HUNTINGTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Seth Glazer, owner of Vine & Fig Tree Landscaping, LLC, is a homegrown entrepreneurial success story as he continues to expand the design-build enterprise landscape company he has been passionately pursuing since college.
Born in Charleston, raised in Huntington and returning home after his college degree to start a new business, Glazer is appreciative of his scholarship and mentoring from the West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (WVNLA). After graduating from Huntington High School, he went to West Virginia University and started learning about landscape architecture. Soon he discovered that he was particularly enthusiastic about the design-build sector of landscaping, which led him to transfer to Columbus State Community College where he earned his degree in Landscape Design and Management.
A $5,000 scholarship from the WVNLA through its Marcus W. Rennix Memorial Scholarship program, invitations to WVNLA events, and mentorship by WVNLA member George Kotalic with Kotalic Landscaping all helped Glazer shape and run Vine & Fig Tree Landscaping.
Glazer said he wanted to design detailed high-end residential spaces and work closely with clients. It was for that reason he chose Columbus State Community College, where a nationally accredited landscape design and management program is offered. There, he had the opportunity to learn plant identification, construction and installation design/methods, estimating, accounting, and a real-world approach to the landscape industry. He received valuable design and installation training from two professors who had a combined 100 years of experience in the industry. Glazer said the program was perfect, “because it was geared to people who wanted to operate their very own design-build companies.”
Glazer reflected on starting his company and its name. “Vine & Fig Tree Landscaping was chosen for a few reasons: first of all, it is a name that is unique, and in my opinion, caters to high-end residential clients. It is also a phrase that George Washington quoted from the Bible (Micah 4:4). General Washington said he wanted to live under his own Vine and Fig Tree, which symbolizes peace and freedom. I think it is a name that holds historic significance and also relates to landscaping,” he explained.
Employing three full-time people and wanting to expand more, Glazer said he gained more confidence and realized he had more abilities than he initially thought. “I realized that I was good at something and enjoyed doing it, too. This confidence gave me the courage to do all sorts of things that involve owning a landscape business — working with clients, employees, suppliers, accounting, taxes, design, installation, etc. Owning a business is a big undertaking and involves much more than just signing a contract and performing work.”
Weather can be a significant factor in landscaping, said Glazer. “The drought of 2024 was really an issue, it being my first year, as revenue and sales plummeted. It was also my first experience having issues with retaining employees and experienced help.”
Glazer said Vine & Fig Tree is truly a landscape design firm at heart. “We design spaces that are as unique as our clients. We have no set parameters when it comes to material selection, plant selection, design style, and other factors. If the client likes a particular style, they’re going to get it. We don’t say no just because it may not be our style, since our style is really our clients’ styles. Revisions are always encouraged, and we believe there is no such thing as a ‘perfect design.’ Every client is different, every property is different, everybody’s style is different, and everybody’s budget is different. Essentially, we listen to clients’ preferences and design a product that cannot be replicated anywhere else except at their particular home.” He said Vine & Fig Tree offer free consultations. “We charge by the job and offer the latest in 3D, photoshop, hand drawn, and AutoCAD designs,” said Glazer.
He hopes to expand and grow to offer more services and gain a larger labor force. “I would like to work on more high-end outdoor living spaces and have more crews, so that I can install more than one project at once,” said Glazer.
Outside of WVNLA, Glazer said George Kotalic with Kotalic Landscaping in Lesage has been instrumental in helping him start his business. “He (George) is an amazing mentor, and I met him when I was looking for plants at his nursery (River & Rail Nursery),” said Glazer. “George took me under his wing and helped me discover the key aspects of running a successful business. Without his help, I would not be where I am today. George always has an answer to all my questions and is honest with me, especially when I make a mistake. He brings 50 years of experience and is an excellent business owner who I am proud to call my friend.”
Glazer said the state’s nursery and landscape association — which he joined as soon as Vine & Fig Tree, LLC, incorporated — has for decades been “a positive force helping and extending generosity toward the next generation of landscape contractors and business owners.” He added that WVNLA helped him meet new faces in the local landscape community as well as continue his higher education. “From the very first symposium, I felt extremely welcomed and like I had a place in the organization,” said Glazer. “I was able to network with other business owners and learn from them, and I was also able to learn from their guest speakers. There is never a WVNLA event where you don’t meet someone new or learn something new.”
West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, Inc., established in 1939, is a professional trade association dedicated to supporting nursery and landscape businesses and vendors throughout the Mountain State.
WVNLA members support West Virginia college students studying horticulture and landscape architecture with scholarship opportunities. They also share expertise and support in their communities; meet for volunteer projects; and support worthy, industry-related endeavors through Association donations. Regionally, WVNLA co-owns the annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show along with the Maryland and Virginia associations. For membership, events or mission priorities please visit https://wvnla.org/
