- Mon - Sat 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- (865) 963-1096
Friendsville is a small Blount County town in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, settled by Quakers in the 1790s and still rural today. The lots here split two ways: farmhouses on large inland plots of open farmland, and waterfront properties along the northern edge where the town meets Fort Loudoun Lake, many with private docks. That range means two different jobs, designing broad, low-maintenance grounds for a country parcel, or managing slope and runoff on a lot that runs down to the water. We read each property for its land, its trees, and its water access before we build. From a full sod install to a stone patio or a complete outdoor living space, one in-house crew runs the entire project.
Friendsville properties come in two shapes, and we design for both. On the large inland farm lots, we plan broad lawns, tree lines, and defined beds that fit an open, country setting without becoming a full-time upkeep job. On the lakeside parcels near Fort Loudoun Lake, we shift the approach and grade the yard so runoff is slowed before it reaches the water. We choose grasses and plantings suited to full-sun acreage and the rolling foothill terrain the town sits in. We work in zones on the bigger parcels, keeping the areas near the home polished while the outer land stays practical. The result is a property that looks intentional at its own scale, whether it faces a field or the water.
Stone and paver work gives a Friendsville lot structure, on a farm parcel or a lakefront slope. We build patios, walkways, and courtyards that carve defined outdoor rooms out of an open country property. On the lakeside lots, retaining walls hold the grade above the shoreline and turn a slope into level, usable space. Every wall gets a proper footing and drainage behind it, so it stands through East Tennessee's freeze-thaw winters and the moisture of a waterfront setting. We also build driveways, steps, and fire features sized to the property, and run walkways that connect the house to a dock where the lot allows. Built right, the hardscape makes the land work for you instead of against you.
A strong Friendsville lawn starts with matching the grass to the lot, and these properties run from open farmland to lakeside slopes. We set warm-season grasses that handle full-sun acreage, or a tall fescue blend where a property carries more shade. Every install begins below the surface, where we correct the grade, prep a firm base, and build in drainage so the lawn holds its line, even on a lot that runs toward the water. We seam and roll each install tight over that prepared base, so even a large lawn reads as one clean, unbroken surface. On bigger parcels, we focus the sod near the home and outbuildings and keep the rest practical. The result is a durable lawn that fits the scale and setting of the property.
A Friendsville lot has room to live outside, and the setting makes it worth doing. We build outdoor kitchens, fire features, patios, and pergolas sized to the property, and on lakeside lots, positioned to hold the water view. Each space is planned around how the ground drains and how you move between the house, the yard, and the shoreline. On inland farm lots, we design for long views toward the foothills and cover for the hot open hours. On the water, we orient seating toward the lake and the breeze. Done well, the finished space becomes the part of the property the household actually lives in, spring through fall.
Friendsville was founded by Quakers from North Carolina in the 1790s, and it has held onto its small-town, rural character ever since, a community of under a thousand residents about twenty miles south of Knoxville. The town runs from open farmland on its inland side to the shoreline of Fort Loudoun Lake along its northern edge, which is why the properties here vary so widely. Farmhouses sit on large plots of country land, while lakefront lots carry docks and water access, and both call for a different landscaping approach. Set in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and long known for Friendsville marble, the area rewards work that respects its country roots. Landscaping that lasts here starts by reading which kind of lot you have, then building for it.
Friends Meetinghouse: Why it’s inspiring: The simple wooden meetinghouse at West College and West Hill has stood since the town’s earliest days — proof that plain, well-built, and honest outlasts flashy. Ideas: Clean simple bed lines · Heritage-style plantings · Low-fuss, durable landscaping.
The Old Marble Quarries: Why it’s inspiring: Friendsville stone reached the Smithsonian and the National Gallery — a reminder that what comes out of this ground can be world-class. Ideas: Natural stone hardscaping · Boulder retaining walls · Tennessee-stone accents and steps.
Fort Loudoun Lake Shoreline: Why it’s inspiring: The lake edge shapes half the yards in town and rewards landscaping that works with the water instead of against it. Ideas: Shoreline-side grading · Rain gardens for runoff · Native lakeside plantings.
Yes. Friendsville has both, so we adjust the approach: broad, low-maintenance design for inland farm parcels, and grading, drainage, and erosion control for lots that slope toward Fort Loudoun Lake.
We can. We build patios and retaining walls that give a country lot structure and hold the grade on a lakeside slope.
Warm-season grasses handle full-sun acreage best, while a tall fescue blend suits shadier or lakeside lots. We match the grass to your property during the estimate.
Yes. We prep the grade and base, then seam and roll the sod tight for a clean, unbroken lawn, focusing it near the home on larger parcels.
All Locations
Mon-Sat (7am-8pm)
Sun (7am-2pm)
6620 Oak Ridge Hwy #102
Knoxville, TN 37931
Phone: (865) 963-1096
179 Belle Forest Cir Ste 103C
Nashville, TN 37221
Phone: (865) 963-1096
402 N B St
Lenoir City, TN 37771
Phone: (865) 963-1096
