Our Company

With a passion honed in his native Italy, Craig's grandfather Ferruccio's love of gardening transformed his home and yard into a sanctuary of colors and smells. As a mentor to his son Fred, Ferruccio emphasized the importance of dedication in the care and maintenance of all plant material. Each plant species requires specific nurturing, he taught, to achieve its natural maximum beauty. In 1968, Fred, with the knowledge and passion for gardening acquired from his father, formed a company and named it Yardmasters. Fred's son Craig showed an early interest in gardening and stonework, but his interest didn't end there. He began working in all aspects of the company, from laborer to foreman, eventually managing our nursery operations and installation crews. With a small base of dedicated customers, Yardmasters soon became a well-recognized full service landscape and nursery company known for its beautiful gardens and custom stonework.

Soon thereafter, Craig followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather working long hours during the hot summer days. The lessons they passed on are the signature of the company's success. The core values that they built on are still cherished, but modern tools have aided in the labor intense process of running a full service design/build landscape company.

Throughout the past five decades, the employees of our company have maintained the pride, tenacity, and high standards instilled by the family owned business, to continually earn its success. Our focus will always be to satisfy the ever-changing demands and needs of our customers.

Craig's energy, passion, and drive are as evident today as it was 36 years ago when he began working for his father. Each day Craig coordinates, manages, and oversees all aspects of each project. His ability to interact and communicate with customers and crew is a key to the success of the company. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage daughters fishing, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors.

Fred is still involved in the day-to-day operations, but more often accompanies Craig on various job sites. He still enjoys visiting past customers and projects. Summertime will find him in his vegetable garden growing varieties of peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Cooking has always been an important hobby with Fred and a source of pride in the Italian recipes his mother passed down. Winters will find Fred and his wife Meg on the gulf side of Florida soaking up the sun with the occasional family member as guests.

About Meg

Our design staff makes up some of the most talented and creative individuals in the Midwest. They have extensive field experience in all aspects of construction as well as the utilization of various plant species and maintenance. They have the ability to integrate the customer's ideas into an aesthetically pleasing and functional space. From the beginning to completion, our designers are on site to make your project an enjoyable experience.  

Our crews, with an average of 15 years with our company, continue to demonstrate the values that our foundation is built on. Their pride, dedication, and hard work are a testament to the exceptional quality of workmanship. Each year brings innovative products and creative designs that continually challenge our crews to remain on the cutting edge of our field, and set the ever-moving standard of excellence.