending on the cultivar. T. erecta has large 3” blooms with dozens of petals packed tightly together, and come in single colors of vivid yellow and orange. Strategically placed, these tall flowers can provide afternoon shade for greens like arugula and cilantro, which tend to bolt in the hot summer sun. They provide the same beneficial insect and pest protection as T. patula in a larger, showy package. They also work beautifully in a cut flower garden alongside Benary’s Giant zinnias and tall snapdragons. Pick off flowers regularly to encourage blooming all summer. Giant marigolds are especially useful as dye plants and make gorgeous flower garlands, which are important elements in marriage and death rituals around the world. 

African Marigold, ‘Crackerjack’

Both of these species are technically edible, though not particularly delicious. The aromatic petals should be removed from the base of the flower, which tends to be quite bitter. Add to a pot of rice for a saffron-like effect, or include in baked goods for a splash of edible color. Read on for two more less common Tagetes species that are definitely must-haves for the edible flower garden.

Lemon Gem Marigold

Tagetes tenuifolia, Gem Marigold. These plants are a favorite at Red Wagon for their feathery foliage, compact clumping habit, and profuse blooms. Their petite flowers attract insects and keep blooming even without consistent harvest. Plant gem marigolds in their own containers or include in the herb and vegetable garden. Your imagination is the limit with how to include these flowers in your kitchen: top salads, pizzas or pastas with the bright petals, or decorate cupcakes for summer birthday celebrations. The green sepals and stems can be bitter, so remove those before eating.

Mexican Mint Marigold

Tagetes lucida, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Tarragon. Easily the most delicious of all of the Tagetes species, Mexican Mint Marigold has small, yellow flowers that are primarily employed for their sweet licorice flavor, which can be added to beverages and salads. The Aztecs considered T. lucida sacred and used the plant in the preparation of their famous drinking chocolate. True to its native habitat, this compact plant thrives in heat and full sun, and will bloom from late summer through fall.

Calendula officinalis ‘Alpha’

An honorable mention goes to Calendula officinalis, often referred to as Pot Marigold. Although Calendula is not in the Tagetes genus, it does, like marigold, share a place in the Asteraceae or Daisy family. Calendula has oblong, waxy leaves and a flower that looks more similar to a tiny sunflower than a true marigold. Calendula has been similarly bred to display single and double blooms in a wide array of yellows, oranges and reds, and is held in high esteem as an herbal remedy (see our post about it here). Use the whole flower heads in fresh or dry tea blends, pluck the petals from the bitter center and sprinkle them on salads and cookies, or use as medieval folk did and throw a handful of the dried flowers into broths and stocks, where it lends rich color, flavor and medicinal benefit to soups all winter long. 

Whether planted for their beauty, defensive strategies, or edible petals, marigolds will provide a dash of sunshine well after the garden has been put to bed. With a variety of cultivars in each species, you could be forgiven for filling up your entire garden in Tagetes (and Calendula) flowers this year. You can find a list of all the marigolds we grow here.

Turning Towards the Garden

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As always, the garden has been a refuge during difficult times for many of us. And the fresh snow that just came through does not have to hinder that practice. We can retreat into planning mode, escape into the creative process and find solace in what is to come. The garden is a place for hope and renewal.

Chad Donovan, Red Wagon horticulturist and all around great human, showed me some pictures he took earlier this winter after he stomped around in the snow to map our 2022 display gardens. He is reworking the layout so that it is well suited to classes, tours and work parties. I just loved his process and had never seen that before and am eager to share it with you. What a creative way to map out the garden in real space, and to see just how it fits into the landscape. And it is a fun thing to do with kids or grandkids. Speaking of those, have yours been on school vacation this week? Maybe you would you like to plan your veggie garden with them in mind. Some of our favorite ways to do that can be found here, in a blog post Sophie wrote about some of our favorite vegetable varieties to grow for little helpers who want to snack while they “work”.

Every garden should be built with use and practicality in mind, with beauty not far behind. The month of March is a great time to work on garden plans and designs. We are here to help, and have lots of resources to offer you in that vein.

Ellen Ecker Ogden, who designed the beautiful garden in the middle image above (illustration by Ramsay Gourd, from Ellen’s book The Complete Kitchen Garden), will be teaching an online course for us on The Art of Kitchen Garden Design. She will highlight some of her favorite ways to approach the vegetable garden with an artistic eye so that you can create a space that is welcoming and special. You can register for her class and see our 2022 curriculum by clicking the button below.

If you are just starting out with vegetable gardening, our owner, Julie Rubaud, will be teaching an in-person class geared towards first time gardeners on March 19th. You can find out more here.

We also have our complete 2022 plant list up on the website. You can find that here. Making a plant list is a great place to start with garden planning, and Sarah M. has been very diligent in updating our website so that it reflects all of the 1200+ varieties we are growing. Please take a look and tell us about your favorites! We love feedback on varieties, so also tell us which ones are duds in your experience.

Veggie Gardening with Kids

If you’re planning to do a lot of gardening with young ones this year, consider some of our most popular “kid’s sized” vegetables. These varieties are easy to grow and crank out prolific, tasty produce that take well to consistent harvesting by eager garden helpers. With this list, you’ll have something snackable  in the garden every month of the growing season.

Mexican sour gherkin

If your family loves cucumbers, both Picolino cucumbers and Mexican sour gherkins should find a spot in your garden this year. Picolino are a prolific and crisp cocktail cucumber, harvested at just 4-5” long for maximum sweetness and crunch. Mexican sour gherkins are also known as “mouse melons” and their inch-long fruits resemble something out of a fairy tale. They have a tart, lemony flavor and firm bite that kids love. Both varieties produce long vines and tendrils, so offer plenty of support with a trellis and watch them climb up, up, and away. They could even grow on a little teepee. Remember that they also benefit from consistent harvesting, which make them perfect for a daily scavenger hunt to find the ripe fruits.

Lunchbox peppers are so named for their snackable size, maturing at just 2-3” long and coming in shades of yellow, orange and red. These peppers are super sweet, and their small size also encourages more prolific fruiting per sturdy plant. While perfect for fresh eating, lunchbox peppers do equally well sauteéd and stuffed.

There’s no better seed to sow with kids than radishes. Sown directly in the garden early in the spring and carefully thinned to 1-2”, radishes offer a relatively quick payoff of bright pink roots with a sweet, pleasantly peppery flavor. Watered adequately and harvested early, radishes can be seeded in the veggie garden all season long. Try a mix of French breakfast and cherry red varieties for a range of harvest times and colors. 

Alongside your radish patch, set in some sprouting broccoli (also known as broccolini). It’s well known that broccoli is a favorite green with kiddos, and these sprouting types offer a “cut and come again” approach that is much more consistent and satisfying than waiting half the season for one full-sized crown. Broccolini are also more heat tolerant, although they’ll want plenty of water and decent soil. The sweet stems and florets are easily incorporated into mixed grills, crudité platters, and mixed into classic mac n’ cheese. These broccoli shoots are so sweet, they are also perfect to eat out of hand in the garden.

Baby Bear pumpkins mature to about half the size of a typical pie pumpkin, late in the season. They have very sturdy handles that make them appealing to children because they are easy to hold and don’t risk losing their stems. While they make excellent decorative pumpkins, Baby Bear has a sweet flesh that is perfect for pie making, and semi-hulless seeds that make a tasty roasted snack.

Of course, no children’s garden would be complete without cherry tomatoes, and Sungolds continue to win out with their bright orange color and candy-sweet flavor that kids can’t get enough of. Be sure to provide trellising and harvest consistently to prevent fruits from cracking. One plant will provide enough for snacks, but plant more for drying, freezing, canning, roasting or adding to salsa and sauces.

This blog post was written by Sophie Cassel, Red Wagon’s wholesale coordinator and community outreach team member. Sophie is an herbalist and educator. You can find her workshops here.

Mid-August News, Shuffling Priorities and Plant of the Week

Heliopsis - one of our quart sized perennials that we are giving away with every purchase this week.

The days are numbered for drinking coffee in the garden while the sun comes up. If you enjoy that kind of thing, I hope that you are getting plenty of it. I find myself doing a mental inventory much of the day, re-organizing the list of things I have to make time for while summer lasts. Lots of swimming, lots of outdoor meals, and that precious early morning coffee in the garden.

The fall garden calls, and I continue to plant more veggies each week for late season harvest. This week: spinach, scallions, lettuce. I was at the Shelburne Farmers’ Market this week, and bought 2 heads of lettuce for my mom. I had failed to plant lettuce a while back and am now in between generations. I am vowing to have every green thing I want ready in the garden between now and December. It is possible. This Succession Planting article is helpful if you want to learn more about working the edges of the season to your advantage.

New in the greenhouse this week: spinach, chard, cabbages, sprouting broccoli, kohlrabi, kales, and lots of new chicories and lettuces. All are cold hardy, and all will create bounty in the fall garden.

Our Plant of the Week is really a Deal of the Week. It is mid-August and we are closing on August 29th, so highlighting just one plant doesn’t seem fair. This week, with every purchase of $25 or more, we will offer you a free quart sized perennial. There are lots to choose from: yarrow, salvia, coral bells, catmint, heliopsis (pictured above), rattlesnake master, boneset, and more. I hope you take advantage of this deal and pop in a few new perennials when you stock up on those fall veggies.

We have had a few requests for a recipe I have been making for years, slow roasted tomatoes for the freezer. if you are curious, you can read about it here. This is one of the main ways I preserve tomatoes. Super easy - just roast tomatoes, garlic, herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper overnight at a very low temperature, and then, in the morning, slide the mix into freezer bags for good winter eating. I also do a version with eggplant, peppers, onions, tomatoes etc as a roasted, deconstructed ratatouille. That also freezes quite well.

I hope to see some of you in the next couple of weeks. I will be working in the greenhouse this Friday afternoon - come say hi!

Thank you for your support and your garden enthusiasm,

Julie

Herb Salts, Plant of the Week, Garden and Kitchen Update

YUM. We are very excited to share this week’s Plant of the Week deal. Any remaining berry plants we have, are available for the Buy One, Get One Free promotion. This includes the following:

• Strawberries - Alpine strawberries in 4-packs that can be used for edible landscaping, and as a perennial ground cover in sun to part-shade; and ‘Mara des Bois’, French ever-bearing strawberries that are in hanging baskets, but can be planted in the ground for years of enjoyment.

• Raspberries- a few varieties, including summer bearing and fall bearing

• Elderberries- hardy, easy to grow native plants that are good for making plant medicine as well as attracting wildlife, creating a hedgerow, and for their fragrant flowers that can be eaten or turned into tea or cordials.

• Blackberries - a hardy, thornless variety that produces huge blackberries

• Gooseberries - an old-fasihoned fruit that is great for jams and preserves

August is a great time to plant berries of all kinds, and leaves them plenty of warm days to establish healthy root systems so that will support them for years to come. Our “Plant of the Week” promotion lasts until Sunday, or while supplies last, whichever comes first. Quantities are limited.

In the Garden

The next few weeks are the funnest part of the gardening calendar in my mind. The weeds are under control, we are in harvest mode, and there are lots of empty spots to fill in with plants for the autumn bounty. Going in this week: more escarole, radicchio, lettuce, scallions, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and sprouting broccoli.

I have harvested garlic, shallots and sweet onions. If you haven’t done it yet, you probably should this week. The storage onions - yellow, red, and cipollini - look almost ready in our garden. I will check them later in the week, and if I see that lots of the tops are laying down, I will pull them all out of the soil. I usually wait for about half of them to be fallen over as a sign that they are mature enough to cure well and develop those papery skins that allow them to stay firm in storage all winter long. If you are not sure if your onions are ready, send a photo and we can help you decide.

In the flower garden, Lily has been deadheading her zinnias and recommends making a bouquet to give to someone. It feels good. She has a new baby niece who turned one week old today, and was the lucky recipient of said bouquet. So adorable.

Sara says to check for hornworms in the tomato patch. The earlier you catch and destroy them, the less chance of a full on invasion. Good luck.

In the Kitchen

I have started freezing and canning in earnest, with a big batch of Roma beans taking center stage this weekend. If you have not grown these or eaten them, I encourage you to put them on your list for next year’s garden, or stop by a farmers’ market or farm stand to stock up while summer is still with us. Trillium Hill Farm in Hinesburg has them currently.

Eggplants and peppers are finally abundant in the garden (the rain slowed them down) and I just made a simple dinner with roughly chopped peeled eggplant, shallots, peppers of all kinds, halved cherry tomatoes, torn herbs, minced garlic, a glug of olive oil, and chunks of feta. I laid everything out on a sheet pan and roasted it for about 45 minutes at 375F. What an easy summer dinner, served warm on the deck, or at room temperature for a picnic by the lake. Preferably with an icy cold rosé and a baguette from O’bread or this easy recipe for pita from King Arthur. I spent a good part of the pandemic winter making pita, and I am not mad about that new skill.

Our herb salts and vinegars are now available! We have been busy harvesting and chopping herbs, and curing them in salt for maximum flavor and fragrance. I recommend them all right now, especially to elevate simple garden meals of cucumbers, tomatoes, greens, and grains into something special every night of the week. They are also great for the grilling and entertaining you might be doing outdoors while the getting is good. You can find them at our Hinesburg greenhouses, at City Market, Hunger Mountain Coop, Farmers to You, Intervale Food Hub, Sweet Roots Farm, Trillium Hill Farm, and Philo Ridge Farm. And here online. We are set up to ship herb salts and vinegars. Maybe you would like to make someone’s day by sending some as a gift?

Enjoy the week, enjoy each other.

Julie