Laurel Hill Gardens, the quaint garden center in the heart of Chestnut Hill that also offers landscaping services, has been serving customers since 1981. In a seasonal industry, such longevity can be unusual. That’s why Jake Bevan, the new owner of Laurel Hill Gardens, was impressed when he acquired the business on Feb. 28.

“If you’re trying to have a career or make a living out of this, it’s difficult,” said Bevan in an interview with the Local. “So when I found out how long people have been here at Laurel Hill Gardens, I go, ‘That’s really impressive.’ Joe [Ascenzi], the founder, has been doing this for 44 years and that’s amazing…If there was a durable business model, this must be it, right?”

Despite the new ownership, Bevan says that the current arrangement at Laurel Hill Gardens will remain the same. All of the employees have stayed, including Ascenzi, who will just be stepping back from the day-to-day logistics of the operation. Bevan hopes only to build on what has already been working.

“Nothing’s changing here,” he said. “It’s not even another iteration. It’s just a continuation.”

Planting his roots

Bevan, a native of Delaware County, has been interested in gardening his entire life, but never pursued the hobby professionally. Instead, he joined the Marines right out of high school and spent four years in the infantry in places such as Hawaii, Japan and South Korea. In 1999, Bevan left the Marines to major in American studies at Penn State. By 2004, he re-enlisted and served in Iraq for seven months. Since then, Bevan has worked in the intelligence, technology and data science fields.

Bevan says he was looking for a change of pace when he decided to inquire about buying Laurel Hill Gardens. He contacted Richard Snowden, owner of Bowman Properties, who introduced him to Ascenzi. According to Bevan, the pair had an ongoing conversation about selling the business that spanned a year.

“The conversation went on for a while because I wasn’t in a rush and Joe wasn’t necessarily in a rush,” he said. “I was getting to know Joe and Joe was getting to know me. It had to be a match and we had to get along. I didn’t want to do it unless he and I got along, and I think Joe felt the same way.”

In addition to a good relationship with Ascenzi and a chance to pursue his passion, Bevan says his purchase of Laurel Hill Gardens met another important requirement: an opportunity to plant himself in this community. The Wyndmoor resident sends his kids to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and is a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, but says he never got the chance to fully settle and establish deep relationships in the area because his previous work involved a lot of traveling, both nationally and overseas.

Bevan says his travels – in over 45 countries – have shaped his approach to this new gig.

“I was fortunate enough to do a lot of touristy-related things and spend a lot of time focusing on what I was interested in, which was art, gardens, parks, design, food, culture, you name it,” says Bevan. “I saw a lot of Chestnut Hill in these places…just seeing how things work in other places and how I can incorporate them here in Laurel Hill Gardens from a community resource and development point of view.”

Now Bevan has been able to settle down here, joining the Barnes Horticulture Certificate Program at Saint Joseph’s University and fully committing himself to his new career.

Gardening culture and history

Bevan describes his first month at Laurel Hill Gardens as “drinking from a fire hose,” especially because the spring season brings a lot of work for the business. However, Bevan has enjoyed every minute.

“It’s really something special,” he says. “Everyone’s been really wonderful to me.”

The significance of owning a garden center in Philadelphia’s garden district is not lost on Bevan, who lights up when talking about the intersection of American history and gardening.

“Chestnut Hill is home to the first Garden Club of America and it has very deep horticultural roots,” he said. “A lot of famed landscape architects have lived here and still live here. So being able to contribute to that at its core is key for me…The Wissahickon bleeds up into Chestnut Hill and here we are, since 1981, a garden center and a landscape company in the heart of it tying that history into what we do here.”

Bevan says he could not ask for anything more than the opportunity to grow such an integral part of the community.

“I look at [Laurel Hill Gardens] as a community resource and hub,” says Bevan. “This is the nicest space in Chestnut Hill. You could disagree with me, but the look, the feel, the outdoor space…nobody has this. This is really special.”

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.