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

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)