Meet Craig and Debbie Underhill.
The Underhills live just a short walk from downtown Carmel, in a lovely pocket neighborhood. Their home is a lovingly updated, 1960s ranch with a sprawling, fenced-in backyard oasis. They live there with their two adorable and outgoing pups, Hazel and Posie.
Craig and Debbie, both retired, decided to move from their home Westfield in 2019. Empty-nesters who loved to dine out, they were looking for the walkability of a home close to the amenities of downtown. They met Heath Outdoor founder, Heath Hurst, before he started the company, when he did a small landscaping project for them. They enjoyed working with him so much, they became one of his first customers when he went out on his own in the landscaping business.
Their landscaping challenge:
The Underhills purchased their new home in Carmel in October, 2019 and immediately began renovating it.
“The home was absolutely a project, inside and out,” said Craig. “We bought it for the lot and the location. We could see the potential, but it needed a lot of work. We decided to bring Heath in for the exterior work, both front and back. The house had been vacant and the yard was in a total state of disrepair. The last owner was a bachelor who had put in a putting green and an outside sauna and there were also old, raised garden beds in the middle of the yard. The fence was falling down and everything was completely overgrown. We had some idea of what we wanted, but we also spent hours sitting at our kitchen table with Heath and Dennis (Linner), imagining what the space could be.”
Their landscaping vision:
The Underhills knew they wanted different zones in the yard. They knew they wanted to keep the existing large pergola patio just off the house, for grilling, dining and relaxing, but knew it could be better. They decided on a conversational firepit area farther out from the patio. Debbie also wanted an area with a Zen feel, with an arched structure, boulders and lighting, away from the house. They love to work outside, so they weren’t afraid to add a big variety of plants.
The plan:
“Dennis did the landscape design,” said Debbie. “He and Heath took in everything we said about how we wanted to use our outdoor space. It was a big project, but we trusted them to bring our vision to life. We also wanted things to happen quickly. Because the house was vacant, they could get right to work.”
The process:
Phase one of their backyard transformation was bringing order and livability to the space. The putting green, raised beds and sauna, along with the overgrown landscaping, were removed. A new paver patio was installed, a new pergola was built, new landscaping beds were created in both the back and front yards, and along the side of the house, landscape lighting and a firepit were installed and the fence was replaced. There was a slight bump in the road when it was discovered that their sewer line needed to be replaced and they learned that their line ran through their newly landscaped backyard. But the team took that in stride. Their outdoor paradise was coming to life, but it wasn’t done yet.
Phase two began when they decided to sell their lake house and put in a pool. They came back to Heath Outdoor to discuss that plan.
“Heath said he could install a pool for us,” said Craig. “I asked him if he’d ever installed a pool before. He looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘No I have not. But I promise you we will figure it out and do it right. And if it’s not right the first time, we’ll make it right.’ And I believed him. So we went for it, and it was great. The pool delivery guys said they had never seen a pool fit so perfectly on the first try. It was quite a spectacle on our street the day that pool went up and over our house to the backyard with a crane.”
The special touches:
The pool area is anchored by a beautiful, covered, cedar cabana, complete with a ceiling fan, television, grill, storage room and seating area. In the summer of 2025, the Underhills also asked the Heath Outdoor team to add a flower garden on the side of the yard, next to Debbie’s adorable she shed, to round out the south end of the yard.
The Underhills recently added a seat wall around the patio, and have also decided to replace the pavers on the pergola patio to match the pool deck.
Their outdoor living dream come true:
“Our backyard went from an overgrown and neglected space to an oasis we enjoy every day,” said Debbie. “Our daughter and her friends love coming over here on the weekends, so the house is always full of fun. We’ve had race-watching parties and holiday meals out here. Craig can sit in the pool and watch soccer while I read a book and hang out with the dogs under the pergola.”
What the Underhills have to say:
“At this point, I think we’ve worked with pretty much every member of the Heath Outdoor team,” said Debbie, laughing. “Dennis was here twice a week for at least six months during the planning and installation, and there was one time when he came over here on the weekend, in the pouring rain, to fix an electrical issue with the pool. Cory (Gliege) and Justin (Wedges) have also contributed ideas.”
“Antonio, our project manager, was incredibly careful with every detail of the project, and so respectful of our space. When you find a team of people who work this hard and stand behind their work, you really don’t imagine working with anyone else, and I don’t think we ever will.”
About Heath Outdoor
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, Columbus, Franklin and beyond.
Design and build services include:
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.
Commercial and residential property maintenance services include:
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.
Why Heath Outdoor?
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.
The Hurst Brothers family of companies
Heath Outdoor is a Hurst Brothers company. Other brands in the Hurst Brothers family of companies include: DIGS Garden Center, Indy Insulation and Spray Company and Spotts Garden Service.
