Growing up on a farm just north of Springfield, Illinois, Landon Kirby always had a connection to nature. After earning a degree in agricultural business and animal science from Illinois State University, he took a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture—an office position that kept him behind a desk for a few years. It didn’t take long for him to realize that office life wasn’t for him.
A chance opportunity changed everything. A family friend who owned a Scotts Lawn Service franchise offered Kirby a job in turf management. He jumped at the chance to work outside and try something new. Over time, his role expanded into landscape sales, where he discovered a new passion – designing and building outdoor spaces.
“I did this just to get out of the office,” Kirby said. “I had no idea I was going to find what I actually love to do.”
In 2011, Kirby and his wife, Jamie Kirby, took the leap to start their own company, Knob Hill Landscape Company. Working with your spouse, especially with a new business, comes with unique challenges, but Kirby said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You get to share the same goals and dreams, and you’re both working toward something bigger together,” he said. “That’s the special part.”
A Life-Changing Experience
Knob Hill started small. Kirby and a team of just two or three crew members took on any project that came their way—plantings, turf care, small patios. But as the business gained momentum, he found himself drawn to hardscaping and full design-build projects.
His background on the farm, where he learned to build and work with tools, gave him a natural ability to create structures that transformed empty spaces into functional, beautiful environments.
“I started to really like taking a blank slate and turning it into something incredible. You see how people interact with those spaces and it changes how they spend time with their families. It literally changes their lives,” Kirby said.
“Literally, it changes how they spend time with their family if you create this space. All of a sudden, they’re the ones that are hosting all the family events. If it’s a pool or a big patio, it extends the home and it changes how they spend time with their family. I mean, that is absolutely life changing. It’s something you don’t think about when you say, ‘oh, we do landscaping,’ but our company is really focused on outdoor living spaces and just improving how people spend their time.”
Designing with Purpose
For Kirby, every project starts with understanding the people who will use the space. That’s how he can promise that life-changing experience with the final product.
“I always ask about their intended use—do they host a lot of gatherings? What’s their family dynamic? How do they see themselves using the space?” he said.
This client-centered approach ensures that every project is more than just a beautiful design—it’s functional, personal, and a true extension of their home.
Even for commercial projects, like his 2024 Hardscape North America award-winning Downtown Ecosystem, Kirby focuses on the end user.
The client for that project was an insurer for educators and teachers. In addition to being a great place for employees to take a break during the workday, it also offered the chance to create an educational space.
“This is the perfect opportunity to teach people about this ecosystem. I wanted them to realize that they had an opportunity to really build something special there,” Kirby said. “…Now I’m working with that company to actually do some guided field trips there.”
Advice for Aspiring Hardscapers
Looking back on his own career, Kirby has one major piece of advice for those considering a career in hardscaping: Don’t wait.
“If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be to leave sooner. Believe in yourself,” he said.
Running a growing business, Kirby is always looking to hire good talent. He recommends that aspiring hardscapers check out landscaping and hardscaping associations, as well as their local Chamber of Commerce, to see what companies are out there and what the industry looks like in their area.
Doing that research is important for discovering the wide breadth of opportunity that exists in the industry, especially many paths that people may not be aware of. Despite his own experience growing up on a farm with the strong parallels between agriculture and the green industry, Kirby said he didn’t know hardscaping was out there as an option.
“Young people that have any desire to work outside, work with their hands, work with equipment, planting, growing things, getting more in touch with nature, any of that stuff –there’s more careers here than anybody even knows,” Kirby said.
He stresses that those who start as crew members can advance into roles like field supervisors, project managers, directors, and any number of creative career paths.
“If you get on with the right company and you really enjoy what you’re doing and you’re reliable and you’re interested in growing, there are opportunities for everybody like that,” he said.
A True Passion
Knob Hill now boasts a team of 24 employees as they prepare for their 15th season as a business. For Kirby, hardscaping isn’t just about laying pavers—it’s about transforming spaces, creating experience, and building a business that thrives on passion and purpose.
“When you can take just an idea and create a design and then you actually install that and you see how much people enjoy that, I mean, that’s what drives me now,” he said. “That’s what I really love about what we do.”
