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Two employees chatting in the new Lettuce Chat break room

Lettuce Chat: The Fine Art of Flourishing Together

Blog, EmployeesBy The Garlands November 14, 2025

Lettuce Chat About The Garlands Difference. Some say it is the architecture. Others appreciate the fine dining and special events. And of course, there are also the many treasured relationships among neighbors… The truth is, all of these benefits contribute to “The Garlands difference,” however, in almost every thank you letter, comment card, satisfaction survey, and Google review, the Garlands team is lauded for its most noticeable difference—exceptional service and care.

Aquaponic Lettuce

Aqua Barn: Sustainable Local Sourcing

Amenities, Blog, CulinaryBy The Garlands November 13, 2025

Sustainable Sourcing is ALWAYS on the Menu at The Garlands A guardian of Garlands members’ nutritional health and gastronomical delight, Executive Chef Glenn Zamet is a bit of a self-professed “locavore.” Sourcing locally produced, healthy food that is organically grown by Barrington neighbors while, at the same time, protecting the environment for future generations is…

The Garlands winning Burger by Clever

The Garlands Best Burger Battle

Blog, Culinary, EmployeesBy The Garlands September 3, 2025

The Garlands Best Burger Battle set out to find the best burger. This summer Garlands cooks brawled in a bracket-style culinary competition for top bragging rights.

Taste of the garlands

The Taste of The Garlands

Amenities, Blog, Culinary, EmployeesBy The Garlands August 28, 2025

Inspired by cooking contests on television, including Top Chef, Chopped, and Hell’s Kitchen, The Garlands culinary team hosted their own heated cook-off called “The Taste of The Garlands” this summer.

START PLANNING NOW to live your best life in the comfort of The Garlands.

BlogBy The Garlands May 30, 2025

The NEW GARLANDS CLUB membership affords savvy planners the opportunity to meet current Garlands members and others who are anticipating a move to The Garlands while also enjoying special Garlands perks, like member-only dining events, socials, and priority waitlist status.

woman walking her dog outside at The Garlands

What Makes The Garlands Different?

Amenities, Blog, Employees, InspiraBy The Garlands May 27, 2025

When it comes to choosing where to enjoy your next best life, you certainly have options. Here are the reasons why savvy planners report that exemplary service, a casually elegant setting, a close-knit community, and long-term comfort and financial stability set The Garlands apart.

Marie playing the accordion

One-Bedroom Homes “Make the Grade” at The Garlands

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands May 25, 2025

Garlands homes offer the highest quality construction and thoughtful interior design and feature large, open floor plans, spacious rooms, oversized windows, and the finest finishes and appliances.

However, current inventory of Garlands homes is limited. Luckily, a few remaining one-bedroom floor plans offer immediate, “picture-perfect,” albeit limited, availability.

G-L-O-R-I–ous Care

Amenities, Blog, EmployeesBy The Garlands May 22, 2025

As the curtain opens and morning light pours into the well-appointed, one-bedroom Prairieview at The Garlands apartment, caregiver Maribel Lopez-Torres cheerfully belts out the classic garage rock refrain – “G L O R I A, Gloorrr-ri-a.”

A Giant Leap Toward a Healthier Lifestyle

Amenities, Blog, InspiraBy The Garlands May 18, 2025

Supplemental outings like FitSprings classes provide our members with an option to expand upon what we learn in our in-house classes. With FitSprings, we can combine the principles of yoga and Pilates into a new high-intensity, low-impact workout that is equally as effective as it is fun!

The Goldilocks Paradox and the Three Levels of Care

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands May 15, 2025

Following the loss of her mother, Beth Bagg, a career senior living professional, found herself in the position of living her job. Having helped hundreds of families navigate the process of finding the perfect combination of housing and support for an aging loved one, the tables officially turned.

The Hawthorn

The Picture-Perfect Hawthorn Villa

Amenities, BlogBy The Garlands April 30, 2025

Garlands homes offer the highest quality construction and thoughtful interior design and feature large, open floor plans, spacious rooms, oversized windows, and the finest finishes and appliances. However, current inventory of Garlands homes is limited. Luckily, these select one-bedroom and Hawthorn Villa floorplans — offer immediate, “picture-perfect,” albeit limited, availability.

Garlands caregiver with prairieview resident

Prairieview at The Garlands Assisted Living When Only the Best Will Do

Blog, PrairieviewBy The Garlands April 8, 2025

Deeply rooted in the community, Prairieview at The Garlands’ legacy of exceptional quality and full continuum of care offers comfort, convenience, and peace of mind . . . now and in the future.

Do You Know the Mushroom Man?

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands November 23, 2024

“HELLO! My name is Frank Rubino, and I think the mushrooms Chef Glenn serves at The Garlands of Barrington are awesome!” It is an enthusiastic and frequent refrain at the end of monthly Garlands member meetings from the proud grandpa of Chicago’s Four Star Mushroom’s founder and CEO, Joe Weber. The unofficial #1 hype man…

Books to the Ceiling

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands November 4, 2024

Garlands member Roberta Rood, a retired public librarian of 25 years, moved to The Garlands with her husband (and “live-in IT guy”), Ron, from Maryland to be closer to their family in Chicago. Roberta reports that “The Garlands large residences gave us room to spread out and offered a nice office space for my bookshelves…

Bruce sitting in front of his piano with sheet music on the table in front of him

For the LOVE of MUSIC

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands October 25, 2024

A retired information systems executive whose musical roots lead back to his days singing in the church choir, Bruce surfed the internet one day and found fantastic videos of musical performances from all sorts of genres on YouTube. Intrigued, he curated a list of his favorites, compiled an hour-long program of video cuts, and invited…

Dorothy Winsor speaking at The Garlands about her new book

Author Hones Craft at The Garlands

Blog, Dorothy Winsor, MembersBy The Garlands October 14, 2024

In her “retirement” at The Garlands, Dorothy Winsor pursues a second career as a young adult fiction author. To date, she has published seven books, including her most recent novel, Dragoncraft, a tale of duty, love, and the precarious dance between power and loyalty. Turns out Dorothy’s readership extends from “young adult” to “mature adult” as…

Lanny Ori in the library holding a book

For the LOVE of BOOKS

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands October 14, 2024

Garlands member and long-time professional book reviewer and discussion leader, Lanny Ori, grew up in White Plains, New York, in, as she fondly recalls, “a house full of books where dinnertime discussions were a regular family activity.” After graduating from college with a degree in Art History, Lanny worked at the Boston Museum of Fine…

Dick holding a book with the text of Lincoln's second inaugural address

Learning Later Means Living Greater

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands October 1, 2024

In his youth, Dick Schwemm wanted to become either a professional baseball player, sea captain, or a professor. A graduate of Amherst College who earned a master’s degree in physics and math from the University of Illinois, Dick did do some teaching as a TA in grad school, however, once his 33-year career at IBM…

Martha sitting at her concierge desk

Chilly Nights, Warm Hearts

Blog, EmployeesBy The Garlands September 19, 2024

By day, Garlands concierge Martha Nielsen is a friendly source of knowledge and assistance for Garlands members and families, however, by night, weekends, and holidays, she is an international adventurer with over 120 European trips under her belt. A former, seasoned Scandinavian Airlines Global Sales Manager, Martha retired after nearly 37 years and began a…

Pam sitting at a desk with her laptop and books

Pam’s Passion for Preserving the Past

Blog, MembersBy The Garlands September 11, 2024

Pam Wilson’s love for genealogy started not long after she, the daughter of a Belgium immigrant, married a man with ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. Pam wondered, “Who were these people who led us to this union?” Thus, her journey back in time via genealogy began. A self-described “dogged researcher” and graphic designer, Pam…

“I can’t imagine anything more fulfilling than the last twenty years I’ve had here at The Garlands.” ~Garlands Charter Member, Len Wicklund

Len Wicklund

“We loved it so much, we signed up the first day,” recalls Kay. “The architecture and interior décor had a warmth and simplicity that we felt was very comfortable to live with.”

~Garlands Charter Member, Kay Reich, Savannah, Georgia

Kay Reich

Correct work practices, procedures, and systems are in place to prepare, respond and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

GBAC STAR Facility

Prairieview at The Garlands is ranked among the highest rated nursing homes in the county.

U.S. News & World Report

Conservation@Work certification

Barrington Area Conservation Trust

Excellence in whole-person wellness programming while promoting more vital aging for 50-plus adults

NuStep Pinnacle Award