The hardscape and landscape pros at Heinen had a wonderful 2022 working with great clients on amazing projects!
Each project tackled by the team this year was unique in its own way. Whether there were major drainage issues to solve or new entertainment spaces to build, the Heinen crew took on each challenge with enthusiasm. Their extensive experience (over 30+ years) has made Heinen Kansas City’s go-to landscape and hardscape experts for a wide range of projects.
Keep reading for a recap of some of the team’s favorite projects of 2022!
Memorable Hardscape Transformations
Westwood Hills Modern
The team kicked off 2022 with one of their most stunning backyard transformations to date. The homeowners of this gorgeous, ultra-modern Westwood Hills home reached out to Heinen for assistance in designing an outdoor entertainment space to match their home’s unique modern style, as well as a space that had the flexibility to accommodate a cozy evening for two – or a larger gathering for two dozen or more.
The crew set to work constructing two terraced patios, one spacious enough to host dinner parties and another that would serve as a more intimate conversation pit – but with flexible seating to accommodate more guests when needed – and would also include a low maintenance built-in gas-fire feature. To pull the large, multi-tiered backyard together, the team installed outdoor lighting fixtures along with a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and ground coverage plantings for a provide a mixture of heights and textures. Click here to learn more about this contemporary backyard transformation!
Historic Brookside Upgrade
This beautiful Brookside home had not had any landscape or hardscape upgrades in many years and was suffering ongoing damage from rainwater because of poor property drainage. In fact the rainwater damage had made the backyard nearly unusable – an issue all too common for many Brookside homes. After reviewing less-than-promising solutions from other hardscape companies, the homeowner reached out to Heinen. To the homeowners’ delight, the Heinen team developed a comprehensive plan for correcting the rainwater flooding issues once and for all.
After regrading the backyard slope to direct water away from the home’s foundation and safely out to the street, the crew went to work installing a new retaining wall and raised garden along the back perimeter of the property – as well as a new walking path and two new, terraced patios along the side of the home. The Heinen team finished the project with shrubs to elevate the aesthetic of the space along with fresh mulch to keep new plant beds clean and tidy. Click here to check out the full story of this home’s outdoor upgrade here!
Mission Hills Landscape Refresh
This past summer, the Heinen team was proud to refresh a special Mission Hills home’s landscaping, including the landscaped area circling a quite memorable sculpture you may have have noticed if your travels take you down 63rd Street! “Dream Big” is a striking bronze sculpture commissioned by the homeowners for placement in front of the home on an island in the center of the home’s circle drive.
Perched atop a boulder stands a mother pig (with a large pair of bronze wings) named “Angelina” who is casting a look down at a much smaller baby winged baby (affectionately named Spike). The homeowners are avid collectors of sculptures featuring pigs from around the world crafted from a wide variety of media. “Dream Big” is the couples’ largest pig sculpture and, thanks to that and the sculpture’s weather resistance, “Dream Big” has become a favorite landmark to motorists along the busy street!
To clean up the landscape island surrounding the sculpture, the Heinen team installed new metal flashing to prevent washout, added new mulch, and removed some forgotten twine choking the roots of some trees installed by a previous landscaper. The Heinen crew also gave the home’s Colorado-inspired side-yard landscaping a needed refresh. Click here for more photos and all the details about this fun project!
2023 Hardscape Design Inspiration
The Heinen pros are gearing up for another year of new landscape and hardscape projects. If you’d like to make a few upgrades to your own version of the great outdoors in 2023, there’s no better time than the present to start planning!
When making any major, or even minor, changes to your home’s outdoor spaces, the key to project success is proper planning and professional design – Heinen’s specialty. With a thorough plan in place, you can make the most of your outdoor project, lock down the timing for the project and ensure the availability of desired plantings or hardscape elements. For more information about planning your landscape and hardscape projects, check out Heinen’s free Kansas City Landscaping Guide!
If you feel a bit lost when it comes to the best way to enhance your outdoor spaces, it doesn’t hurt to explore options and do a little research. Check out the following blog posts from Heinen about popular hardscape elements and how they can be used to create unique outdoor entertainment spaces:
- Retaining Walls as a Unique Hardscape Feature
- Fire Pits for Crisp Fall Evenings
- Expert Outdoor Lighting Design
