The Origami Loft House was the Platinum Winner, designed by architect Jonathan Parks. The landscape for this Venice home is certified Florida-friendly and uses Waterwise irrigation techniques and native wildflower pasture grass. An outdoor eco-fountain recycles rainwater. The result is a home that has been certified as a Florida Green Home by the FGBC. Cherokee Park West, also designed by Parks, won the Gold Award. Just as the courtyard architecture of this home brings the outdoors in, the landscape design extends and mimics the interior architecture in both syle and function.  Parks and Gilkey collaborated from day one on the design concepts in orer to create an indoor/outdoor cohesion. For the full story, please pick up the March issue of SRQ Magazine.

I. FLORIDA-FRIENDLY YARDS: Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. has always followed the ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ philosophy. We encourage our clients to pursue Florida-Friendly certification to help spread awareness about the benefits of an appropriate plant palette. Our goal is to certify 50% of landscapes we install by the end of 2011.

II. WATER-WISE IRRIGATION: Currently, every irrigation system we design and install is a low-volume, drip tube based system, meeting or exceeding Waterwise standards. Whenever possible we specify rain harvesting via cisterns as the water source for these systems.

III. FUEL AND EQUIPMENT REDUCTION: In an effort to greatly reduce fuel and carbon emissions, vehicular and equipment usage, and temporary horticultural resources, our Landscape Contracting Division has begun delivering most plant material directly to our clients’ job sites. Our Maintenance Division has rerouted all clients, reducing fuel usage and emissions, and has switched to exclusively four-cycle hand equipment, reducing noise and air pollution. In all divisions of Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., we make vehicle and equipment maintenance a top priority to avoid wastage and maximize efficiency.

IV. PAPERLESS COMMUNICATIONS: In the design studio, we are making every effort to send digital correspondence, recycle all paper and ink cartridges, and reduce plotter resources. Though we will not sacrifice hand-drawing on paper, we send digital files wherever possible and offer e-invoices to every client. We are exploring soy-based and other alternative ink products for all printers and marketing pieces.

V. BIO-INTENSIVE EDIBLE GARDENING: In 2010, the employees of Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. will create and maintain (and consume!) an in-house bio-intensive edible garden. The intention of the initiative is to educate our personnel on sustainable practices from the garden to the table, and to replicate these efforts for our future clientele.

VI. COMPOST INITIATIVE: In conjunction with our bio-intensive gardening initiative, we will be launching an organic composting initiative exclusive to our clients. When ready, the compost will be used for our gardens, and will be made available to participating clients.

VII. YARD WASTE RECYCLING: 100% of the yard waste from our Maintenance Division is immediately converted into mulch and compost. Our Landscape Contracting Division hand-separates construction debris so that materials such as plastics, brick, concrete, soil and vegetative debris don’t get dumped as general waste at a landfill, but rather reused and/or recycled whenever possible.

VIII. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: By adhering to the principles of Integrated Pest Management and a strictly pro-active maintenance strategy, our Maintenance Division reduces harmful fertilizer and pesticide usage. We monitor the landscape for pest problems, concentrating on plantings that have had pest problems in the past. We do not spray preventatively and apply pesticides only when pest insects are present and causing unacceptable damage. We spot treat only the problem areas, and use the least toxic materials possible for control of most insect pests. Our goal is to create a living, biotic yard.

IX. COATED SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZERS: Our horticultural team works closely with Florikan to produce a custom-blended series of coated slow-release fertilizers, ensuring our clients’ plants are getting exactly–and no more than–the nutrients they need, when they need them. Slow-release fertilizers greatly reduce nutrient runoff by allowing small amounts of nutrient to the plant over a designated amount of time (usually 3 to 12 months). A non-coated fertilizer will lose a majority of its nutrients, much more than the plant can uptake, after the first rain. Slow-release fertilizers also limit spikes in plant growth that are harmful to the botany of the plant and, in many cases, require further chemical management.

X. BENEFICIAL BACTERIA AND FUNGI INTRODUCTION: In late 2009, we began a partnership with Biological Tree Services to create a new regimen of plant health care products for Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. clients. As a result, our Landscape Contracting Division no longer fertilizes plants upon installation, but nourishes the soil in which they are planted with micro-nutrients and beneficial fungi and bacteria. By nourishing the soil, we promote root growth and relieve the phosphorous lock that is common with fertilizer application. Plants are able to then make better use of available water and nutrients.

Michael A. Gilkey, Jr. enjoyed learning what inspires his colleagues, and presented them with the following slides.

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Magazine editor Paul Rusnak visited Sarasota to interview Gilkey in July. He spent several hours with Michael, discussing the landscape design industry and touring several finished projects. The complete interview and photo slideshow are available on www.ornamentaloutlook.com.

An excerpt from the cover story: “According to Gilkey, an award-winning design begins with positive working relationships among the owner, architect, landscape architect, and all other subcontractors and suppliers. ‘Because of these relationships and open lines of communication, we see a true collaborative process that benefits the project through expertise and commitment of everyone involved,’ Gilkey says. While winning awards is nice, Gilkey says there’s no higher compliment than one from his father. ‘Dad still critiques every job I do,” he says. “I got a B+ a couple weeks ago, which is the highest grade I’ve ever gotten from him. So, I’m doing pretty well,’ he chuckles.”

The experience of a home begins at its entrance.  It can be welcoming or off-putting, delightful or dull, surprising or plain.  “Entrances make statements about who we are,” says Sarasota designer Pandora Seibert.

But sometimes the energy in our environment needs reawakening.  Think of your home from a visitor’s point of view.  Start outside and work your way up to the door – and beyond.  What is your first impression?

Creating a warm, inviting entrance is an art.  We asked several design experts to share simple and affordable ways to create inspired, artful and inviting entranceways.

Lead the Eye – Michael A. Gilkey, Jr.

Michael Gilkey compares a home’s first impression to an inspired piece of music.  A great entrance is like a well-crafted overture; it unfolds over time.

“Think about not just actual front-door area, but the arrival sequence,” he says.  Begin with what leads up to the entrance.  “Entry walkways should lead the eye to the front door.  If you have a brick or paver walkway, the pattern can reinforce the entry sequence.  A tight pattern, such as herringbone, can add a moment of pause; a linear pattern, such as running bond, can move the eye quickly.”

To draw the eye, he says, there’s nothing like color: “A splash of color near the front door will immediately attract direct attention to the destination.”

Plants are a vital part of the visual music.  “Use plants that are in scale, arranged with strong, clean organization to move the eye toward the home’s entrance,” he says.

Gilkey also advises enticing the sense of smell: “Use ginger, jasmine and rosemary to add a touch of enticing fragrance near the front door.”

The finishing touch? “A small architectural element in scale with the front entry, such as a cleanly planted vessel or a recirculating fountain, can create a sense of welcome.”