Fred Bockel was always the guy friends and neighbours would come to when they needed gardening advice.
When on vacation, he’d draw up an itinerary for himself and his wife Karin with stops at all the landmark gardens, taking in the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, for example, or the rhododendrons in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Fred was happiest when his hands were in the earth, whether for work or for pleasure.
And if you ask Karin, there really was no separation of the two for Fred, who worked in landscaping, including for the Town of Markham, for his entire career.
“Fred never looked at it as a job. It was tension relief for him,” Karin said. “He was happiest to have his hands in soil. I loved him so much for it.”
The couple hope to help future generations of green thumbs find similar joy as professionals in landscaping and horticulture. That’s why they decided before Fred’s death in May 2017 to establish a bursary at Niagara College for first-year students enrolled in the Landscape or Horticulture Technician programs. The first Fred Bockel Memorial Bursary was awarded last year.
Karin has also bequeathed a portion of her estate to the College’s horticulture programs.
“So many people want to go into horticulture and so many can’t afford it,” Karin said. “We’ve been able to help two people. It’s nice to get people to say thank you but I want to see the field of horticulture continue. That’s my aim.”
During his life, Fred’s goal was to make the world a more beautiful place.
Fred was born into a gardening family in Eutin, a small city in northern Germany that boasts its own variety of roses. His parents grew and sold vegetables and flowers, which became currency during the Second World War when they traded them for basics including butter, milk and cheese.
After studying landscaping, Fred followed his sister to Canada in 1957. His first stop was Montreal where he worked in landscaping and design, endeared himself to his employers and met Karin, also a native of Germany.
The couple eventually moved to Ontario in 1977 after Karin was transferred here for work. Fred joined the Town of Markham, working on significant streetscape beautification projects, including in historic Unionville. That job brought him to Niagara regularly where he sourced flowers for the town’s hanging baskets and planters, and befriended several local greenhouse owners.
“He was such a gentle person and lovable person, and easily made friends,” Karin said.
The couple also enjoyed travelling for leisure to St. Catharines — the Garden City — to visit its parks, waterfront, and a favourite German deli.
When Fred retired, the couple purchased a 1.2-acre property in Courtice, east of Toronto. He planted hundreds of trees on the property, including native tulip trees, maples, pines, beeches and magnolias, starting many from seed. He also planted his favourite gingko biloba, a “dainty, easy-growing tree that has charisma.”
“He’d be outside at 11 at night planting trees,” she recalled.
As a tribute to Fred, his work and his passion, Karin now includes an image of the gingko’s distinctive fan-shaped leaf in her email signature.
She also maintains the gardens at home, channelling all the knowledge she gleaned from her husband into her efforts. And Karin carries on his legacy by helping future landscape professionals with their education.
“When he got sick, I said ‘We’ve got to do this.’ I wanted to do it for him,” she said.“Fred’s heart was in it all his life. People gave a lot to him so why not give back?”
