About Us
Red Trillium Gardens wants to put the native plants of New England into the hands, hearts, and minds of everyday local folks.
To this end, we commit to…
Growing our plants sustainably.
Unlike most conventional nurseries, we know the “provenance” of our plants, because we grow them ourselves, in our own backyard.
We start with seeds we have either collected in the wild or from our own plants, or purchased from reputable third parties (eg. Wild Seed Project, Prairie Moon Nursery). We only grow things we can ID to species level, and we list them by scientific name. (Sometimes a species epithet is the difference between a valuable native and a dangerous non-native/invasive!)
As much as possible we source seeds from New England, to encourage local biodiversity. This isn’t possible for everything, however, so sometimes we use seeds sourced different ecoregions (eg. Prairie Moon’s stock) of otherwise native plants. We also use cuttings from plants for some species that are difficult or slow to propagate from seed (eg. things in the blueberry family Ericaceae). All cuttings are collected in small amounts on my own property, or places I’ve been given permission to collect.
No neonicotinoids or pyrethroids are used in growing our plants. In general we try to reduce pesticide usage – both “natural” and synthetic substances.
We are also reducing our usage of peat, which is a non-renewable resource. We are currently using only the peat or peat-containing potting mixes that we already had on hand or that were given to us via our local Buy Nothing group. After that, we will transition to using a more sustainable material, such as coconut coir.
In general, too, we aim to keep a low environmental profile, operating with reused materials where we can. What we must buy we try to source at local businesses.
We also plan to sell garden vegetable and herb starts our first year or so, but are hoping to eventually transition to only native plants.
Charging affordable prices for our plants.
As our goal is to get as many people to grow native plants as possible, it behooves us to make them affordable!
We haven’t finalized our pricing scheme yet; we’re still doing some market research. Note that our prices will be based off similar plants at native plant nurseries in the like. This still may be higher than prices you’re used to at conventional nurseries and big box stores. These are indie, artisanal plants!
Providing education about native species of New England
Mostly via this blog! Some of the topics I (Lise) hope to write about are:
- native species showcase – where I pick a single species native to New England (eg. Trillium erectum) and gush about what I love about it, complete with photos or video
- care instructions for the plants we sell
- ecological threats to native plants as the basis of the ecosystem, eg. invasive species, habitat loss
- observing the natural world
- citizen science
- comparing and contrasting native species of different ecoregions
- business announcements
- foraging
(I’ll be creating a newsletter you can subscribe to keep up to date with all these posts, as well as a social media presence. More soon).
About the Owner
Red Trillium Gardens is the work of love of Lise Fracalossi (aka, me) of Lunenburg, MA.
While I’ve always enjoyed the natural world in general, and plants in particular, during the pandemic, I became invested in the importance of native plants to the entire ecosystem. I began pursuing my Native Plant Studies certificate from Native Plant Trust in late 2022.
When I lost my corporate job recently, I decided it was a good time to try something new. I’m using this as an opportunity to learn more about native plants, to teach about native plants, and to advocate for native plants.
I am currently in the process of winter sowing seeds for sale in Spring 2024. I plan to sell these at Montuori Flea Market in Lunenburg and local farmer’s markets (pending application approval). Direct sales from my house may also be possible.