Our History

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Long before Carol’s Plant Shed stood at 196 Smithtown Boulevard, the Borella family was already deeply rooted in the soil of Long Island. In 1958, Anna and Sam Borella founded Borella Nursery in Nesconset, New York, where they grew bedding plants, hanging baskets, shrubs, perennials, and holiday bulbs for wholesale customers across the region. Surrounded by greenhouses and gardens, their daughter Carol grew up learning the rhythms of the land—how soil holds water, how a cutting takes root, and how sunlight shifts with the seasons.

At just 15 years old, Carol began selling plants from a flatbed trailer in front of her parents’ business, offering flowers on Easter, Mother’s Day, and spring weekends. What began as a teenager’s side venture quickly grew into a lifelong passion. By the mid-1970s, Carol opened a small seasonal shop, balancing business with family life as she raised her four children. In 1986, while pregnant with her youngest, she expanded the operation and began growing plants herself for retail sale. That’s when Carol’s Plant Shed officially took root next door at its current home—196 Smithtown Boulevard—where it has been serving the community ever since.

 Over the decades, Carol’s Plant Shed has flourished alongside the community. Today, the family grows more than 95% of the plants sold, ensuring quality and care from seed to bloom. The business has always been a family effort, with Carol’s late husband Walter and their four children sharing in the work and joy of growing. After Walter’s passing in 2022, his spirit remains at the heart of the business, and the family continues to honor his memory by carrying on the tradition they built together—rooted in love, hard work, and a passion for growing. 

 Through every season, Carol’s Plant Shed has stayed true to its mission: providing not just plants, but also personal guidance, warmth, and the neighborly touch that can’t be found in big-box garden aisles. Every annual, perennial, and flowering beauty carries a bit of the Borella legacy—threads of afternoons spent planting, nurturing, and growing. Carol’s Plant Shed isn’t just a business; it’s a living tribute to family, to land, and to the simple idea that life is richer when you grow something together.