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)

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