FGC Res Newsletter Fall/Winter 2010

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  • 8/8/2019 FGC Res Newsletter Fall/Winter 2010

    1/6

    BRING SUSTAINABILITY TOYOUR LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN

    In this issue:

    news from the gardeni d e a s f o r G r o w i n g y o u r g a r d e n Fall/Winter 2010

    w w w . F o c k e l e G a r d e n C o m p a n y . c o m

    continued on page 5continued on page 5

    hether its recycling household products, using less water when washing clothes,

    or installing energy efficient light bulbs, almost everyone already incorporates some

    sustainability measures into his or her everyday life.

    So why not take the next step and integrate sustain-ability in your landscape/garden?

    A sustainable landscape contributes positively to the

    surrounding natural environment, causes no harm to

    the site, and requires minimal resource inputs. It has the

    capacity to endure, remaining diverse and productive

    over time.

    We can help make your landscape sustainable,

    or more sustainable than it already is. Devel-

    oping sustainability is not an all or nothing

    proposition. It is a process often implemented

    through a series of short term goals. The first

    step is to know your site and to learn howall of its elements interact how stormwater

    moves across your property, where the sun,

    shade and wind are, the quality and charac-

    teristics of the soil, the neighborhood and

    the surrounding architecture, and the intent

    of your landscape.

    W

    The many

    benefits of

    Green Roofs

    have people

    going up on

    their roof

    tops when adding gardens. A Green

    Roof installed on a home or busi-

    ness can provide many benefits thatpeople are already looking for such as

    lower energy costs, stormwater runoff

    control, sound insulation, and rainwa-

    ter collection. Many of these benefits

    have become more of a priority

    for customers.

    The Fockele Garden Company co-

    owners Julie Evans and Mark Fockele

    are certified as Green Roof Profession-

    als by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

    (GRHC) and can answer inquiries you

    might have about this growing trend.

    Not every landscape design company

    can design, build and maintain roof

    gardens. It is an extremely technical

    process. As Green Roof Profession-

    als, Mark and Julie are certified to

    coordinate the different professionals

    required by green roof projects such

    as engineering, roofing contractors,

    designers and horticultural experts.

    Green roof infrastructure involves the

    use of technologies that incorporate

    unique drainage and filtering systems,

    waterproofing, special soil and prop-

    erly selected plants. The benefits of

    green roofs include a reduction in

    storm water runoff, better heat and

    sound insulation, energy savings, im-

    proved air quality and reduction in the

    Permeable walkways permit infiltration and mitigate run-off.

    Replacing turf areas with plantings.Replacing turf areas with plantings.

    BEFORE

    A

    Going Green onYour Roof Has

    Its Advantages

    THE FOCKELE GARDEN COMPANY CELEBRATES 20TH YEAR, p.2

    HUNTSVILLE BEAUTIFICATION AND PLANET AWARDS, P.3 | RAINWATER COLLECTION

    CERTIFICATION, P.4 | SMARTVILLE GARDEN SELECTED FOR SITES INITIATIVE, P.6

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    For 20 years, The Fockele Garden

    Company has designed, built and

    maintained gardens at first just locally

    and now throughout the southeast.

    It all began in 1990 with Mark Fockele

    and two employees working out of an

    office on Green St. and a shed at the old

    Chambers Lumber Company property.

    Over the past two decades, the company

    has grown to 42 employees with clients

    in Georgia, South Carolina, North Caro-lina, Alabama and Florida under Mark

    and co-owner Julie Evans.

    The Fockele Garden Company was

    created out of Marks frustration with his

    career as an attorney and his enjoyment

    of gardening. He felt he needed to find

    work he could take more pleasure in.

    Having always enjoyed working outside

    on projects and in the garden, he moved

    in that direction.

    When I worked as an attorney, I spent

    every spare minute outside working in thegarden, Mark explains. On Saturdays,

    I would stand in the driveway waiting for

    the first light.

    Mark learned about the landscape business

    through seminars and studying at home

    and used word of mouth to promote his

    new business. His first customer was Jane

    Eve Wilheit for whom he built a brick

    walkway and added some plantings.

    Focusing exclusively at first on

    residential design and instal-

    lation, The Fockele GardenCompany began to grow. It

    expanded into commercial

    design and installation with its

    first significant commercial

    project for City Plumbing in

    Gainesville in 1995.

    In 2000, Julie joined the company

    as a designer. Julie and Mark

    met while working on different

    aspects of

    a project

    in Atlanta.

    Both are

    University

    of the

    South

    graduates

    but were not classmates. When they met,

    Julie owned the landscape company

    Ecocentric that worked on ecological

    restoration projects.

    We were each overextended running

    our small landscape companies, Mark

    said. We felt each would be able to

    produce more by working together. We

    could divide up aspects of the business

    and be more productive.

    Julie brought a strong background in

    horticulture to The Fockele Garden

    Company. She spent nine years at the

    Atlanta History Center working with all

    aspects of public gardening and

    developed specialties in native plants

    and historic plants from different eras in

    Georgia. She had also worked

    for a wholesale perennial

    grower and it was through

    these experiences that she

    developed the idea of

    working in the field of

    ecological restoration in

    residential settings. So she started her

    landscape company.

    I was always interested in ecological

    restoration and in plants, Julie said.

    After working at the history centerand in a nursery, I wanted to become

    involved in landscaping through

    ecological restoration.

    Julie became vice president and

    co-owner with Mark in 2005.

    That same year, Todd Brown was

    brought in as general manager as

    the company continued to grow,

    reaching 18 employees.

    Todd, who has been in the landscaping

    business since 1985, led the way as The

    Fockele Garden Company began puttingan emphasis on its maintenance busi-

    ness. The company has grown from one

    and one-half maintenance crews to eight

    as the volume of maintenance work has

    increased 600-700 percent over the last

    five years.

    In 2006, The Fockele Garden Company

    began work with Lanier Village Estates,

    its first large scale commercial client,

    providing installation and maintenance

    work for the 87-acre ACTS Retirement

    Community. They also maintain anotherACTS community, Magnolia Trace in

    Huntsville, Alabama.

    2

    Co-owners Mark Fockele and Julie Evans

    study plans at a project site.

    Left: Mark Fockele founded the

    company in 1990. Above: Mark

    Fockele and crew work on the

    Annes Garden fountain in 2009.

    The Fockele Garden

    Company Celebrates

    20 y e a r s

    continued on page 4

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    The Fockele Garden Company installed

    a new garden at Magnolia Trace, an

    ACTS community in Huntsville, Alabama

    in 2009.

    That work was recently honored with a

    2010 Huntsville Beautification Award.The competition was sponsored by the

    Beautification Board of Huntsville and

    was open to all commercial and public

    properties in the city.

    Magnolia Trace Director Donna Olson

    has been impressed with the service pro-

    vided by The Fockele Garden Company.

    On the installation:

    I love the design, installation and quality

    of the plants and other material, Olson

    says. I especially liked the fact that the

    designer Mark Fockele was on site as the

    installation work was being completed to

    ensure that the finished product accurately

    represented his design vision.

    On the maintenance:

    I was very surprised at how fast the crew

    was able to improve the condition of the

    turf, Olson says. I love the fact that you

    have an onsite crew and do not just show

    up once a week for service. Your re-

    sponse time to questions, proposals and

    problems has been terrific. The crew is

    very personable, clean cut and presents

    an excellent image for the company.

    Overall impression:

    I am very, very happy with all that you

    have done for me since we started here

    one year ago, Olson says. You have

    provided the best service of any of the

    landscape management companies I have

    ever worked with.

    The Professional Landcare Networks Environmental Improve-

    ment Awards Program honored two residential projects designed

    and built by The Fockele Garden Company.

    The Fockele Garden Company received a Merit Award in the

    Environmental category for its work at the Fusaro-Everitt Home

    in Atlanta. The home was the victim of stormwater runoff from

    a neighbors property that destroyed an established garden. The

    company designed a system that slows the runoff, temporarily

    stores large volumes

    of water on site, promotes infiltration of water into the subsoil,

    and captures some of the water in a cistern that can be used for

    irrigation and for operating a re-circulating stream.

    The Hillside Garden at the Moss home on Lake Lanier in Gaines-

    ville earned a Merit Award for Design/Build. The garden is filled

    with year-round color, and a naturalistic planting style that fits

    into the surrounding woodlands. A series of patios provided

    gathering areas in the garden and are connected by

    paths and stone steps.

    PLANETs Environmental Improvement Awards Program

    is designed to honor independent landscape, lawn care

    and interior plantscaping professionals who execute

    superior projects.

    Huntsville Beautification Committee

    Honors Magnolia Trace

    The Fockele Garden Company Earns Two Residential PLANET Awards

    The Magnolia Trace entrance was one of the area

    enhanced by The Fockele Garden Company.

    Top: Fusaro-Everitt Home project won a Merit Award in Environmental

    category. Right: The Hillside Garden at the Moss Home earned a Merit

    Award for Design/Build.

    s ores arge vo umes p

    is

    s

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    The Fockele Garden Company has long been committed to rainwater

    collection. Whether it is a 10,000-gallon cistern or 55-gallon rain barrel,

    many of our projects include rainwater collection systems.

    Rainwater systems collect rainwater for irrigation use in lieu of municipal

    water. Demand for such systems is becoming stronger due to the fact that

    municipal water use is becoming more restricted and more expensive.

    Traditional practices, such as throwing away rainwater in drain pipes,

    culverts, and stormwater systems and gullies is not only inefficient, but

    increasingly expensive both economically and socially, Mark Fockele,

    President of The Fockele Garden Company, says. Collecting and using

    rainwater provides all sorts of advantages: you can use rainwater any

    time, without regard to restrictions; once the system is in place, you do

    not have to pay for the water you use; and collecting the rainwater re-

    duces storm surges in the municipal stormwater system, reducing erosion

    and pollution.

    Mark is a Rainwater Collection Professional accredited by the American

    Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA), a non-profit orga-nization that promotes rainwater catch-

    ment systems in the United States. He

    has given lectures on the subject for

    groups such as the Georgia Perennial

    Plant Association, the Alabama chapter

    of the American Institute of Architecture,

    and individual architectural firms.

    Consider collecting rainwater on your property to benefit your garden.

    Also that year, The Fockele Garden Company

    started working with UHS-Pruitt Corporation, build

    ing a garden and water feature for the corporate

    office of the healthcare provider. The relationship

    with UHS-Pruitt has grown, building gardens at its

    skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in North

    Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

    Building gardens for healthcare campuses has

    become a specialty of The Fockele Garden

    Company. The company installed a garden at

    Northeast Georgia Medical Centers Womensand Childrens Pavilion and Annes Garden at the

    new North Tower. It will begin work soon on an

    entry garden at the North Tower.

    The Fockele Garden Company has grown from

    three employees in 1980 to 42 today by develop-

    ing a quality that is unique to small landscape

    companies. The Fockele Garden Company offers

    the complete set of services. Most have to hire

    subcontractors for some elements of a project. Th

    company designs, builds and maintains commerci

    and residential gardens. It provides services such a

    irrigation systems, cisterns, custom water features,

    and stone work. And The Fockele Garden

    Company does it all internally.

    With a staff of 42 it is unusual for a company our

    size to do so many different landscape functions

    in-house, Mark said. We control the work from

    beginning to end. This allows us to guarantee the

    quality of the project as a whole as well as the

    individual components. This gives the customer on

    company responsible for everything.

    Rainwater Collection Systems Are

    Beneficial to You and the Environment

    Cisterns come in various sizes and can

    be placed below or above ground.

    Rainwater collected in them can beused to irrigate your landscape in lieu

    of municipal water. Left: Three large

    cisterns are placed in the ground to

    catch rainwater. Bottom: These above

    ground cisterns fit neatly next to the

    house and out of sight.

    The Fockele Garden Company

    celebrates 20 years

    continued from page 2

    General Manager Todd Brown assists

    crew members in placing the Elpida statue in Annes Garden

    at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

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    Harvestingrainwaterforre-useHarvestingrainwaterforre-use

    urban heat island effect. Other possible

    benefits include increased green space,

    improved aesthetics, community garden-

    ing and habitat restoration.

    From garden design to rainwater collec-

    tion to drought-tolerant plants and garden

    maintenance, Green Roofs require many

    areas of expertise.

    This is a natural blending of philosoph

    and services we already offer for reside

    tial and commercial customers, Julie s

    Bring Sustainability to Your

    Landscape and Garden continued from page 1

    Going Green on Your Roof Has Its Advantages continued from page 1

    Take an online tour of our work @

    fockelegardencompany.com/portfolio.html

    If your goal is to make your landscape more sustainable, here

    are six areas to consider:

    1) Make your water use efficient. Divert stormwater runoff so it

    better infiltrates the soil. Store rainwater and use it during dry

    spells. Install, or renovate your irrigation system with low flow

    drip, using a layout that takes into account each plants water

    requirements; use controllers and sensors to time the waterapplication. Mulch your plants. This keeps soil moisture more

    constant and soil temperature cooler, which in turn reduces

    watering requirements.

    2) Maintain or increase the diversity in your landscape. Variety

    in plants, birds, reptiles, small animals, insects and microorgan-

    isms ensures that there will be natural predators and parasites

    for the plant pests. Incorporate plants that are different from

    others in the neighborhood; since most plant pests target a

    certain species or family of plants, if everyone in the neighbor-

    hood plants the same rose, everyone supports a large and

    healthy population of the pest that loves that particular rose.

    Plant a variety of sequentially flowering species to providenatural enemies of the target pests with nectar, pollen, and

    shelter throughout the growing season. Tolerate some insects,

    like low populations of plant-feeding insects and mites; this

    ensures that there will be some food available to support the

    beneficial predators and parasites.

    3) Reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals in your landscape.

    Even the most chemical reliant landscape can be altered over

    time to be more sustainable. Use organic fertilizer for shrubs,

    trees and groundcovers. Build soil health to reduce fertilizer

    use. Reduce herbicide use by hand-pulling the most visible

    weeds and keeping beds mulched.

    4) Make your lawn area smaller. This decreases reliance onchemicals, water, and machines that are both high-main-

    tenance and noisy. Use a mulching mower, allowing the

    clippings to decompose and build nutritious soil that, in turn,

    feeds the grass.

    5) Establish shade to cool structures and soil in the summertime,

    or to provide a canopy of vegetation to catch rainfall and

    distribute it to layers of plants below.

    6) Use green materials those that have longevity, and can be

    used again, or that minimize a negative impact on the envi-

    ronment. Conscientiously use non-renewable resources, and

    try to find substitutes that are renewable whenever possible.

    Employ permeable walkways and patios since they reduce

    stormwater run-off.

    At The Fockele Garden Company, our goal is to take steps

    toward sustainability in our landscape designs, installations, and

    maintenance programs.

    We use our horticultural expertise to look at a landscape and

    identify ways to apply, and expand, the sustainability check list

    outlined above. In our day-to-day business practices we have a

    commitment to reduce negative environmental impact, and to

    improve our efficiency.

    For example, we have developed a program to recycle green

    waste, metal, plastic and paper. We re-use our plastic plant con-

    tainers large containers become debris and trash buckets, and

    we sell or give away the smaller plant containers to be used again.

    We buy as many materials in bulk as possible in order to reduce

    both packaging waste and product miles. We place an empha-sis on buying from local growers and using native and adapted

    plants in our designs. In addition, we use organic fertilizer on

    trees, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals and perennials.

    Each of these may be small steps, but taken together can add up

    to improved ecological conditions as well as a sense of accom-

    plishment in developing a mutually beneficial relationship with

    our environment.

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    P.O. Box 671 | Gainesville, GA 30503 | p: 770.532.7117 | f: 770.532.7245 | www.FockeleGardenCompany.com

    Owners : Mark Fockele and Julie Evans

    Year Founded: 1990 | Employees : 42

    Business Breakdown: 60% design/build, 40% maintenance

    Customer Breakdown : Mix of residential and commercial

    Project Designed By The Fockele Garden Company

    Owner Will Test Sustainable Landscape Rating System

    The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES)

    recently announced the selection of the

    Enota Multiple Intelligences Academys

    Smartville Garden as one of the first land-

    scapes to participate in a new program

    testing the nations first rating system for

    green landscape design, constructionand maintenance.

    The Fockele Garden Company co-owner

    Mark Fockele used his expertise in de-

    signing water-smart gardens and rainwa-

    ter harvesting systems to design and help

    install the garden and rainwater harvest-

    ing system at Smartville Garden.

    The project, which is still under construc-

    tion, uses sustainable landscape practices

    that The Fockele Garden Company has

    been using for a number of years.

    Smartville Garden is an outdoor class-room that gives students a hands-on

    learning experience about water conser-

    vation and about representatives of the

    plant kingdom. Smartville Garden joins

    more than 150 other projects from 34

    states as well as those from Canada, Ice-

    land and Spain as part of an international

    pilot project program to evaluate the

    new SITES rating system for sustainable

    landscapes, with and without buildings.

    Sustainable landscapes filter and cleanwater, reduce pollution and restore habi-

    tats, while providing significant economic

    and social benefits to individuals, as well

    as the general public.

    The design and building

    of Smartville Garden

    was a collaborative

    effort of Enota students,

    teachers, parents and

    community volunteers.

    It contains two under-

    ground cisterns that

    can collect 3,400

    gallons of water and

    two above ground

    cisterns that can store

    2,200 gallons. In

    addition, a 550-gallon water tower has

    been installed. A pump feeds spigots

    that allow hand watering the garden. The

    plantings include: dwarf conifers, grasses,

    perennials, flowering trees, and bulbs.

    Enota Multiple Intelligence Academy use

    Smartville Gardens as an outdoor classroomIt was chosen as one of the first landscapes

    to participate in a new program testing

    the nations first rating system for green

    landscape design, construction

    and maintenanceand maintenance

    BOX671GAINESVILLE,GA30503