Frost-sweetened Carrots, Watermelon Radishes, and Spaghetti SquashPhotogenic Watermelon Radishes
Produce Ordering!
Our website is open for ordering farm fresh produce. Orders must be in by Tuesday at noon.
Please pick up your produce on Wednesday between 2PM and 6:30PM in the big red barn at Cedar Rock Gardens.
We will be adding more produce and variety as it becomes available each week.
This week offers lots of greens and roots including some pretty spectacular looking spinach from the greenhouse. Check out our website for a full list of whats available now!
We also have some great products from our friends including backed goods and jam and soup from With Flour in Her Hair, Tea blends from Milkyway Apothecary and microgreens from Wildly Rooted. We have delicious veggies from Iron Ox farm and Alprilla Farm to fill in the gaps of anything we do not grow!
We will be offering a bulk price discount on all produce for the week of Thanksgiving – that pick up will be on a Monday – stay tuned for that email.
We will be at Iron Ox Farm on Saturday November 23rd selling lots of greenhouse greens, potatoes, carrots and amazing bunched chard. See the flyer below for a list of all the other vendors – it promises to be a very fun day!
Produce Ordering!
Our website is open for ordering farm fresh produce. Orders must be in by Tuesday at noon.
Please pick up your produce on Wednesday between 2PM and 6:30PM in the big red barn at Cedar Rock Gardens. Order Here
We will be adding more produce and variety as it becomes available each week. This week offers lots of greens and roots including some pretty spectacular looking spinach from the greenhouse. Check out our website for a full list of whats available now!
For all those ALPRILLA FARM enthusiasts, we have some pretty special offerings from Noah and Sophie in the store this week. As most of you know Noah and Sophie moved their farm business up to New Hampshire and after a bit of time learning about the new land, planning operations and creating soil health they have grown some gorgeous crops!
From Cedar Rock Gardens – New Date For Warm Weather Plants Release!
Tomato Release Day with many other warm weather seedlings is now May 18th!
A list of what we will be growing this season is updated on our website
Good morning to all my plant loving friends!
We hope you are enjoying this spring so far. We have had some ups and downs with the weather and we are very skeptical of the night temps as a result of the late frost here last year (May 18th!). It seems though that we have a good run of temps all this week and the soil is beginning to warm substantially – all our crops in the ground have just recently started taking off!
With a very mild winter and a long winded spring it has been a funny season so far in terms of “waking up”. Which has made everything seem to really fly by and here we are already in May! As we hurdle towards Memorial Day we are changing over our cool weather selection of plants to our warm weather selection of plants – TOMATO RELEASE DAY WILL NOW BE MAY 18th. We have volleyed a bit on the date of our warm weather plant release because it really does not do the plants any good to go into the ground too early, in fact sometimes it stunts them or sets them up for unnecessary foliage disease due to being cold and wet. To our happy surprise though the Gingo trees and grape vines are starting to set their leaves and that is a very good indication that we are safe from nights that will be too cold and set our plants back. That being said we will still be holding off planting our own fruiting plants outside for another week or so just as an added precaution but some of you are in warmer micro climates or have raised beds and pots that will have fresh soil/compost in them that will be warmer than the ground so we will be ready for you on Saturday with all our warm weather seedlings.
These include:
Tomatoes
Peppers
EggplantsThe rest of our flowers and herbs
We will be making a game time decision on the zinnias, basil, cucumbers and squash because those guys really can’t do with any chilly weather – so if the 5 day forecast after Saturday looks promising they will be available on the 18th too – otherwise we may wait another week on them.
All will be available on a first come first served basis till we sell out.
After 11 seasons of experience of growing our own food on the farm and selling seedlings to our customers we really try to make sure we stay true to what makes a healthy plant. There is always a huge pull to put plants out earlier and earlier each year and it has become a great teaching moment for new gardeners. Weather and soil temperature play a huge role in a healthy plants and a successful garden. We get asked frequently why we don’t have tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers available sooner in the season and the short answer is because it is bad business. We love what we do and we love the plants we grow and we refrain from doing what “everybody else does” because that is what sets us apart. We truly appreciate that you shop with us and support us in these decisions and continue to trust us to grow the best possible plants to be planted under the best possible scenarios, so you get to reap the best possible rewards! Plants are alive – they do not just come off the shelf for sale because a certain date has occurred – they must be big enough and hardy enough to deal with our New England growing conditions. Our list of available plants is fully updated on our website for you to look through.
We will be closed on Friday, May 17th to haul all the seedlings up to the nursery in preparation for Saturday. We will be opened on Saturday 8am to 4 pm and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm and resume regular business hours the rest of the season till mid-June 7 days a week.
We have our potting station set up at the entrance to the nursery. You are welcome to bring your own pot to fill with soil and plant here or purchase a pot here to fill and plant. We have a great organic soil mix in the bin with a little Vermont compost and pro grow mixed in and you are charged by the gallon.
Online Orders will be turned off as of noon today May 13th. All shopping will be in person only at the nursery during business hours for the remainder of the season. Thank you to all those that have put in pre orders – I would love your feedback on how that worked for you and if you found it convenient or unnecessary. Pick-ups for the warm weather seedling pre orders begins on Monday, May 20th and ends June 10th. We originally slated pick-ups to begin on May 27th but we will move it up a week for anyone that is ready. Again, this option was available so you can get your seedlings at a time when your soil is ready for plants so you do not feel rushed to get here before we sell out of anything you want. If you did pre-order and your soil is chilly or you live right on the ocean please wait to pick up your seedlings and let us keep them warm and happy in the greenhouse a little longer. Remember they are still growing in their pots so you will not miss out on grow time just because they are not in the ground.
We are harvesting spinach and radish from the field today and will have it bagged and washed and up in the check out booth this weekend for sale. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions you have on garden planning or plant varieties.
Wishing you all the best and happy planting!
Elise, Tuck and the Cedar Rock Crew
Hello from Elise,
Happy Summer! We are sure you all enjoyed the enormous amount of sunshine this week compared to what we have had this spring so far.
We are having a 20% off sale on all our plants in the nursery starting today and ending Thursday, June 29th. We have some really nice looking bedding flowers and a whole lot of basil along with a great selection of other herbs and veggies.
We have beautiful baskets and pots. Our native perennials selection is stocked up and attracting all the pollinators you can imagine – bring them home to your gardens!
Hope you are having a wonderful summer!
Sale week hours
Friday: 8 am to 4 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 4 pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8 am to 4 pm
Tuesday: 8 am to 5 pm
Wednesday: 8 am to 4 pm
Thursday: 8 am to 4 pm
All the best,
Elise, Tucker and the Cedar Rock Gardens crew
CedarRockGardens@gmail.com
Products we have in stock
Coast of Maine Potting Soil
Coast of Maine Raised bed mix
Coast of Maine Lobster compost
Black Earth Compost
North Country Organics ProGrow
Neptunes Harvest Crab Shell
Neptunes Harvest Fish Emulsion
Neem Oil
Inseticidal Soap
Diatomaceous Earth
Row Cover
Seeds
Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 299 Concord Street, Gloucester
For more information, visit CEDAR ROCK GARDENS WEBSITE HERE
Images courtesy Cedar Rock Gardens
We have fully stocked the nursery area with 40 varieties of tomatoes, a handful of cucumbers, squash, 33 varieties of sweet and hot peppers, eggplants, zinnias, basil, rosemary and much more. We are very excited for another summer growing season and are excited to play in the dirt under the warm sun. We have added some new varieties this year so take some time and ask any questions you may have on new items and staff favorites.
We will have sunflowers, and melons coming out of the greenhouse along with some more varieties of zinnias over the next couple of weeks.
If we do get any nights that go under 40 degrees F we recommend that you cover basil, cucumbers and squash with row cover, they do not like to be cold.
A little PSA – the bridge going over Walker Creek that takes you from Harlow Street in Essex onto Concord Street is out for the summer so please re route to using the Sumner Street turn off 133 or the other end of Concord Street.
Also, our internet has been a little slow lately which means running credit cards and apple pay has been a little slow – we can definitely still take all forms of payment but cash or check will make the line move faster.
Looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces and talking warm weather plants!
We have a great selection of hanging baskets and annual and perennial herbs and flowers. Our native perennials selection is stocked up and attracting all the pollinators you can imagine. I saw my first hummingbird today flitting over the Cuphea Vermillionair – bring them home to your gardens!
Hope you are having a wonderful spring!
We have posted all the Flower, Herb and Vegetable varieties we are growing this year on our website for you to check out and get excited for!
For more information, visit Cedar Rock Gardens website here.
Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 299 Concord Street in Gloucester.
Elise from Cedar Rock writes,
Hello,
Wishing you all a good holiday season! I know it can get busy and overwhelming this time of year; don’t forget to take a breath and remember, we are all only human. The best thing, in my opinion, is to simply give each other your presence and, if possible, a smile.
We will be at Iron Ox Farm this Saturday the 17th from 10am to 1pm selling some beautiful greenhouse produce at their holiday Market. We will not be doing online orders for produce at Cedar Rock again until late January.
Iron Ox Farm
656 Asbury Street
Hamilton, MA 01982
We will be bringing
Carrots, beets, kale, scallions, head lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and lots of mixed greens!
Hope to see you there, we have a wonderful line up of other farms, makers and food at the market so feel free to just come say hello and catch up!
All the best,
Elise, Tucker and Fae
Starting May 18th, our warm weather seedlings will be available to come shop at the nursery.
With the next four nights predicted to be above 50 degrees and Saturday night predicted to be above 60 degrees it is a perfect time to bring the warm season vegetables, flowers, and herbs out of the greenhouse.
We have fully stocked the garden center with 40 varieties of tomatoes, a handful of cucumbers, squash, 33 varieties of sweet and hot peppers, eggplants, zinnias, basil, rosmary and much more. We are very excited for another summer growing season and are excited to play in the dirt under the warm sun. We have added some new varieties this year so take some time and ask any questions you may have on new items and staff favorites.
We will have sunflowers, sweet potatoes and melons coming out of the greenhouse along with some varieties of zinnias over the next couple of weeks.
If we do get any nights that go under 45 degrees F we recommend that you cover basil, cucumbers and squash with row cover.
We also have a great selection of hanging baskets and annual and perennial herbs and flowers. Our native perennials selection is stocked up and attracting all the pollinators you can imagine – bring them home to your gardens!
Hope you are having a wonderful spring!
We have posted all the Flower, Herb and Vegetable varieties we are growing this year on our website for you to check out and get excited for! Visit Cedar Rock Gardens Here
Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Elderberries
Rhubarb
Asparagus
Mark your Calendars:
This includes Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, basil, loads of flowers and so much more!
Cedar Rock Gardens is located in West Gloucester at 299 Concord Street.
Cedar Rock Gardens is carrying both Asclepias (milkweed) and Eupatorium (Joe-pye). Both of these wildflowers are two of the best plants for supporting native pollinators and creating a wildlife friendly garden.
CEDAR ROCK GARDENS Opening for the season: April 13th, 2022!
Starting Wednesday, April 13th we will be open for you to come shop the nursery for all the early spring – cold weather seedlings.
We have posted all the Flower, Herb and Vegetable varieties we are growing this year on our website for you to check out and get excited for!
Welcome Spring 2022!
We are very excited to be welcoming you back to shop with us for our 9th season. We have added some great new varieties of tomatoes, peppers and flowers to our growing list this year (including some bush varieties specifically for containers on your patio or deck) and we have a rockstar crew making sure all plants are happy, healthy and watered! We have already sent some Neptunes Harvest organic fish fertilizer through our hoses to the seedlings so they have the best possible start. We will be starting with cold weather seedlings on opening day even though this spring has proven to be about 2 weeks ahead of its self in terms of soil temperature and average day time temp – you can never be to sure in New England what next week will bring. They are alll currently hardening off in our unheated high tunnel before bring them outside today to start acclimating to the wind and elements.
We hope you are enjoying these longer days and taking some time to plan your garden layout we are always here to help with planning questions and any direct seeding questions you may have as you start to get into your veggie gardens. Right now we are direct sowing our sugar snap peas into the ground along with spinach. We are also direct sowing our arugula, mesclun mix and broccoli rabe under row cover for a little added protection from cold nights. We have organic seeds for sale and are happy to demonstrate how to get those going.
We look forward to seeing you and happy growing!
All the best,
Elise, Tucker, Fae and the whole Cedar Rock Gardens Crew
Covid 19 protocols:
We will be opening this season for you to come shop the nursery in person. Please continue to wear a mask if you don’t feel well while shopping with us at this time.
If you can not shop in person due to health concerns please call or email and we will happily facilitate you. We will not be accepting pre orders, all orders must be for plants that are currently available.
-Thank you for understanding
Warm Weather seedlings will begin to be available
May 18th!
This includes Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, basil, loads of flowers and so much more!
For everyone that wished us well in our endeavors as new parents, thank you! Fae is wonderful and loves being in the greenhouses with us so far.
Opening for the season:
April 14th, 2021!
Starting April 14th, we will be open for you to come shop the nursery for all the early spring – cold weather seedlings.
We have posted all the Flower, Herb and Vegetable varieties we are growing this year on our website for you to check out and get excited for!
We will be opening this season for you to come shop the nursery in person. We will be adhering to Covid safe policies with social distancing requirements while shopping. Please wear a mask while shopping with us at this time.
We will not be doing online orders the same way this season. We are however offering a few “Garden Kits” of pre-selected plant varieties that you can pre-order for pick up when we open. These kits are a basic collection of easy to grow varieties that are great for the early season garden and are also great for a beginner garden. These kits are not customizable – if you would like to pick your own plants or have certain varieties in mind please come shop with us during business hours.
If you can not shop in person due to health concerns please call or email and we will happily facilitate you. We will not be accepting pre orders, all orders must be for plants that are currently available.
-Thank you for understanding
Mark your Calendars: Warm Weather seedlings will begin to be available
May 12th!
This includes Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, basil, loads of flowers and so much more!
Cedar Rock Gardens retail shop is now open. Tucker and Elise have created a super safe shopping experience. All customers and employees wear masks. 
Elise’s parents, Juile and Jim Jilson, are lending a helping hand during the pandemic.
The checkout area is protected by plexiglass.
Cedar Rock Gardens is located in West Gloucester at 299 Concord Street.
As Cedar Rock Gardens opens for the season, and with our country in the midst of a health crisis of unprecedented proportions, we have been working diligently to provide our community with a new, safer way to shop at Cedar Rock Gardens. We are proud to announce that with the launch of our new website, we are now able to accept online orders for curbside pickup! This approach will minimize the number of people who are at the farm at the same time, as well as the number of points of contact required to get you on your way with a car full of your favorite Cedar Rock Gardens produce, seedlings and garden supplies.
We would encourage you to choose online ordering over in-person shopping at this time (that’s why we built this crazy new site, after all!)
All the best,
Elise and Tucker
www.CedarRockGardens.com
Elise and Tucker’s fields of fabulous tulips are begging to be picked.
Why do the tulips at Cedar Rock Gardens always open with such exquisite beauty I wonder? Must be all that TLC they apply <3
You never know what beautiful pollinator you will encounter while shopping at Cedar Rock Gardens! 
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Sunflower, Cedar Rock Gardens
For more information visit Cedar Rock Gardens website here and see post from earlier this week.
This beautiful lady in the pick-your-own peony patch.
Cedar Rock Gardens, the fabulous organic and homegrown nursery owned by Elise Jilson and Tucker Smith, is opening on Thursday April 19th. They will be open everyday. See below for hours of operation and the complete selection of flower, vegetable, and herb seedlings that will be available to purchase this spring. Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 290 Concord Street in West Gloucester, just minutes off of Route 133.
A small sampling of just some of the flowers and veggies you will find at Cedar Rock Gardens, and a reminder that spring truly will be here soon.
For more information, check out Cedar Rock Garden website here.
Pick your own fabulous fresh sunflowers at Cedar Rock Gardens and a butterfly may follow you home!
Elise and her amazing (and wonderfully delicious) tomatoes. Elise and Tucker supply the produce to Short and Main and The Market Restaurant in Annisquam.
Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 290 Concord Street in West located. For more information, visit their website here.
Sunflowers at Cedar Rock Gardens
Thank you to Elise and Tucker at Cedar Rock Gardens for a super year in the garden. This was the couple’s first season opening the garden to the public and they did an outstanding job. Cedar Rock Gardens are a welcome addition to a fantastic and growing group of local farms. Their organic nursery and farm are brimming with a wonderful array of fresh flowers, produce, and seedlings. Every one of the plants from their nursery grew beautifully for me. Cedar Rock Gardens is closed for the year but I am so excited to be working again with them next year and will definitely be enrolling in their CSA 2017. See you in the spring!
Did you ever wonder why marigolds play such a prominent role in Day of the Dead celebrations? They are referred to as “flowers of the dead” and with their vivid hues and citrusy fresh scent, marigolds are thought to guide spirits to the altars. And, too, flowers in general represent the ephemerality of life.
Yellow Marigolds
Elise, Samantha, Pam, Woody, and Franny
Snapshots from Elise and Tucker’s fabulous and fun harvest party, just getting underway. Where earlier the produce had been planted, long tables with tantalizing pot luck offerings were arranged. Bales of hay with planks laid across made for practical seating. An assortment of lights and lanterns illuminated the grounds and the big oak tree was ready for moonlight dancing to begin beneath its boughs.
Favorite photo from the party, Big Sister Franny giving Woody the “pesky little brother look,” with Mom Samantha Goddess, and Samantha’s Mom, Pam Wood.
I had to leave Cedar Rock Gardens early to attend the Cape Ann Plein Air gala, which Catherine covered on Good Morning Gloucester. The Rockport Art Association was overflowing with art enthusiasts, friends, and family and it was so exciting to see beautiful scenes from all around Cape Ann rendered by these master painters. Congratulations to Karen Ristuben, the project manager, and to all who helped make Cape Ann Plein Air a fabulously successful event. I do have to say though that Cape Ann’s own JEFF WEAVER rocked the house with his stunning paintings of the waterfront and downtown.