Best Landscape Company: GreenScapes Landscape Co.
Employee-owned GreenScapes Landscape Company has been in business since 1977, taking on commercial and maintenance projects in addition to residential projects.
The design-build landscape firm focuses on prominent projects throughout the central Ohio, completing work at The Ohio State University, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium when it’s not working with private residences.
“We like to emphasize to prospective and existing clients that, with our size and experience, we’re capable of tackling projects of any scale, all while ensuring the highest standard of quality,” says Alyna Riffle, director of marketing for GreenScapes.
GreenScapes’ residential work includes:
- Patios, walks, walls and driveways
- Outdoor kitchens and bars
- Fireplaces and fire pits
- Fountains and ponds
- Plantings
- Carpentry
Project #1: At the center of this extensive outdoor renovation is a raised patio equipped with automatic mosquito screens. The Galena project also features a custom fireplace, a pitched roof with built-in heaters and two additional patios on either side of the raised section, one of them sporting a custom grill island. GreenScapes also installed a seat wall and plantings to accent the hardscape.
Matthew Garsky Photograghy
Project #2: GreenScapes’ work on this Muirfield Village Golf Club-adjacent residence in Dublin was part of a larger project to replace an existing house on the property. The company’s work included a grand entrance to the house, as well as changes to the backyard area to put the focus on the golf course. Highlights include retaining walls to ensure the house would fit on the sloped site, clay brick for the driveway, large plantings, and bluestone for the patio, walkways and front entrance auto court.
Best Pools and Hot Tubs: Omni Pools & Scapes
Omni Pools & Scapes, founded in 2002 and based in Hilliard, makes innovation one of its top priorities in the swimming pools, spas, water features and more that it adds to outdoor spaces around central Ohio.
“We serve as your primary contractor throughout the entire process,” says Marketing Director Lam Trang. “We will coordinate and communicate all of the different components during the construction of your project.”
Though popular for its inground pools, spas, tanning ledges and similar projects, Omni also installs patios, decks, driveways, outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, and landscape lighting, among other things.
Omni exclusively installs inground pools and spas, and is always looking to incorporate new concepts. Of late, it has been offering:
- Ventilated automatic pool covers, designed to improve safety, keep debris out of the pool and prevent heat from leaching out
- Biodesign pools, built without reinforced concrete structure so they can accommodate beach or sun shelf entry and be installed without disturbing the area around the pool
- Advanced oxidation systems that inactivate most bacteria and viruses, even those that are chlorine-resistant, minimizing eye and skin irritation and keeping the pool as eco-friendly as possible
Project #1: When Omni added a fiberglass pool to this Grove City home’s outdoor space, it installed more than just a pool. The project also included front, back and side porches; a fire pit and other fire features; water features; outdoor lighting; a speaker system; a seat wall; a grill wall and built-in grill; a pavilion; an automatic pool cover; and stone stairs leading to the back entrance, side entrance, front porch and fire pit. The company also installed a spa, and put in fencing and gates for safety and peace of mind.
default
Project #2: The fiberglass pool installed on this Delaware property is equipped with a salt-water system, designed to more easily keep the pool clear and free of algae and other unsightly issues. The automatic pool cover improves safety and temperature control, while water features, a fire pit, walkways, outdoor lighting and pool patios add style. The project included some in-depth landscaping work and fencing as well.
Best Outdoorscaping: Landscapes by Terra
Marysville-based Landscapes by Terra specializes in all manner of outdoor projects, from patios and decks to fire and water features. The company would define its niche as “creative, high-quality outdoor spaces,” says Maggie Cremeans, its marketing manager.
This past April, the company celebrated 32 years in business. Its owners, Jeff and Mindy Stroupe, founded Landscapes by Terra when both were just out of college, operating their small landscaping business out of their garage.
“We specialize in creating unique outdoor spaces that are customized to each client’s needs and preferences,” Cremeans says. “We are a full-service, high-end landscaping company that can handle every aspect of your landscaping needs, from design to installation to maintenance.”
The company’s custom landscapes – offered in addition to a handful of property care services, such as plant health care and irrigation maintenance, include:
- Paver patios
- Outdoor kitchens
- Decks, fences and pergolas
- Fire features
- Water features
- Outdoor audio
- Outdoor kitchens
- Retaining walls
Project #1: This Dublin backyard was in need of some major updates to make it more functional. Once lamented by the homeowners for its small size, the space is now almost twice as large, and Landscapes by Terra made some significant updates to the materials, which were beginning to fall apart. The fire pit area is entirely new and serves as an anchor for the space. The company also added retaining walls and built the patio up by 6 inches to improve the transition from indoor to outdoor. And to ensure the space continues to look inviting well into the future, the company also put the mature honey locust trees on a treatment plan, having had to make cuts to their roots during the installation process.
Project #2: You wouldn’t know to look at it now, but the owners of this Powell home once thought their outdoor space to be too small. Landscapes by Terra installed a custom fireplace with a built-in bench, both made of white limestone, to serve as a centerpiece. The company also put in a wealth of plants to improve the atmosphere, with new additions including phlox, thyme, echinacea, hydrangeas and Scotch moss. Finally, the company added a 30-foot-long natural stone staircase down to the lower-level patio, bolstered by built-in retaining walls, to take advantage of the yard’s natural 7-foot incline.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
