Healthcare Design - October 2014 - 40

THE FOCKELE GARDEN CO.

About the
competition

says, promote health and healing in simple ways. For
example, old-fashioned or heirloom plants are catalysts for positive association of a childhood memory,
while new and unusual plants might spark curiosity
and closer examination-both results that can translate to feelings of relaxation, safety, and comfort.
To keep that plant variety from potentially overwhelming visitors, the design includes repetition-with
purpose. Areas of the gardens are concentrated
on one plant, creating "consistency and harmony in
effect," Fockele says. "Larger plantings of the same
plant add simplicity and calm between those areas of
activity and variety among plants."
And it's not just about the plant count and repetition. "You want a succession of prima donna plants
that come along when it's least expected and glorious," Fockele says. One example is the crinum lily in
The Pope Family Garden. "It takes only one or two of
those to fill that prima donna slot. It's terrific."
The jurors appreciated the plant variety, as well as
the articulation of a garden management strategy-a
factor that's sometimes overlooked.
"Continual maintenance is an issue for therapeutic
gardens. Building in the garden maintenance through
endowment, in perpetuity, is an innovative and sustainable way to allow these gardens to flourish and
grow," one juror notes.
And the gardens are starting to reach their stride.
The Wilheit-Keys Peace Garden and Anne's Garden
have matured, with the plants now achieving a full and
lush appearance, while Nell's Prayer Garden and The
Pope Family Garden, planted later, are beginning to
fill in.
"Once a garden is planted, I almost always have
a feeling of 'this garden is better than I imagined,'"
Fockele says. "Seeing the real thing is so much more
powerful than imagining it." HCD

The concentric shell that
encloses Nell's Prayer
Garden creates an intimate
courtyard. The garden
is located outside the
windows of the circular
chapel. Much in the manner
of a Japanese Zen garden,
this space provides a quiet
retreat. The curving stone
wall effectively separates
the garden from the
entrance road and parking
deck, just 50 feet away.

The 2014 Landscape Architecture for
Healthcare Communities Competition was
open to healthcare administrators, facility
executives, and managers, as well as
architects, designers, and others providing
design services to the healthcare industry.
A jury of experts appointed by Healthcare
Design reviewed the projects submitted
to determine one top winner and to
designate any additional projects worthy
of special recognition. This year's group
includes two Silver winners and one
Bronze winner; for more on these projects,
turn to page 48.

The jury
James A. Heroux
Principal
Copley Wolff Design
Group
Martha Hunt
Associate professor,
department
of landscape
architecture
Ball State University

Steve Mitrione
Physician
Allina Health
Jane M. Rohde
Principal
JSR Associates Inc.
Jerry Smith
Principal
Smith/GreenHealth
Consulting LLC

All participants paid an entry fee to have their
projects considered. Gold and Silver winners
were included for publication at no charge;
all other projects paid an additional fee for
inclusion. All text for the projects featured
beginning on page 42 was provided directly by
each submitting firm and was not vetted by the
editors of Healthcare Design.

Sharon Schnall is a writer based in Northeast Ohio. She
can be reached at schnallwriting@yahoo.com.
HCDmagazine.com 10.14

http://www.HCDmagazine.com

Healthcare Design - October 2014

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