When I started Our Tribe, I was originally thinking of women. That’s who I spend the most time with. But, here we are – month two, and I’m already changing my mind. Our “village” is women & men. So, we’re featuring a man this month.
Allow me to introduce you to Heath Hurst, Owner of Heath Outdoor and my son. If you’ve ever spent one minute or 300 minutes working to get your yard landscaped and maintained the way it looks in your head, you’ll appreciate the time saving value of a great landscaper. Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, Heath Outdoor provides a full spectrum of services encompassing the design, building and maintaining of beautiful & functional outdoor living areas. I’ve been amazed at the difference the work they do makes to the feel and function of a home. Even at Uplift with the planters they maintain, the display changes with the moods and rhythms of the seasons. Like all good design, landscaping is a creation. Colors, shapes, textures, materials, function – all work together to create a cohesive whole. Outdoor living spaces add usable square footage to a home and set the tone for the time spent there and the memories created.
In addition to their work, Heath Outdoor is a huge supporter of people, all kinds of people. This business has more than 34 employees including a temporary crew who return each spring. You’ll find Heath Outdoor volunteering for The Cultural Trail and Project Evergreen, a National program that supports veterans who can’t mow their own lawn. They volunteer and sponsor events for Cottage Homes Neighborhood, volunteer at Northview Neighborhood Weekend. Heath Outdoor is the Landscape Designer for St. Margaret’s Guild 2019 Decorators’ Show House and Gardens. Heath has also started a non-profit, BETA Beautification, Education Training, Awareness. The more people know, the more they can do to protect the environment.
Heath Outdoor pays a living wage to all temporary and full-time employees. “It costs us a little more to do our work” Heath says, “but I believe that if you take care of your people, your people take care of the customers.” Crew members see it as a career not a job.
Heath Outdoor always takes the environment into consideration. They spray individual plants rather than a whole yard to kill weeds. Heath finds solutions to eliminate standing water in yards and dumping water into the sewer system. “Save the Bees” is one of their mantras! They make a home for the bees in a place that is away from people. Outdoor space is designed to be lived in as a community of people together instead of in dividing the space into sections.
Why do you need a professional landscaper? That’s for you to decide. But the proof is in the garden. In honor of Earth Day and our focus on Recycle, Repurpose & Reuse this month, we asked Heath for three tips for spring beautification and repurposing or recycling.
- Find where the water goes. If you can control where the water goes, you can solve a lot of problems with your landscape and environment. Consider drywells, rain gardens and/or irrigation systems.
- Consider composting bins. Use your food and yard scraps and create your own good soil.
- Weed control is key. Trimming, use of pre-emergent and mulch to block & stop weeds.
Heath is a son, husband, father, friend, nephew, grandson, a proud resident of downtown Indy and a foodie. All of these describe him well. He honors each role with the same dedication and creativity he brings to his work. I couldn’t be prouder of the man he has become.
Leave a Reply