LesLee's Gardens

From Larry Johnson

LesLee's Gardens established its retail nursery business in 1961 at the home of Les and Lee Johnson in Tacoma. A friend helped to weed out a few dozen root balled mollis azaleas and asked if she could sell a few at 72nd and McKinley near her residence. The pickup returned empty after one weekend! Lester leased the site and opened the new location in 1963 where it grew to a full-line garden center by 1978 when Larry took over sales. After several setbacks, a major vandalism not the least, Larry closed LesLee's Garden Center in 1987. Lester and Oleda had a widespread reputation for growing high quality annuals, vegetable starts, geraniums and fuchsia baskets for a quite reasonable price.

Larry grew 36,000 3" tomato plants in 1984 and took 30,000 rhododendron cuttings in 1982. LesLees specialized in bare root trees and hardy shrubs, hedge plants, own-grown container shrubs and lots of free advice. Radio and newspaper advertising campaigns reached a broad customer base in Pierce, Kitsap, and south King county. What started out as a few rooted cuttings of geraniums and fuchsias in Larry's bedroom (against his plans) grew to a 5 acre and 30,000 square foot operation. Lester died in 1981. Oleda in 1994.

Brochure from Larry Johnson

Johnson Family (home) - Kinstories (home) - Susag Family - Flatau Family - Beckman Family
Granquist Family - Anderson Family - Stout Family - Walker Family - Peterson Family - Morris Family - Cauble Family