From a college lawn-mowing hustle to one of California’s largest and most respected landscape companies, Landscape Development, Inc. (LDI) has always been about building something greater—through grit, vision, and a deep commitment to people.
It began in the San Fernando Valley, where our founder, Gary Horton, turned a part-time gardening gig into a passion for landscape construction. After hands-on fieldwork and mentorship under industry veterans, Gary and his wife Carrie took a leap of faith—mortgaging their condo to buy into a small landscape business. They ran it out of a bedroom in Valencia, with Carrie managing the books and Gary digging trenches by day and estimating projects by night.
In 1983, LDI was officially born. With just a few trucks, a handful of homebuilder clients, and boundless ambition, Gary built a business rooted in hard work, education, and trust. As the company grew, so did its reputation—becoming the go-to landscape partner for homebuilders across California.
By 2006, LDI had expanded statewide, built multiple offices, and trained over 1,300 employees. But the Great Recession tested everything. Thanks to our resilient team, we emerged stronger—leaner, wiser, and more focused than ever.
In the years that followed, strategic hires and acquisitions fueled our momentum. We welcomed the exceptional team at Enhanced Landscape Management (ELM), launched Enhanced Arbor Management (EAM), and expanded our design expertise with Design Studios Landscape Development, offering full-service landscape architecture and planning. This integrated design-build approach allows us to deliver creativity, technical excellence, and peace of mind under one roof.
Today, under the leadership of CEO Mark Crutcher, LDI is a dynamic enterprise of more than 1,500 employees across California, Nevada, and beyond. We are proud to be ranked among the top 20 landscape firms in the nation—and the third largest privately held landscape company in California.
We’re not just shaping landscapes. We’re shaping what’s possible.
Where We’re Going
Landscape Development, Inc., knows growth isn’t just something we’ve experienced—it’s part of who we are.
From Sacramento to San Diego and across the border into Southern Nevada, LDI is proud to be one of the premier full-service landscape companies on the West Coast. With decades of steady, strategic expansion, we’ve built a reputation for excellence in everything from large-scale homebuilder communities to complex rooftop landscapes atop 40-story towers.
Our commitment to delivering peace of mind has guided us through consistent year-over-year growth. We continue to expand not only our reach but our services—offering complete Design-Build capabilities through Design Studios Landscape Development, professional Landscape Maintenance through Enhanced Landscape Management, and expert Arbor Care via Enhanced Arbor Management. Through acquisitions and internal development, we’re creating a seamless ecosystem of landscape services that support our clients at every step—from concept to care.
As we grow, we never lose sight of what makes us strong: our people. LDI is a company built on relationships—founded by family, operated with a team-first mindset, and united by a shared belief in the power of opportunity. We invest in our employees because their success is our success.
Looking ahead, we remain focused on thoughtful expansion throughout California and the Western U.S., continually pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in landscape construction, maintenance, design, and arbor care.
We’re not just growing a company. We’re growing a legacy—one landscape, one career, one community at a time.
What We Do:
We design, build, and care for landscapes at every scale. From high-rise towers to master-planned communities, we offer full-service landscape construction, maintenance, arbor care, and landscape architecture across California and the Western U.S.
LDI provides complete landscape solutions—construction, maintenance, arbor care, and design—all under one roof. We partner with builders, developers, and property managers to create and sustain exceptional outdoor environments.
