I started growing milkweed because the monarchs needed it.
Then the neighbors started asking for plants. One flat of milkweed turned into two. Then came the black-eyed susans, the bee balm, the asters. Before I knew it, our backyard in Reading had become a small nursery.
That’s how Ipswich River Growers started — not with a business plan, but with a butterfly.
What we grow
We grow native New England perennials from local-ecotype seed — plants that are genetically adapted to thrive right here, not shipped in from a warehouse three states away.
We grow named heirloom vegetable varieties with real flavor — Cherokee Purple tomatoes, San Marzano paste tomatoes, Detroit Supreme beets. The kinds of plants you won’t find at the big box stores.
And we grow culinary herbs that actually taste like something — Genovese basil, rosemary, thyme, lavender.
What sets us apart
Not your average garden center
Local-Ecotype Seed
Our native plants are grown from seed sourced right here in New England — genetically adapted to our soil and climate.
Named Heirloom Varieties
Every vegetable is a specific, named variety with a story and real flavor — not a generic hybrid.
Hyperlocal
We’re in Reading, MA. Your neighbor, not a warehouse. Every plant gets personal attention.
Knowledge Included
Every plant comes with growing advice — when to plant, how to care for it, what it needs in Zone 6b.
