The Bangerts live in a lovely neighborhood on the south side of Indianapolis in a home built in 2000. They have two sons, one off to college; the other still in high school, and two affable Golden Doodles.
When they moved into their home in 2020, the backyard space was essentially unusable. There was a builder-issue concrete step and patio outside the back door and small lawn with a fairly steep dropoff that was difficult to mow and left little room for outdoor furniture. Also, because their yard directly abutted the neighbor’s backyard, there was little privacy.
The Bangerts had a dream of creating an inviting and private outdoor living space where they could entertain friends. But they had a very clear vision of an organic space that didn’t feel too manicured and traditional, and they were also committed to preserving the existing trees and shrubs and integrating them into the design.
The plan: The plan began with conversations with designer Cory Gliege, who specializes in the kind of freeform, natural designs the Bangerts were after. Heath Outdoor designer Justin Wedges also consulted on the project. Together with the Bangerts, they envisioned a multilayered patio and walkway created from a mixture of flagstone pieces and pavers that invited guests down through the space to a focal point of a fire feature that would become their ultimate gathering place. For that, Josh and Sarah drove up to Fortville and handpicked a FireBoulder that the team would hook up a gas line to.
To create the feel of a room around the fire feature, a mixture of large boulders, ranging in weight from 1200-1800 pounds were chosen, including Southern Indiana sandstone and larger, rustic Semco Quarry weathered limestone. The space would be surrounded by shade trees and low-maintenance native flowers and grasses, and lit subtly around the perimeter to frame the space.
Because the Bangerts love to garden, the plan called for Heath Outdoor to do the landscape design, demolition, drainage, hardscaping, tree planting, and landscape lighting, and leave a blank canvas for the Bangerts to plant on their own.
The work began with demolition and removal of the existing concrete, taking care not to damage any of the existing shrubs and trees. The team then addressed existing drainage issues and installed hardscaping.
Next came landscape lighting and trees, including a pagoda dogwood, green giant arborvitae, and lemony pine to complement the existing pin oak and red maple. Start to finish, the project took two weeks.
“We knew we wanted to work with Heath Outdoor for this project, because we didn’t want a cookie-cutter design,” said Josh. “We wanted our space to have a park-like feel, and we wanted the process to be collaborative.”
“We couldn’t love this space more,” he continued. “I’m out here just about every day. On the 4th of July, we sat out here and watched the fireworks and we’re planning a big Halloween bonfire. It’s perfect for entertaining.”
“The organic nature of this space really makes me happy,” Josh concluded. “Sometimes, little plants volunteer and they just add to the aesthetic. One of my favorites is the tiny fern that popped out of the quarry stone. I think the stone came with that fern ready to make an appearance.”
Because both Cory and Justin knew that the Bangerts loved reclaimed, organic pieces, they kept their eyes open in their travels for things that would add to their space. Cory salvaged an interesting log from a tree that had been cut down on another job site and sent it to the Bangert’s project to use as a back border in the firepit area. And Justin found the perfect-sized piece of “Snapped Oklahoma” sandstone to create a step transition from the house for a more rustic, natural look.
The Bangerts now have an outdoor living space their friends and family can enjoy throughout the seasons. In 2023, they asked Heath Outdoor to give their front yard a landscaping glow-up as well, to create a more welcoming entrance to their home.
“We’ll just keep adding to this space as we go,” said Josh. “We plan to add an awning, and I’d like to create some sort of outdoor kitchen. We plan to do a party out here when our youngest graduates from high school, so that’s the next target. Maybe we’ll even add a water feature at some point.”
Heath Outdoor, a premier, local, family-owned landscaping company established in 2009, proudly serves the vibrant communities of Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Strategically located in the heart of Indianapolis, we extend our expert landscaping and hardscaping services to both commercial and residential customers in Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Zionsville, Avon, Plainfield, Brownsburg, McCordsville, Greenwood and beyond.
Custom gardens and landscapes, paver patios and walkways, water features and recreation ponds, custom outdoor fire pits and fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, pool and spa vaults, tiny houses, storage sheds, pergolas and decks, retaining walls, fencing and playgrounds.
Mowing, mulching, planting and watering service, irrigation and drainage system installation and repairs, seasonal property clean-ups, and snow and ice management. In 2024, Heath Outdoor added eco-focused private gardening and garden coaching to our property maintenance services through a partnership with Spotts Garden Service.
Planning a wedding or other celebratory event and looking to create an extraordinary backdrop? Let the event design team at Heath Outdoor transform your space with rental plants, lighting and custom structures. We’ll work with your event designer to bring the vision for your event to life and create an experience your guests will never forget.
We’re not just in the business of landscaping—we’re in the business of finding solutions and bringing dreams to life. Whether it’s crafting breathtaking commercial outdoor spaces or creating custom outdoor living areas from scratch, we’ve got the passion, expertise, creativity and team to make it happen.
At Heath Outdoor, we’re also committed to giving back to the community, through our Juneteenth service project, annual participation in the Indy Pride parade, Butter Art Fair and Feast of Lanterns sponsorship and neighborhood beautification efforts.
Heath Outdoor is a Hurst Brothers company. Other brands in the Hurst Brothers family of companies include: Indy Insulation and Spray Company and Spotts Garden Service.
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