PRINT. CUT. REDEEM. Now through June. Print Version
Learn about the Red Wing Flower Basket Project
The Red Wing Flower Basket Project was initiated in 1989 after Phil Revoir, a member of the Noontime Kiwanis Club, returned from Victoria, British Columbia. While there he had seen the beautiful baskets hanging from their light poles and brought the idea back to the club as a way of doing something to beautify the downtown. To see how successful we could be the city started with 12 baskets hung in LaGrange Park, across 3rd St. from the St. James Hotel. This small experiment has blossomed into 320 baskets throughout the city.
The baskets are 16” wire baskets with kanaf liners. The design for each year’s baskets is decided upon in October of the year before and all baskets are planted exactly the same. About 10 baskets are planted with a new or different plant each year to see how it performs for possible future use. Sargent’s Nursery and Hallstrom’s Greenhouse each do up ½ the baskets. The baskets are planted the first week of April and are cared for in the greenhouses until the city staff, along with members of the Noontime Kiwanis, loads them on trailers for their journey to downtown light poles. The baskets are hung around 2am so that there is little traffic and parked cars to worry about. Generally the baskets are hung around May 20.
All baskets are watered daily without exception, on holidays and in rainstorms too. A weekly rotation between clear water and two different fertilizers is used throughout the summer. Red Wing’s Public Work’s summer workers are responsible for the care of the baskets once on the light poles and it is this daily care that keeps them beautiful throughout the season
Sargent's is honored to be a part of this program that beautifies our community.
