MERCHANDISING 100 Years & Beyond From its humble beginnings on Lydia Larson's ironing board in 1919, Larson's Garden Center continues to grow. By Kaitlyn Larson The author with a picture of her great grandmother Lydia Larson, who's dream started it all. L arson's Farm was a familiar sight on Route 6 in Bristol, Connecticut, for nearly 90 years. The produce stand, which started on an ironing board, got its start long before highways were numbered. Larson's has changed over the years, as does anything that grows. Larson's is a far cry from the legendary ironing board. It is now a destination garden center located in center of Burlington on Route 4 (26 Covey Road), where creativity and inspiration grows. The legacy was started by Lydia Larson, my greatgrandmother. It was a place that Lydia dreamed about - far from her native home of Sweden - where her family could work the land and she could provide for her 12 children. She dreamed of fresh fruits and vegetables - and maybe even a barn with a root cellar! Little did she know that she would be starting a business that would still be growing strong a century later. 28 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019