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.

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)

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.

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.