Sustaining a marriage for 40 years is an accomplishment in itself.
Maintaining a harmonious relationship while also working side by side as business partners is a feat many might consider impossible.
Not for Jeff and Linda Seyboth, whose marriage also marked the start of their shared business venture as co-owners of J & L Landscaping Co. in Seekonk.
Linda Seyboth credited the business’s success, in part, to separation of responsibilities between her and her husband.
“We both have our strong points,” she said. “He works with the landscaping and design, while I deal with the retail side.”
Also crucial to the company’s longevity and growth has been its increasingly diverse array of services in response to client needs, which have continued via delivery and curbside pickup through the coronavirus pandemic
When the company began offering landscaping services, it didn’t have a permanent location. But it soon became clear that many commercial customers were also interested in buying materials. A few years after starting the business, the Seyboths purchased a 1-acre lot along Route 44 in Seekonk, which at the time consisted of “a house and a few shrubs,” according to Linda Seyboth.
The business site today is a far cry from that: piles of mulch, loom, stone and compost – all available for sale, pickup and delivery – occupy half the property. A shed-like building in the back houses the design team, while a set of outdoor and indoor greenhouses boast an array of seasonal plants and trees throughout the year. There is also a small retail store with gift items, pottery and house plants.
In recent years, the business has also offered services to a variety of public and private schools in Providence.
Then there are the aspiring recreational gardeners who come to Linda Seyboth with little to no knowledge of plants. “Most people who come in just want color,” she said.
Seyboth and her employees have a wealth of knowledge and options for different kinds of plantings. Increasingly over the years, though, she has found that people are less interested in learning how to do it themselves and more interested in paying someone to do it for them.
Another notable change since the company first started is the weather. While spring has been the busiest time for J & L Landscaping – which closes for January and February – the earlier onset of warmer weather means business picks up as soon as the company opens its doors on March 1. It also affects the viability of certain plantings that are supposed to be able to grow during the spring but, in reality, don’t fare as well amid warming temperatures.
“We call them iffy perennials,” Seyboth said.
While the business saw a surge in customers in March, by early April– peak season – demand had dropped off substantially as commercial and residential customers opted to stay indoors to limit potential contact and spread of COVID-19.
Still, Seyboth said the continued offerings of curbside and delivery was a source of comfort to longtime customers.
“We’ve been here a long time and will continue to be here for our customers,” she said. “It’s not about making money at this point. If we can break even, we’ll be lucky.”
OWNERS: Jeff and Linda Seyboth
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Landscaping and gardening center
LOCATION: 363 Taunton Ave., Seekonk
EMPLOYEES: 20-25
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1977
ANNUAL SALES: WND
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
