Phil Barton never let the grass grow too tall under his feet. Starting his lawn mowing business from his parents’ house in Laurel, Delaware, in 1979, he contracted to cut five lawns in the local area. Later, as his customer base grew, he added landscaping to his services.

 

In 1986, Tim Conaway partnered with Phil Barton, and the enterprise expanded to include irrigation installation and other landscaping services.

 

The business was moved from Laurel to Seaford, Delaware, in 1990. Realizing that some customers were looking for products as well as services, the partners opened the Garden Center in 1990.

 

 

Now, Barton’s customer base has grown to include the individual looking for shrubbery for his front yard, as well as a large volume commercial customer who may require custom landscaping services for 250 homes or more in a new residential development. Barton’s currently has more than a thousand irrigation customers and expanded its services by adding hardscapes and low voltage lighting to their bag of expertise.