Lynn Russell

This woman has been bringing the garden back to Boca since 2010

Written by MARIE SPEED

Lynn Russell remembers when bobcats strolled her backyard in Boca in the old days, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she helped bring a natural wonder—the Boca Raton Community Garden—to the city. Sponsored by the Junior League and spearheaded by then-Mayor, the late Susan Whelchel, Russell worked on the garden for 10 years applying the principles of permaculture (she’s certified in the practice), which is the growth of agricultural ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable way. In addition to 103 leased community plots, she and master gardener Betsy Pickup helped establish a pollinator habitat, a food forest and a wildflower walk, in addition to publishing a monthly newsletter, the Garden Gazette

After the garden was relocated to make way for the Brightline station, Russell turned to a new project, the Allen’s Place Pearl City Community Garden, in 2020, named after late Pearl City community leader Allen Willis. Russell was honored with inclusion in Boca’s Walk of Recognition in 2022.

WHY PERMACULTURE: It is a design science that uses biomimicry of nature to develop an ecosystem that supports all living things. It’s one of my core belief systems. It’s based on ethics, care for the Earth, care for people, fair share, which means any surplus goes back to the Earth or to people. … If we used it in society, the world would be a better place.

This page is a tribute to community citizens who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership to the city of Boca Raton and is in memory of John E. Shuff.

WHY GARDENS ARE IMPORTANT: It’s really terrible that we’ve gotten so disassociated with earth and nature. And kids come in the garden and they just light up. They are learning about worms and butterflies, and they are starting to notice things they never get a chance to notice these days. I don’t know how we even got away from it. A garden is about food, but we do things for pollinators, too. It’s all important and all intertwined—having the pollinators and having the food too.

WHAT THE GARDEN GROWS: Bananas and papayas, pigeon peas, longevity spinach, tomatoes, peppers, collard greens, broccoli, sweet potatoes and more.

DREAM GARDEN: I’d really love to be out on some acreage of my own and to really do a homestead. Even an off-grid homestead. I think [having a garden] makes sense when you hear all about climate change and all the problems the Earth is having. I feel like there are ways to solve these problems, and they aren’t that difficult. If you are working with nature to do it the way nature does it, and to appreciate and use what happens, then there should be a way. … It can be done, and it’s a little frustrating that it’s not being done more.