Rookie of the year
Lawn and Landscape Solutions
Bucyrus, Kan.
When Lawn and Landscape Solutions landed the job of reinventing the backyard of a high-end residence in the Kansas City suburb of Mission Hills, Kan., the job came with several challenging elements.
As Sean Baxter, the founder and president of Lawn and Landscape Solutions, describes it, the project to renovate a 40-year-old pool and surrounding hardscape area had to factor in strict setback restrictions, screening concerns and grading issues. The hurdles weren’t insurmountable by any means, but they would require a deft hand from all involved.
That’s why it’s a little surprising that Lawn and Landscape Solutions turned to a first-time project manager, 23-year-old Diego Ibarra, to oversee the work and make sure it crossed the finish line on time and on budget.
Well, surprising to everyone except those who worked most closely with Ibarra.
“As expected, Diego embraced the new challenge head-on,” says Quintin King, the director of design and build operations at Lawn and Landscape Solutions. “He successfully planned and executed the scope of work, managed project timelines and coordinated multiple subcontractors, including plumbers and electricians.
“His ability and willingness to address concerns from the customer and make real-time decisions ensured that the project stayed on track and exceeded the client’s expectations.”
For his part, Ibarra said the company’s support on what was internally called the Roseburg Residence project was invaluable.
“Just because I’m young, I’m sure there are people who think I don’t know what’s going on,” Ibarra says. “But I know our team respects me, and I respect them. I’m a person who doesn’t just tell them what to do; I show them. I don’t ask them to do something I won’t do myself, which they respect.”
Work began on the project in October 2023, and thanks to a mild winter, it was completed four months later. The pool restoration took center stage but was only a part of the overall project that reimagined the patio, hardscapes and landscaping surrounding the pool. The new work included a two-tiered patio that ran from the back of the home to the pool, a new outdoor kitchen area, updated landscaping that surrounded the entire footprint and a new waterfall feature.
“I thought the waterfall turned out nice,” he says. “It’s kind of like a wall in one corner of the pool, but it fits in with everything else and has some really cool lighting where you can change the colors.”
In addition to navigating the setback and space restrictions, Ibarra says the project’s only other significant challenge was a regulatory one.
“The city was pretty strict in what they would allow and what they wouldn’t, so we had to be careful about that,” he says. “We couldn’t pave more than we needed to, and there were some walls that we needed to be removed that they were concerned about. But we replaced those with new walls, and other than that, it was all pretty smooth.”
Despite the minor roadblocks and the first-project jitters that Ibarra had to manage, the finished product and a satisfied customer gave him confidence that he had found a home in his new role at Lawn and Landscape Solutions.
“It was a big challenge for me, dealing with the customer, with contractors, with the city,” he says. “There can be a lot of stress, but to see the work we did and know that the customer was happy made me feel good. I like what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with.” — S.H.
High standards for High Prairie
High Prairie Outdoors
Edwardsville, Kan.
Serving the greater Kansas City area is High Prairie Outdoors. Founded by owner/CEO Robyn Schmitz, the company came into existence almost by accident; Schmitz worked on a crew and then as a designer when she realized she loved the industry but couldn’t find a company that matched her expectations for excellence.
“There was room to elevate the high-end residential game in Kansas. We never really set out to be business owners, but I do believe that things happen for a reason,” Schmitz says. “In 2010, I basically said, ‘If I can’t find the company that I aspire to work for, maybe I’ll create it and be that company for other people.’”
The company offers comprehensive, year-round service to its clients. High Prairie Outdoors has both designers and architects on staff. They offer landscape design, landscape installation, maintenance, pools, decks, spas, irrigation and drainage. Schmitz’s husband, Bret, is a certified public accountant who serves the company as the operations manager.
One of the company’s most complex and rewarding projects took place in North Kansas City, Mo. The site was a steep, heavily compacted slope with limited access and no existing infrastructure, which made conventional construction equipment unusable. The area, once a natural space, had become degraded over time — deep shade, poor soil conditions, water issues and no clear way to access or enjoy it. The homeowners wanted a transformation: a functional, visually appealing outdoor environment that could be used day or night while still respecting the natural habitat and local wildlife.
The primary challenges were threefold:
⦁ Getting power and utilities through rocky terrain for lighting and irrigation.
⦁ Addressing environmental damage, including soil compaction and poor drainage.
⦁ Making the space accessible and safe with attractive, non-intrusive infrastructure.
“We approached the project with a combination of creativity and precision,” Schmitz says. “To address the steep terrain and limited access, we used micro-equipment, cranes, conveyor belts and other specialized tools to move materials in and out.
We conducted soil testing, followed up with a nutrient-dense soil regeneration program, installed a dry stream bed to manage and redirect water and designed an optimized irrigation system. We also integrated stone steps for safe access and strategically placed seating and lighting areas to make the space inviting at all times of the day.”
The result was a lush, multi-functional landscape that enhanced biodiversity, improved drainage and offered the homeowners a peaceful, immersive space
to enjoy from both indoors and out.
The key to success in complex projects such as this one, Schmitz says, is proactive planning and clear communication from the very beginning.
“It starts at the design phase — where we set honest expectations with the client about what’s possible given their goals, site conditions and budget,” she says. “Next comes a detailed estimating and contract process where we spell out exactly how we’ll solve the challenges, what materials and equipment will be used and define the scope with transparency.”
The goal is to eliminate surprises before any work begins, she adds.
At High Prairie Outdoors, the company created a robust three-stage sales-to-production handoff process:
1. On-site planning and pre-mortem: Key stakeholders walk the site, review the project scope and
conduct a “pre-mortem” to identify potential obstacles and opportunities.
2. Formal project planning: Back at the office, they create a detailed project roadmap with assigned tasks, resources, delivery schedules and contingency plans.
3. Client introduction and expectations meeting: The production team is introduced to the client, they’re walked through the phases of the project and clear communication standards are established.
Approximately two weeks before the start, the project manager leads a final kickoff meeting with the field crew and reviews video documentation, estimates and the full project plan. This level of preparation ensures the project is set up for success before boots hit the ground.
Especially challenging projects create a gamut of emotions, Schmitz says. But when the job is completed, the anxiety goes away, and it’s replaced with pride.
“At the end, when you’ve surpassed your clients’ expectations, kept all your promises and kept your budgets, it’s a feeling of relief and pride.” — S.J.
Malone’s Landscape delivers
Malone’s Landscape
Kent and Snohomish, Wash.
One of Malone’s Landscape’s slogans is, “The perfect outdoor living space is closer than you think.”
But just because it’s close doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Malone’s Landscape was founded in 1991 by Jim and Debbie Malone. Over the decades, the company has grown from a few trucks into one of Seattle’s premier landscape design and construction firms. In 2002, the company added Malone’s Landscape Management to provide commercial maintenance and enhancements.
Jake Malone is the son of Jim and Debbie and used to work on the crew over the summers when his baseball schedule would allow. He didn’t think he’d come back to the company until his brother Ryan did. Jake Malone attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration while playing on the baseball team as an infielder during his junior and senior years.
After discussing the idea of working with the family company with Ryan, he decided to give it a try.
“They needed another salesperson on the management side,” Malone says.
“So, I came back home and joined the business, and I’ve done just about every job in the company since then.”
Now the production manager, Malone knows exactly the success story he wants to reflect upon. The crew still talks about this project even though it was a few years ago. Essentially, a homeowner in Lake Forest Park, north of Seattle, wanted a covered deck with an outdoor kitchen.
But because of the location — and one valuable tree — the project was a logistical nightmare.
“The project had quite a bit of adversity. As you know, permitting here is brutal. The tricky part is, right behind these people’s house is a creek/wetland,” Malone says. “The Seattle area is very permit extensive. Most of the time, they don’t even let you build. It’s a miracle we even got through the permit phase.”
The design called for the deck to be built around the tree. With so much existing tree cover, the Malone’s Landscape crew couldn’t crane anything in. They had to build kits and then haul them in using a material lift, or at times, three or four crew members carrying a big piece of lumber.
The property was large, but the tree cover and the deck being built literally on a creek meant there wasn’t much room to move around. A temporary bridge was built so the crews could transport materials over the creek.
When it comes to a challenging project like this, Malone says his secret to success is to communicate to the entire team on the challenges and make it an “all-hands-on-deck” project.
“Our senior designer, Jeremiah Lord, had to be hands-on out there. Jeff Colston, the project manager, worked really hard on this project as well,” Malone says. “Anyone who could spare extra time would come in and help.”
The results — as the photos show — was a picturesque oasis for the homeowners to sit outside and enjoy nature. Malone says the feeling upon completion was “euphoric.”
“There was just so much blood, sweat and tears that went into this one,” Malone says. “And the homeowners were so grateful. They threw a party with all their neighbors and invited us and the crew as well. We’re out there having burgers, and the crew gets to experience the finished project and the joy.” — S.J.
Mastering the mountain
Sunline Landscapes
Bluffdale, Utah
Sunline Landscapes is based just south of Salt Lake City, meaning it’s no stranger to applying its expertise in high-end residential work to homes in the resort area of Park City. Company founder and CEO Curtis Atkinson estimates his firm has done close to 40 projects in Park City over the years.
While each of those had its own particular set of challenges to overcome, he says there are common challenges to all work in and around Park City.
“It’s pretty common with Park City projects to have a lot of acreage but a very small building space because they’re right up against a mountain, and they’re trying to preserve these natural areas,” he says. “Most of them are on the side of a mountain — it is a ski area, after all — so you’re dealing with tricky drainage, tricky elevations. And these are very high-end private estates or homes, so they need to be secluded, and they need to go through complicated approval processes. It’s a lot.”
A recent project tackled by the team at Sunline in partnership with a local homebuilder, however, stood out to Atkinson when asked if there was one that presented unique challenges in design and construction.
“The way the house is positioned on the property, tucked up against the mountains, created some challenges for us,” he admits. “It needed to have a nice, natural look to it, multiple layers, terracing, so it didn’t look like a giant wall. That also meant we wanted a bunch of plantings to soften that look.”
Atkinson says a ski-in, ski-out access point on this property was also unique, requiring a stairway and walkway that was safe and walkable but stayed within the strict building envelope that had been approved for this property. There was also the ongoing problem of sourcing materials in a mountain environment that had to solved.
“You’re building on the side of a mountain, right? So, it’s a big-time challenge to source materials. Not to mention there is a limited plant palette to work with at that elevation. Not a lot grows up there,” he says.
In the end, Sunline’s experience with similar projects in Park City paid off. The homeowner was blown away by the entire property, which added yet another notch to the belts of the home builder and Sunline.
“We’ve done a lot of work with this builder for 15 or 16 years. They’re great friends, great partners,” Atkinson says. “Because a lot of the homes in Park City are second homes, vacation homes, the owners put a lot of trust in the builder who bring in their preferred teams. We’re blessed that we’ve become one of those partners for the outdoor spaces of these homes.” —
