Now that the Sandy Spring Horticultural Society meetings are paused for winter, we present some interesting interviews and articles relevant to local gardening and history. Remember, late fall/winter is the best time to plan for next year’s garden.

This month, we feature an interview with Vince Fillah, a passionate and talented business owner, horticulturalist and local history expert. Vince is an active member of the Sandy Spring Horticultural Society (founded in 1863) and a member of the Montgomery County Forestry Board and the Maryland Champion Tree Program.

Jeffrey Ross (Q). Vince, you are so connected to our local community; tell us more about your background?

Vince Fillah (A). My family moved to Olney in 1985, where I grew up attending St. Peter’s Catholic School, Good Counsel, and University of Maryland where I graduated from the Robert H. Smith school of business. During my time at UMD, and as a member of the College Park Scholars program, I helped facilitate and participate in several programs including Lakeland Stars, mentoring disadvantaged youth. It was these programs that drove me to create a community-focused business.

Following graduation, I began to build out and design for my barbershop concept: 1 Cut Above. My focus was to create a community-based business, to help engage the community focusing on the youth while revitalizing the Sandy Spring downtown area. I opened the shop there in 2006, before relocating to Olney in 2009, where the barbershop resides today.

Jeffrey Ross (Q). What was the spark that awakened your passion for horticulture?

Vince Fillah (A). Growing up, I was always in nature and loved being outdoors. Much of my real experience and passion came from my Dad, who was the Chief of Horticulture at the National Zoo for more than 30 years.

Jeffrey Ross (Q). Tell us more about your plant collection and some of your favorites?

Vince Fillah (A). Living in Sandy Spring, since 2010, my wife Ticona and I decided to make this our forever home with our daughters Emerson and Elllington, so we designed a new renovation with the main goal to incorporate an indoor plant atrium. Quite a challenge, but the idea came to fruition in 2020, creating a space that had its own foundation, drainage, temperature and humidity control.

Within the atrium, I have over a hundred species of plants from around the world, none of them being hardy outdoors here. The largest is a 40-foot fiddle leaf fig--usually the first plant people see when they visit. Some of the more notable plants are those that have stories…my collection includes a lot of older specimens I acquired from other plant enthusiasts. I have a ponytail palm that came from a friend’s trip to Disney 30 years ago that ultimately outgrew their space. I have a Euphorbia drupifera that came as a small cutting from a friend’s expedition to the Honduran rainforest.

My biggest challenges have been pest control mostly without pesticides, using beneficials (organisms, primarily insects and arthropods that help the garden ecosystem by pollinating plants, controlling pests and decomposing organic matter). Also challenging was the changing environment with sun and seasons and balancing so many different plant species with different needs in a relatively small space.

Jeffrey Ross (Q). What about your outdoor garden?

Vince Fillah (A). For me gardening is all about inspiration and getting ideas. My outdoor garden is a young garden I started with a clean slate. I’ve been focusing on planting unique tree cultivars. The garden features I’ve created so far include a bog and Koi Pond, a meditation garden with Torii gate (a traditional Japanese gate symbolizing the transition from the physical world to the sacred one) as well as a vegetable and fruit garden.

*Babe Snowden and Curly Butler both at 100. Photo by Vince Fillah*

Jeffrey Ross (Q). Tell us about the barbershop culture and some of your favorite stories?

Vince Fillah (A). My primary vision for my business was creating a place for community and storytelling. A barbershop is a magical place, where no matter who you are, what your title is, what you have or don't have--all that stops at the door. My favorite memories were the first ten or so years, when there was a group of older African American men in their 80’s and 90’s from Sandy Spring who were born and raised here and whose families had been here for generations. Many were the last generation of great story tellers, from an era that no longer exists. Some of the most memorable were George Campbell and Thomas "Babe" Snowden, both who lived past 100 and continued to come to the barbershop regularly. Others included guitarist Warner Williams who would play at the barbershop, Ronnie Johnson and Curly Butler. Johnson was well known around town, and Curly Butler who would sit and tell stories for hours. What I didn’t learn from them at the barbershop, I fostered through our friendships when I would visit them at their homes on Mondays (my day off).

Jeffrey Ross (Q). What’s your advice to gardeners in our area?

Vince Fillah (A). My advice for other gardeners is something my Dad always told me: “you have to enjoy the process.” At times it can be frustrating and today it seems like we face more and more challenges year-after-year as climate change puts stress on our plants leaving them vulnerable to new pests and diseases.

*Guitarist Warner Williams. Photo by Vince Fillah*

Forethought on What to Do in the Garden Over the Next Few Months.

November and December are the time to put the garden to bed and to prepare for winter. Begin by cleaning up fallen leaves, dead annuals, and diseased plant material to prevent pests and fungal problems. Cut back perennials that have finished flowering but leave some seed heads for winter interest and wildlife. It’s still a great time to plant spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips before the ground freezes, and to mulch garden beds with shredded leaves or compost to protect roots from temperature swings. If you have a vegetable garden, harvest remaining cool season crops like kale and carrots, and cover empty beds with winter mulch or consider a cover crop such as rye or clover to enrich the soil. Water evergreens well before the first hard freeze and wrap vulnerable shrubs in burlap to shield them from drying winds. Finally, clean and store tools, drain hoses, and start planning next year’s garden while you enjoy the quieter winter months.

Sandy Spring Gardener - November 2025 Vince Fillah on Community-Based Business, Horticulture and Sandy Spring History

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