FGC Comm Newsletter Spring 2009

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s Georgia, Florida and Alabama mire

deeper in water ownership legalities, lakes

hit record low levels and a growingpopulace further strains available water

supplies, one thing is certain: abundant

water is but a memory.

To the business owner, this can be

devastating news, or, it can be a chance to

reinvent your landscape. “Our gardens can

be as good or better than they’ve always

been,” says Mark Fockele. “The water

shortage (and resulting outdoor water

restrictions) will force us into more careful

usage, whereas traditional landscaping

practices will grow prohibitively expensive.”

One of the best ways to reduce water

needs (for now and later) is collecting

and utilizing rainwater that falls on yourproperty. With a cistern system, you can

collect this water and redistribute it to

areas of your garden or landscape that

need it. Cistern-based water harvesting ha

been used for centuries around the world

“Until now, water was plentiful in the

Southeast and we didn’t have to look

for alternatives,” said Mark.

Traditional practices, such as ‘throwing

away’ rainwater in drain pipes, culverts,

and stormwater systems and gullies is not

The clear advantageCOLLECT RAINWATER FOR ECONOMICAL GARDENING

A

Commercial Awards, p.3 | A garden can be good for customers and employees, pIn this issue:

Collect Rainwater, p.1 | Landscape Branding, p.3 | Spring Maintenance Tips, p.3

news from the gardeni d e a s f o r G r o w i n g y o u r B u s i n e s s spring 2009

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

“The Fockele Garden Company has made Lanier Village Estates into a showplace and has set a standard of

excellence for other continued care retirement communities to set their sights on. Thank you for the

personal attention you give to LVE. It has definitely made a difference in the curb appeal of that community

Tom Strader, ACTS Life Retirement Communities

continued on page 2

Employeespotlight

Mariano, who

has worked for

The Fockele

Garden Company

for nine years,

has filled many

roles for the

company inboth the installation and

maintenance departments.

He currently works as a crew

leader for the maintenance

department.

Mariano was born in Tuzantla,

Mexico. His parents and two sisters

still live there and he enjoys a trip

home occasionally. His family’s

house is a stone’s throw from a

beautiful river.

In his spare time, he enjoys studyingEnglish and uses a course on CD

called, “English Without Barriers.”

Mariano appreciates learning

something new every day.

Mariano, who was employed by

another landscaping company for

five years, likes working for The

Fockele Garden Company because

quality work is appreciated. He

likes the fact that his good work

is rewarded with opportunities to

take on more responsibilities.

Mariano Urquiza

crew leader

As part of the Anne’s Garden project at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center,

The Fockele Garden Company installed a 10,000-gallon underground cistern.



continued from page 1

Clockwise from top left:

This 1,110-gallon cistern was one

of nine installed at Gainesville

Housing Authority apartment

complexes. The cisterns collect

rainwater for irrigation purpose

and allow residents to keep the

Melrose apartment complex’s

beautiful gardens flourishing.

Workers at the Northeast

Georgia Medical Center help

guide the 10,000-gallon cistern

into place.

The Fockele Garden Company

employees install a cistern at

Harrison Square Apartments.

Rain is directed from the roof o

the apartment building through

a downspout into the cistern.

The Fockele Garden Company

planted colorful gardens at the

Gainesville Housing Authority’s

apartment complexes.

only inefficient, but increasingly

expensive both economically and

socially. Wasting runoff water requires us

to purchase treated drinking water from

municipalities to use on our landscapes.

Piping off large volumes of stormwater

to our streams and lakes also results in

erosion and degradation of these natural

features. So, 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 reduces

storm surges in the municipal stormwater

system, reducing erosion and pollution.

To give you an example of how much

water can be conserved, let’s examine two

projects by The Fockele Garden Company.

The company recently installed a

10,000-gallon underground cistern for

the Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s

Anne’s Garden. Rainwater from a 26,000-

square-foot portion of the roof of the new

North Tower feeds into the cistern through

downspouts. It takes less than three-quarters

of an inch of rain draining off the expansive

roof to fill the 10,000-gallon cistern.

Last summer, The Fockele Garden Companyinstalled nine 1,100-gallon cisterns and

gardens at five apartment complexes for

the Gainesville Housing Authority’s Curb

Appeal project. The project was part of

a plan to improve the appearance of the

areas around the apartment buildings and

encourage the residents to maintain the

gardens. Residents use water from the

cisterns to irrigate the plants. The cisterns

help provide an ample source of water. In

a one- to two-inch rain, the system easily

collects 1,100 gallons of water from the

roof of one apartment building.

In addition to water harvesting, Mark

offers other ideas for developing water

efficient landscapes: planting trees for

shade around homes builds organic

content in soil, reduces runoff, recharges

ground water, absorbs carbon dioxide,and releases oxygen into the atmosphere

Trees also create cooler outdoor spaces,

cooler houses, and cooler parking lots.

He also encourages arranging plants into

groups with similar water requirements an

replacing turf with various groundcovers

and shrubs for maximum water reduction

In future newsletters, we will take a closer

look at this topic.



u N e w m

a i n t e n a

n c e C l i e n t s

From logos to uniforms, companies

find a variety of ways to brand

themselves. A brand is a collection of

symbols, experiences and associations

connected with a product, a service,

a person or company. A well-branded

company projects an image of

professionalism and competence.

One area of branding that business

owners might not take into consider-

ation is their landscape.

A business can establish a signature

appearance for itself and execute it

throughout all its properties. This can

be an enormous advantage for restaurants,

banks and retail stores that have multiple

locations and want a consistent look.

“You want your sites to look uniform,”

The Fockele Garden Company General

Manager Todd Brown explains.

“Companies with multiple sites are

branding themselves in numerous ways

and their landscaping is part of that.”

The Fockele Garden Company has

created a distinctive landscape look for

companies like the UHS-Pruitt Corporation

and City Plumbing & Electrical Supply.

Their sites all over North Georgia have

the same style of plantings, and with

their signature building design, are

easily identifiable.

“Our landscaping ties in with our

branding plan,” City Plumbing &

Electrical Supply Corporate Showroom

Manager and Vice President Sherri

Hughes said. “It gives our stores a bet-ter appearance and makes them stand

out. Our stores are on major highways

and our overall look from the brick of

the building to the landscaping catche

people’s eye. When they see it, they

know it is City Plumbing.”

Consistency and quality are just a few

of the aspects that business owners

should consider when branding their

companies through their landscaping.

A well-maintained landscape makes a

positive first impression and can certainlyraise your company’s profile.

Landscape Branding: A Consistent Look

A few spring maintenance tips :

• Add fresh mulch or pine straw to your flower bed. It holdsmoisture, keeps soil temperatures more even and helpsprevent weeds.

• Fertilize your trees and shrubs with an appropriate fertilizer.

• Limb up your trees and do heavier shrubpruning to promote healthy growth.

• Spring blooming shrubs such as azaleas needto be pruned back after blooming is complete.

City Plumbing & Electrical Supply has used its

signature look in its six showroom stores.

• Lanier Village Estates, Merit Award for Commercial Landscape Management (PLANET Professional Landcare Network) & Grand Award for Landscape Maintenance(Georgia Green Industry Association)

• UHS-Pruitt Corporate Office, Distinction Award in Maintenance (Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association)

• Peach State Bank, Distinction Award in Installation (Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association)

• American Freedom Garden: Distinction Award in Installation (Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association)

Commercial Awards – Design, Installation & Maintenance

Take an online tour of

our Commercial Properties

fockelegardencompany.com/galleryhtml?gallery=COMMERCIAL

UHS-Pruitt Corporation

Raleigh, NC and Norcross, GA

Magnolia Trace

ACTS Community

Huntsville, AL

Avery Dennison

Flowery Branch, GA

Brose Gainesville, Inc.

Gainesville, GA



An outdoor garden area can be an attractive and welcoming

addition for your business. Research repeatedly has shown

numerous benefits for people having access to flowers, plants

and nature.

“There have been many studies done on the positive effects of agarden,” The Fockele Garden Company co-owner and designer

Julie Evans said. “People are more productive, suffer less from

depression and are healthier. Access to nature is revitalizing.”

Consider placement of benches, tables, planters or flower beds

in an area around your business. Shaded areas are cool during

warm summer months when people like to be able to enjoy

the outdoors.

Plantings near business entrances, waiting areas, or employee

gathering places can be attractive year-round with the right

mix of plants. An outdoor fountain can add pleasant sounds.

Plan your garden now so it will be ready for business.

A Garden can be good for

customers and employees

Owners : Mark Fockele and Julie Evans

Year Founded : 1989 | Employees : 40

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

Customer Breakdown : Mix of residential and commercial

Top: Benches and pots

are welcoming.

Bottom: Picnic areas encourage

people to go outdoors.

O . B O X 6 7 1 • G A I N E S V I L L E , G A 3 0 5 0 3

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

Documents

FGC Comm Newsletter Spring 2009