After successfully operating a landscape contracting firm specializing in athletic field and landscape management in his native Northern New Jersey, he relocated to the Richmond, VA area in the mid nineties to pursue new career options in the Green Industry. Market research suggested the commercial viability of growing a selection of drought and deer tolerant perennials for the home landscape. This concept centered on the creation of a public display garden for visitors to see featured plants growing in real time. Mike's late mother loved iris and herbaceous peonies, so they became the mainstays of the Joyce Lockatell Memorial Garden.

Lockatell has constructed numerous versions of the Garden in the Richmond area. It has been the subject of newspaper and magazine stories. The Chesterfield County resident has appeared on a segment of the popular "Virginia Homegrown" gardening show on the local PBS outlet, WCVE TV.

His association with the late Dr. Lloyd Zurbrigg of Durham, NC led to initiating a breeding program for hybrid Siberian and reblooming bearded irises. Some of Mike's seedlings have won exhibition awards at local American Iris Society chapter flower shows. He is an AIS Certified Garden Judge and Reblooming Iris Chairman for AIS Region 4. He is a member of the Triple R Reblooming Iris Robin. This forum is a correspondence circle of US breeders and growers of remontant bearded irises.

He has published articles on many aspects of iris culture. As a member of the Powhatan Garden Club, Mike formally wrote a landscape tips column for their monthly newsletter. Lockatell also gives programs on iris, herbaceous peonies and landscape related themes to garden clubs around Central VA.

He is past president of the Old Dominion Herb Society and Central VA Iris Society. He has a business degree from Bryant College, Smithfield, RI and a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ. He still does some consulting on landscape contracting projects in the Richmond area.