Historic Wayland Family Business Celebrates 150 Years

WAYLAND, MA — A longtime business in Wayland is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Russell's Garden Center, which has been family-owned since 1876, grew from a small roadside farm stand into one of the largest garden centers in New England. The business said it has spanned five generations of the Russell family.

Over the past century and a half, Russell’s has weathered major economic and cultural shifts, including the Great Depression, the energy crisis of the 1970s, floods, recessions, the rise of big-box and online retail and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s really a story of adapting through every generation,” the family said.

Russell’s was founded by Samuel Lewis Russell, a butcher and farmer who operated a stand at the old Wayland town center. In the early days, family members traveled by horse and buggy, a six-hour trip, to Boston’s Haymarket Square each week to sell vegetables, flowers, eggs and other farm goods.

As automobiles became more common, Samuel’s son, Lewis Samuel Russell, relocated the business in 1925 to the family farm on Route 20, where Russell’s remains today.

The business expanded over the decades. By the 1940s, the third generation had built greenhouses that allowed Russell’s to grow fresh-cut flowers for local customers and several Boston-area flower shops.

But changing industry trends again forced the family to evolve. As imported flowers became more affordable through air transportation and energy costs climbed, Russell’s shifted toward garden center retail during the 1960s and 1970s, adding annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, gardening supplies and houseplants.

A major period of growth happened in the 1980s, when fourth-generation family members, Elizabeth Russell and her husband, Tim, joined the business full-time. The pair helped modernize operations, expand year-round retail offerings, and introduce attractions including gift and toy departments, farmers markets, and seasonal events.

Other fourth-generation family members, including Jack Russell, also helped expand product offerings and strengthen the store’s reputation for gardening expertise and customer service.

Today, the fifth generation is continuing the business.

Dan Skehan joined Russell’s in 2019 and helped guide the company through the financial challenges of the pandemic. Carly Skehan joined in 2022, bringing experience in gift, toy and home décor buying.

Russell’s now operates more than 25 greenhouses and offers everything from garden supplies and indoor plants to fall décor, gifts, birding supplies and one of the region’s largest Christmas shops.

The business also became the subject of the award-winning documentary "Growing Through Covid-19", which chronicled Russell’s efforts to stay open and support employees during the pandemic.

Today, customers continue to visit Russell’s not only for plants and products, but also for the experience itself, including seasonal displays, a cactus house, and koi pond.

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