New Garden in New London

Earlier this year, Maffei Landscape Design was engaged by Rooted in their New London, PA location to renovate the garden space in front of their store, an adaptive reuse of an historic general store in this hamlet founded in 1723. Rooted offers artisanal goods that highlight local makers, so it was only fitting that the garden should do the same thing, that is, “be unique, be creative, be local”.

section drawing

Having something in bloom for the majority of the year often comes at the expense of big visual impact when working in a small space, so it is important to clearly define the desired aesthetic and overarching theme for a particular time period. While not entirely composed of indigenous species, the garden has a native feel, making two flourishes of interest in April/May and August/September, relying heavily on a backbone of ornamental grasses to provide structure and texture, while flowering perennials dot the space with color.

Want to try and copy this look? Here is our plant list! Need help making this work in your space? Give us a call or use our contact form.

the plant list

during the design process, charting plant effectiveness for the year

Award of Merit from The Perennial Plant Association

Maffei Landscape Design earned an Award of Merit for the Nemours Farm Courtyard project, which was presented at the Perennial Plant Association’s annual conference, held in July this year in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This is the second award for this project, following last year’s award by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

The project was entered in the Residential $25,000-$100,000 category and judging criteria included First Impression (15%), Design (35%), Plant List (25%), Presentation (20%) and Maintenance Considerations (5%). A panel of judges composed of horticulture and design professionals commented on the project, noting the “…amazing approach to seasonality with targeted design for autumn peak” with a “perfect grass mix and top-notch use of Molinia (Moor grass).” They went on to say “…the layering and texture of the plantings makes for a welcoming feel, while the placement of the larger and more robust grasses creates intrigue and intimacy.” Maffei Landscape Design thanks the judges and the Perennial Plant Association for the recognition of this successful garden, which is enabled by the vision of the owner and the skill of the contractor, Cotswold Gardens.

Danilo Maffei was present to receive the award and is delighted to have shared the stage with a distinguished group of landscape architects, designers, horticulturists and contractors from the United States and United Kingdom. Congratulations to all of the award winners from Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architects, Great Lakes Landscape Design, Kelly D. Norris, LLC, Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, Inc., Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, FORM Garden Design, Ruppert Landscape, M.ERBS Fine Gardens, Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Land+ LLC, Weiss/Manfredi, Wolf Landscape Architecture, SiteWorks and Refugia Design.

Nemours Farm Courtyard, perennials and small shrubs in mid October

Danilo Maffei (left) receiving award from PPA President Holly Scoggins (photo credit: Claudio Vazquez - Izel Native Plants)

award recipients at the Perennial Plant Association annual conference in Niagara Falls, ON. (back row, left to right) Kelly Norris, Stefano Marinaz, Craig Bergmann, Mark Peterson, Karen Steenhoudt (front row, left to right) Adel Segesdi, Danilo Maffei, Joshua Richardson (photo credit: Claudio Vazquez - Izel Native Plants)

Nemours Farm Courtyard

Landscape Designer and firm Principal, Danilo Maffei, CPLD, PCH, FAPLD gave a presentation to the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) at their virtual membership meetup on the subject of his award-winning perennial garden for the Nemours Farm Courtyard at Stockton Montmorency, a private estate in Delaware. (scroll down for more information and the plant list)

Conceived as part of a 65-acre master plan, the courtyard is set before a 19th century stone barn and modern stable complex that now serves for the entertainment of family and friends rather than breeding world-class racehorses. When we first visited the site, it was in a state of neglect and nature had reclaimed the once formal, European-style space. This contrast of human construction and natural succession inspired us to create a wild garden that would ebb and flow with the seasons, relying as much on form and texture as it does on seasonal color. Likewise, the owners desired a vibrant, resilient plant palette that would not be reliant upon constant grooming to look its best. Since the garden is a considerable distance from the main house, we wanted to create a place that was constantly changing to encourage the owners to take a stroll and discover what is happening and enjoy the evolution of the seasons, with the climax in late summer and early fall.

Plant List

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Skyracer' (Skyracer purple moor grass)

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Cassian' (Cassian fountain grass)

Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie dropseed)

Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' (Paprika common yarrow)

Achillea 'Moonshine' (Moonshine yarrow)

Aster cordifolius 'Little Carlow' (Little Carlow blue wood aster)

Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’(syn. Symphiotrichum) (aromatic aster)

Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' (Limerock Ruby tickseed)

Coreopsis palustris 'Summer Sunshine' (Swamp tickseed)

Coreopsis tripteris (Tickseed)

Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' (Zagreb threadleaf tickseed)

Helenium autumnale 'Mariachi Fuego' (Fuego sneezeweed)

Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Caesar's Brother Siberian iris)

Kniphofia ‘Flamenco Mixture’ (Torchlily)

Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low' (Walker's Low catmint)

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage)

Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida (Orange coneflower)

Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' (Fireworks goldenrod)

Cornus sericea (Redosier dogwood)

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' (Arnold Promise witch hazel)

Small Garden Love Affair

Gardens are not mere combinations of plants, pavements and furniture. True gardens are thoughtfully crafted spaces that reflect the people, places and history that inhabit, pass through and surround it. They respond to challenges with grace, understated elegance and ingenuity. They endure with resiliency, relevancy and hope. Come and experience this small home and garden and learn how its design and construction turned into a love affair between the owner and the place.

Plant List:

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (Foerster's feather reed grass)

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' (Golden Dew tufted hair grass)

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' (Dwarf fountain grass)

Amsonia x 'Blue Ice' (Blue Ice bluestar)

Aster 'Wood's Blue' (Wood's Blue New York aster)

Baptisia australis (Blue wild indigo)

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Plumbago)

Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe' (syn. Eutrochium) (Little Joe Pye weed)

Hemerocallis 'Strawberry Candy' (Strawberry Candy daylily)

Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Caesar's Brother Siberian iris)

Liatris spicata (Blazing star)

Pycnanthemum muticum (Clustered mountainmint)

Sedum spurium 'John Creech' (John Creech stonecrop)

Callicarpa dichotoma (Purple Beautyberry)

Cephalotaxus harrigntonia 'Duke Gardens' (Duke Gardens Japanese plum yew)

Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Hummingbird summersweet)

Ilex glabra 'Gem Box' (Gem Box Inkberry Holly)

Itea virginica 'Little Henry' ('Sprich') (Little Henry sweetspire)

Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Zeblid' (Scarletta) (Scarletta fetterbush)

Weigela florida 'Spilled Wine' (Spilled Wine weigela)

Flower Show and Lectures February 2023

“Spring Vibes Only” will be the theme of the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle Washington, where Danilo Maffei will be a show garden judge and lecturer. Ranked as the #1 flower show by Better Homes and Gardens in 2020, the show will feature indoor garden exhibits, a marketplace, workshops and seminars to kick off the spring season. While at the show, Danilo will offer two talks on landscape design subjects, and will make a special appearance at Bellevue Botanical Garden, February 13 to present a lecture titled “Small Garden Love Affair” just in time for Valentine’s Day! This will be a hybrid event, so whether you are local to the Seattle area or anywhere in the world, you can experience the case study of a tiny residential garden with big personality.

Mr. Maffei continues his long relationship with Longwood Gardens as his “Landscape Design I”, a core course in the Certificate of Merit in Landscape Design curriculum, will be offered again starting February 22. This class is offered entirely online and routinely sells out.

Small Garden Love Affair

Award-Winning Planting Design

Maffei Landscape Design, LLC is honored to have received a Silver Medal in the Planting Design category of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) International Landscape Design Awards, presented at the Landscape Design Conference in Chicago, Illinois on July 23, 2022. The winning project, “Nemours Farm Courtyard Garden” is located in the countryside near Wilmington, Delaware. The judges commented on the "environmentally thoughtful plant palette" and the "tapestry of growing threads" in the design. (scroll down to continue)

Nemours Farm courtyard

When the property was purchased by the current owner, the buildings and grounds were suffering from deferred maintenance, but nearly all of the architectural elements were intact. The original gardens themselves had all but vanished and a new, naturalistic vision emerged in synergy between the owner and designer, Danilo Maffei.

The neglected original garden with quatrefoil fountain

The rejuvenated garden features flowering perennials and ornamental grasses intended to be at their peak in late summer and fall. Asters, goldenrod and tickseed (Coreopsis sp.) do the heavy lifting for seasonal color, while a golden haze of Skyracer purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Skyracer’) gently drift back and forth in the slightest breeze. With a backdrop of the 19th century stone barn and serpentine brick courtyard walls, the garden evolves in its display as the seasons change. More images of this garden and others on the property may be found at https://www.danilomaffei.com/#/montmorency/

19th century stone barn forms a backdrop to the Courtyard Garden at Nemours Farm

Landscape Designer Danilo Maffei (left) receives the Silver Medal for Planting Design from APLD President Eric Gilbey

You Have A Friend In Kennett Square

Friends Home in Kennett Square, a non-profit senior living community in the Quaker tradition, recently completed a renovation project that linked two separate buildings and enhanced the front door arrival experience for its residents and guests. What was once the kitchen loading dock (right next to the front door!) was transformed into an outdoor space that could be enjoyed by residents of the skilled nursing unit. Multiple seasons of plant interest, raised beds for growing herbs and veggies for the kitchen and furniture for resting and enjoying the sunshine were all contemplated as benefits of the new garden.

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Excerpt from the Friends Home newsletter

The unintended benefit, as a consequence of protective measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was using the space for family gatherings, impromptu concerts and sharing their optimism with the neighborhood. Thanks to the new, expansive space, residents and visitors can meet at a safe distance while enjoying an attractive and comfortable space. Residents and staff brightened the windows with colorful paper flowers created by local school children. Maffei Landscape Design is delighted to be a part of this project that has given joy to so many.

Friends Home has been in the Borough of Kennett Square since 1898 when the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) purchased a boarding house located between State and Linden Streets. The building was modified and expanded over the years, but always maintained its historic appearance with its Mansard roof profile, brick exterior and deep, wrap-around front porch. In 2017 the board of directors approved a plan to create a safe, weather-tight connection between the historic original building and the skilled nursery unit (Linden Hall) which was built in 1980 but lacked an interior connection to the rest of the facility. Friends Home leadership assembled an all-local design team including Maffei Landscape Design, Melton Architects, Regester Associates (civil engineer) and MOBAC Construction. (continue reading below)

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The design Team (L-R) Danilo Maffei, Dennis Melton, Richard Basilio, Jim Fritsch at the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2018 (photo credit: Historic Kennett Square)

The main focus of the project was the safety and well-being of the residents, followed by enhancing the appearance and amount of usable outdoor space. Friends Home already had a wonderful, large covered porch with plenty of protection from sun and rain, but a suitable sunny place for outdoor activity was sorely lacking. Our response to this was a courtyard-style garden that would provide security for residents at risk of wandering while providing ample patio space for furniture and planted areas that would change week by week with the seasons. The plant palette skews heavily to perennials due to limited space and because they offer a much more dynamic visual response to the changing of the seasons as compared to woody plants.

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Yarrow, catmint and flowering onion (Allium) put on a show in late May 2020

Still in its first year of existence (the project was completed in fall of 2019), the perennials and shrubs are still working towards their full potential, but are already providing a good show. Maffei Landscape Design creates gardens for private land owners, corporate campuses and public concerns where the use of outdoor spaces are integral to their daily operations and the use of plants highlights the unique qualities of the environment and the people who live there.

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