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After 97 years in the same location in Menlo Park, Roger Reynolds Nursery & Carriage Stop “has closed its doors for the last time,” owner Sally Halstead said Tuesday (Sept. 3).
“This has not been an easy decision,” she said in a message on the Roger Reynolds website. “Despite all our efforts since the severe economic downturn of 2008 our business has been unable to adequately recover.”
She thanked generations of loyal customers who supported Roger Reynolds over the years. “On behalf of my family and staff, I thank each and every one of you for being with us,” she said. “Your patronage and support has been most valued and appreciated.”
Located at 133 Encinal Ave. in Menlo Park, Roger Reynolds Nursery was a family-owned garden center.
Ms. Halstead is a granddaughter of the founder, Roger Reynolds, who began the business in 1919.
According to the company history, Mr. Reynolds opened a commercial printing shop in San Francisco at the turn of the last century, but developed an allergy to printing ink and sought a new line of work that would offer plenty of fresh air.
He acquired 18 acres of land between El Camino Real and the Southern Pacific railroad tracks in Menlo Park. At that time the nursery fronted El Camino Real.
In the early years, the nursery’s redwood grove was turned into a park with barbecues, picnic tables, a dance floor and a jukebox. It was rented out on the weekends to San Francisco organizations wanting “a day in the country.”
To make ends meet during the Depression, Mr. Reynolds leased out some of his property. The Franciscan Forge began its business as one of his tenants. A Victorian cottage on the property, used as a guest house for the family, later became Edy’s Candy Store, complete with soda fountain. That became the Carriage Stop, which sold garden gift items and houseplants.
After Mr. Reynolds died in an automobile accident in 1932, the business was run by his wife. She sold some of the land and later, part of the remaining five-acre nursery was leased to Home Savings of America.
His step-granddaughter, Ms. Halstead, has owned the business since 1978. She said she insisted on following her grandfather’s legacy to provide high quality products and services at a fair value and “maintain a meandering garden of beauty that all can enjoy.”
Roger Reynolds was a nursery partner of the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden and of Filoli, the historic country estate in Woodside, and frequently won the Almanac’s Readers’ Choice Award for best nursery.
Photo courtesy Roger Reynolds Nursery." class="wp-image-581478"/>
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Well that just ruined my morning.
Oh well, to paraphrase Francis Bacon –
Gardening is the purest of human pleasures. http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-46.html
Thank you Roger Reynolds for the pleasures.
Too bad this icon of the community has closed.
But more to the point, will be the for sure development of the property into more office / housing. If we knew what was going on behind the closed doors with the City Manager / Staff, I am sure our eyes would be opened to still another high density development.
A very big loss for this community, to be sure — my family spent many a happy afternoon wandering the nursery grounds and typically buying a few items each time we visited. Sympathize with ‘whatever’ in that this pretty much ruined my morning….
Gern
Blessed that I was able to wander thru the nursery with my kids looking for veggies to pick out, checking out the fish hiding beneath the water plants, etc…
Bummed for future families that will miss out.
My 2nd favorite garden supply spot behind the wonderful Common Ground in PA.
I remember going to the old Roger Reynolds with my dad when I was a kid. At the time they were on El Camino Real just north of Encinal. The clerks all wore smocks and there was one old lady clerk who always had rainbow lifesavers in her pocket for the kids who came in.
Great memories. Sorry to see them go, but then I must admit it’s been years since I bought anything there,
I spent thousands of dollars over the last few years. I did my share! There is no garden store like RR — a small but lush park where you could shop. Just walking around the grounds was relaxing, and I never left empty-handed.
Pity they didn’t give any notice so we could all enjoy a final visit. Plus there are a number of customers now stuck with useless credits.
What next? High density development, more offices, maybe some housing, increased backups at what is currently the least-gridlocked train crossing. Too bad for all of us in so many ways.
What? No warning? What are they doing with all the inventory? I shopped here for 30 years- one of the last mom and pop places to disappear. Any recs for another homey plant nursery in the area?
Hey, old timer,
I’m an old timer as well who hates to see so much change and will miss
Roger Reynolds greatly but we do have to stop fiighting high density.
We do not live in the country anymore !! Our desire to fight high density has
Just created lots of urban sprall. I miss the orchards and open spaces but it’s
all gone because we all want our space. Truth is we Re running out of spa e
and need to stop being selfish and realize we cannot continue this sprall.
Oh no, my youngest just started kindergarten and I had big plans to get over to Roger Reynolds and into my garden more! I will miss the tradition of shopping there!
Always sad to see the mom and pop’s leave after so many years as a community fixture. After moving from Menlo Park, we found the Ladera Garden Center in the Ladera Shopper (run by a wonderful husband and wife team) every bit as friendly (albeit a bit smaller) as Roger Reynolds. Check out the Yelp reviews and the 12-15 minute drive at to Alpine Road will feel well worth it.
So sorry to see Roger Reynolds Nursery will be closing shop–very sad to lose another Menlo Park icon. Now I’m worried about who the family is selling the property to and what monstrosity will wind up there. I hope they save the redwood grove at least.
Fond memories of either shopping or wandering in and among the plants. Also have fond memories of Edy’s Ice Cream/Candy shop. The ice cream sodas and sundaes were great regardless of the flavor. One fond memory is my dad coming home on Valentine’s Day with a huge heart-shape box of candy for my mom. Surprised her and certainly please us. So good.
Thank you for the wonderful years of memories. Will miss you all.
Does anyone recall when Edy’s was at RR? I do recall when it was at Town & Country.
Since I mentioned their closing in another thread yesterday, I’m really glad that it was followed up with this information.
I am sure that the 140k stolen from RR hastened their closing. Is it possible that that Evette Weiler has repaid the money by now?
I also echo many of the sentiments in this thread. My family was very disappointed last night when I told them.
Very sad. Our family enjoyed shopping there for almost 30 years. Sorry to see them go. Thanks, RR, for all the fun times we had shopping at your wonderful nursery!!! ; )
We stopped shopping there when they screwed up special orders, never returned phone calls or gave good customer service as they used to. It is no surprise that customers went elsewhere. I remember when Edy’s was there. My family spent THOUSANDS of dollars at RR until they no longer cared about their customers any more.
So sad. I was planning to go there today if for nothing else than to meander about. I’m very sad for our community and unlike Old Timer, I was always given the very best of service and benefited from the knowledge of their workers. I certainly hope they’ve been able to find employment elsewhere and that they had more advanced notice than the customers.
This is a real loss to our community. We still live in a suburb with many yards and gardens. New developments are forcing us to have to DRIVE to other communities to buy the things we need. Isn’t the whole idea of a “small town” and “sustainability” that we don’t need cars, that we can find thins we need close by our homes?
Very sad.
Beltramo’s will succumb, also. The ratio of the size of the store to the number of customers is too high.
Betsy, try Ladera Garden Center on Alpine Road just past 280 in the Ladera Country Shopping Center. You’ll find it is also a very homey mom and pop nursery. The owners are friendly and knowledgeable. They also have a wonderful gift shop. Plants and gifts are expertly wrapped.
Sad indeed. I was just in there several weeks ago buying some plants for my daughter. Chatted with Sally for about five minutes. She was pleasant, but seemed more tired than I can ever remember seeing her. I guess than embezzlement business had a long-lasting impact.
I wonder if there will be a “Friends of Roger Reynolds” ala Keplers Book store.
Been a customer for 40+ years.
Editor
Rumor is hourly workers at RRN received no severance pay, which is not required under California law.
However, have you guys researched the plight of the now former workers, many of whom were long-time employees? How many were there, how many years, efforts to find them employment elsewhere, any advance notice to them of the demise of RRN?
Any former employees or others who want to discuss the situation, please contact Richard Hine at the Almanac: editor@AlmanacNews.com | (650)223-6525.
As a kid and even later, I’d stop at Edy’s for ice cream, some of which had little candies in it.
I know Pauline Sparrow married Roger Reynolds in 1930 and they lived on Douglas Avenue in Burlingame. Pauline made hats and had a hat shop across the street from their home on Douglas. I think she later had a hat shop at RR Nursery in Menlo Park. Is it true that Roger died in a car accident on El Camino Real as a result of a heart attack in about 1937?
I’m glad this nursery survived for so many years, but am so sorry it has to close. I don’t like that big box stores (like Walmart, Target, Home Depot) have ruined businesses that are small and home grown.
sounds like “whatever” is a soon-to-be former employee. Let’s just let the Nursery go out as a shining star & relish in all the good memories we have of the place. People have a right to close their business w/out any negatives
We also heard from former RR employees (they were former from some time back) that certain workers were let go without severance pay, too, so I don’t think it’s a baseless rumor. When we discussed RR’s method of closing with a friend who is a business owner, she said that’s just good practice from the business’s point of view. Depends on how you’re placed at the time. We still feel sadness for RR given the embezzlement issue. That selfish act on the part of the guilty party caused long-term damage for the owners and their employees. Greed is such a distructive force in this beleagured world of ours.