Holding back

Photo: Chris Butts     Dozens of volunteers, many of whom were GGIA members, offered their time, services, and materials to install the new lush but drought-tolerant landscape at the Georgia Governor’s Mansion.

While Georgia’s historic drought was declared over in June, companies are still feeling the repercussions. Along with the subsequent economic downturn, it’s been estimated that the drought has caused more than $1 billion in lost sales as well as the loss of 25,000 jobs. The state once had more than 75,000 employed by nursery growers, landscape firms, garden centers and irrigation contractors.

Both the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) and Governor Sonny Perdue recognized the importance of demonstrating that Georgians could have a beautiful landscape while still conserving water.

A recent renovation project at the Governor’s Mansion created a need for new landscaping. It was the perfect, high-profile project that would demonstrate water efficiency and good landscape management practices to Georgians.

Mark Fockele, president of Gainesville, Ga.-based The Fockele Garden Co. was hired as the landscape designer, while dozens of volunteers, many of whom were GGIA members, offered their time, services, and materials for installation. The design focused on a landscape garden that would require limited supplementary water once established.

“Our object was to show that this could be done – that the garden could still be very lush and beautiful, instead of looking like a desert,” says Fockele. “It’s all in the technique: proper soil preparation, drip irrigation, limited turf, appropriate mulching, grouping plants by water requirements, creating shade and, most important of all, proper plant selection.” 

The plant selection included more than 1,100 plants of nearly three dozen varieties like Asiatic Jasmine, Creeping Sedum, Blue Thrift, Golden St. John’s Wort and daffodils, among others.

“What was so great about Mark’s design was that he was able to include a wide and interesting variety of plants that were still all drought-tolerant,” says Chris Butts, GGIA director of legislative, environmental and public affairs. “It was all kept very low maintenance yet it certainly changed the look and feel of the landscape.”

One of Fockele’s biggest challenges came after installation. “It was very difficult to get the governor’s staff to stop over-watering the plants,” he says. “The staff was finding it hard to gauge when the plants had gotten enough water.

But an illustration I like to use to help teach people how to water is to think of it like baking a cake. You can follow the recipe exactly, but you don’t really know if it’s done until you stick a toothpick in it. It’s the same with dirt – you have to be willing to stick your finger into it and feel whether it’s dry, moist or soggy. You obviously don’t want dry or soggy.”

Fockele also says many people don’t realize that an overwatered plant looks a lot like a thirsty one. There’s wilting in both cases. The lesson learned is that installing any water-efficient landscaping requires education to ensure it’s being properly maintained. Though it took several visits to make certain the irrigation was just right, Butts says the result has been a great example for the state and a plus for the industry.

“Any time we can demonstrate effective water conservation creates great exposure for the industry,” he says. “This project has shown that Georgians can continue landscaping without being large consumers of water. Even though we’re out of the drought now, there were some very valuable lessons learned from it.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Royersford, Pa. 

DESIGN DETAILS Company: The Fockele Garden Co., Gainesville, Ga. Revenue: $2.8 million Client/service mix: 50 percent residential, 50 percent commercial Employees: 38 The Georgia Governor’s Mansion Project area: 5,500 square feet Total labor hours: 120 hours Total design hours: 15 hours Key plant materials: A variety of drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals and perennials; many of the plants are native to Georgia Key hardscape materials: None Equipment used: Compact utility loader, trencher