Stephen Hazeltine is President and Owner of Hazeltine Nurseries, Inc., a full-service landscape development and maintenance company as well as a 90-acre growing nursery and tree farm located on North River Road in Venice, FL.  Hazeltine Nurseries, Inc. specializes in designing and installing landscapes, hardscapes, irrigation, drainage and landscape lighting systems that transition the outer living areas of both residential and commercial properties.

Stephen and his wife Michelle began their company in 1984.  It has since grown to employ over 150 people and is one of the largest privately owned green industry businesses in Sarasota County. 

Stephen is one of nine children and a fourth generation resident of the Venice area.  He attended Sarasota County Technical Institute from 1982 to 1986 where he studied horticulture landscape design, irrigation and crop production.   He is a certified landscape/irrigation designer and contractor in the State of Florida and a member of the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association, Florida Landscape Architects Society, Florida Palm Society and TEC of Southwest Florida.  He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.  Occasionally he speaks to civic and horticultural groups on proper design techniques and is often sought after for his innovative and eco-friendly designs.  His passion is designing exterior living areas.

Under the guidance of Stephen and Michelle, Hazeltine Nurseries, Inc. has won numerous awards over the years.  Some of them include:

• Sarasota County Environmental Services “Keep Sarasota Beautiful” Copper Star Award
• First Place Venice Reader’s Choice Award – “Best Landscape and Lawn Maintenance Company”
• Venice MainStreet “Award of Excellence”
• Sarasota and Manatee County “Dedication to Service and Commitment to Excellence” award
• Venice Area Middle School “Dedication and Support as a Business Partner” award

 

Hazeltine Nurseries, Inc. is committed to giving back to the community.  This philosophy is something both Stephen and Michelle strive for.  Starting their business from nothing has made them very thankful for all the blessings they have been given.  The organizations they support are usually education-based, community beautification, helping the poor or child related.  They are supporters of All Faith Foods Banks, South County YMCA, Venice Arboretum, VABI, Manatee Community College and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Stephens’ landscape designs can be seen throughout Southwest Florida including Boca Grande, Venice, Sarasota, Bradenton and Port Charlotte.  He has designed projects in the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Hilton Head, SC and Blowing Rock, NC and has recently completed a design for an 1800-acre corporate lodge project in Fishtail, MT.  The scope of jobs varies from commercial, industrial to single family high-end residential, multi-family, condominiums, churches, parks and specialty hardscapes.

Photographs of his landscapes have appeared in Style Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Architectural Digest and Florida Architecture. 

He and Michelle have two sons; Michael 20, a junior at Stetson University in Deland, FL and Clayton 18, a Freshman at Wingate University in Wingate, NC.  They enjoy fishing, football and working together.