Although he didn’t plan to become
a landscaper, his passion for plants quickly developed into the
contagious “palm buzz”- as his friend labeled it. After ten years
in the business, Khaled Shokry still loves every minute of it.
I originally intended to
meet a high school friend of mine, who just started working on some
landscaping projects, when she referred me to Khaled Shokry. Not
knowing what to expect, as I had no clue landscaping was a developed
business in Egypt, I went to meet Shokry at his office. I left our
meeting feeling a profound respect for Shokry and the landscaping
business as a whole. Most importantly, I left feeling inspired,
encouraged and motivated.
Khaled Shokry has an
overpowering enthusiasm for his job, which started in the form of
cultivating plants in his greenhouse, located on the
Alexandria-desert highway. As his love for plants grew, he decided to
start a career in landscaping and started by traveling to Asia, U.S
(specifically Florida), Holland and South Africa to observe and learn
more on the art of Botany. His practical learning led him to create
Palm Gardens landscaping, which he has been managing for 10
years.
“What does landscaping
involve?” I asked him. “It is everything outside the house; the
pool, the driveway, the lighting, irrigation, water features, visual
add-on, etc,” he clarified. “Landscaping is not an add-on rather
an integral part of the establishment. Those who understand that,
consult me before building a new house to find out where the best
location for the garden versus the house would be.
Our conversation started
to take a nostalgic route when Shokry talked about a time in Egypt
when people acknowledged the importance of gardens; a time, when the
villas used to be embraced with beautiful plants and trees. “At the
beginning of this century, Egypt was a pioneer in landscaping. Case
and point, the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek; you can tell a lot of
thought went into landscaping when the original villa was built,”
Shoukry reminisces. Still to this, he believes, that Egypt’s
landscaping is much more evident in the private homes that it is in
the country as a whole.
However, landscaping is
starting to emerge again, and people are realizing its importance.
Shokry offers two explanations for “the new found love” of
landscaping; a) prices of real estate have gone way up; those who can
afford it can also afford good landscaping; b) people are now able to
tell the difference between good landscaping, as opposed to random
display of some plants and trees.
Being the humble person
he is, Shokry is not a member of the “show business” game. Most
of his work is based on referral; clients admire the work and tell
their friends about it. Therefore, most of his clients are already
well familiar with his work. Nevertheless, he has rejected clients
before, especially those who don’t meet him in person, and send
someone to represent them instead. “I have to meet the person
before I design the garden. It is imperative to know what the client
is like, his or her personality and how they like to spend their
time,” he states.
One of his bigger
challenges is his refusal to do “cut and paste” work. He declines
catering to the demands of those who want to replicate a photo in a
catalogue, even when it won’t work in Egypt’s climate, or with
their personality or habits.
One of Khaled’s hopeful wishes, that
is yet to come true, is for people to acquire the “right”
knowledge for landscaping. Egypt’s climate caters to hundred types
of plants, an average garden can include over 200 different types of
plants and flowers, and it is only those who understand that can be
successful landscapers.
People should also stop imitating what
they see right and left, and become more aware of their own
environment and what suits it best. Landscaping should always be in
coordination with one’s mentality and personality, especially so
that gardens last longer.
Palm Gardens
Tel: 202-748-6210
7 El-Nakhil St.,
Mohandesin
5th floor, # 501
Email: kshokry@palmgardensegypt.com
Website: www.palmgardensegypt.com
