HARDSCAPE HERO

HARDSCAPE HERO - November 18, 2025

From Cutting Grass to Crafted Spaces: HARDSCAPE HERO, Ricky Simmons For Ricky Simmons, owner of Simmons Lawn & Landscaping, the road to becoming a HARDSCAPE HERO started behind a mower and led to full-scale outdoor living design and installation. Powered by vision, passion and a commitment to do the job right, Ricky has built... View Article

Recent > HARDSCAPE HERO

HARDSCAPE HERO | Jesse Dunlap | DSD Landscaping | September 2017

It’s not every day that you’re asked to complete an 8,000-square-foot job for a Major League Baseball player. September’s HARDSCAPE HERO winner Jesse Dunlap of DSD Landscaping, Inc. was asked to do exactly that, and he knocked it out of the park. “I love building relationships with clients,” says Dunlap. This project was no different.... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
October 5, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Josh Franklin | Deckscapes of Virginia, LLC | August 2017

Congrats to August’s HARDSCAPE HERO winner, Josh Franklin of Deckscapes of Virginia LLC, located in Catharpin, Virginia. Josh has been in the hardscaping industry for 6 years and is originally from Tappahannock, Virginia. When he’s not designing beautiful outdoor living spaces, he spends his time hunting and fishing. “My whole family gets together after I... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
September 1, 2017

Second-Look Stories: Trey Watford, Williams Landscape & Design, Inc.

Trey Watford won the HARDSCAPE HERO award in February of 2017. He’s been busy creating awesome new projects, and we checked in with him recently to find out how things have been going since joining the HARDSCAPE HERO family. “It was great being able to tell the clients that their yard was going to be... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
September 1, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Jay Ball & Stevi Brockwell | Garden Sanctuaries Landscaping & Design, LLC | July 2017

Congratulations to July’s HARDSCAPE HERO winners Jay Ball and Stevi Brockwell of Garden Sanctuaries Landscaping & Design, LLC. Jay and Stevi are a team based out of Amelia, Virginia. Jay is the team’s designer, while Stevi acts as the project manager. We recently spoke with Stevi about their winning job and Garden Sanctuaries Landscaping &... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
July 26, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Austin Cutter | Cross Creek Nursery | June 2017

Congratulations to June’s HARDSCAPE HERO, Austin Cutter of Cross Creek Nursery. Cutter is based out of Richmond, and he has 15 years of experience in the hardscape industry. Cross Creek Nursery is a full-service landscaping firm offering services in everything except tree removal and irrigation. The coolest part? Cross Creek Nursery runs a 28-acre nursery... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
June 28, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Jeff Gray | Outdoor Visions by Jeff Gray, LLC | May 2017

Congratulations to May’s HARDSCAPE HERO, Jeff Gray of Outdoor Visions by Jeff Gray, LLC. Based out of Newport News, he has 15 years in the hardscape industry. His company is best known for large, multi-feature patio designs. Gray runs a tight ship, with most of his crew having been with him for 10 or more... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
May 31, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Brian Gillespie | Ultimate Hardscapes | April 2017

Congratulations to April’s HARDSCAPE HERO winner, Brian Gillespie of Ultimate Hardscapes. Based out of Newport News, Virginia, Ultimate Hardscapes recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. We caught up with Brian to talk about his winning project and how working with The Eagle Bay Design Studio is improving the way he does business. “I was one of... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
April 24, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Dean Johnson & John Guidon | James River Nurseries | March 2017

Congratulations to March’s HARDSCAPE HERO winners, Dean Johnson and John Guidon of James River Nurseries. Dean has been in the hardscape industry for 17 years and John has been in the industry for 31 years. The team at James River Nurseries works together on most jobs and we recently spoke with Dean and John about... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
April 3, 2017

HARDSCAPE HERO | Trey Watford | Williams Landscape & Design, Inc | February 2017

Congratulations to February’s HARDSCAPE HERO winner, Trey Watford of Williams Landscape & Design, Inc. Trey has four years of professional hardscape experience, and he has been interested in landscaping and landscape design since he was a child. “I’ve been into art and the outdoors ever since I was young. I loved doing art projects and... View Article

HARDSCAPE HERO
March 1, 2017

Second Look Stories: Shane Vent

Shane Vent became a HARDSCAPE HERO in September of 2016. We recently caught up with him again to see how he was doing. “Having won the award gives me a sense of pride. It’s great knowing all of the people who saw my job and voted for me think it’s exceptional work,” Vent says. Every... View Article