JOHN MAGEE BIO
John Magee has been designing and building landscapes in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond for the past 30 years. After receiving his B.S. degree in Agriculture from the Ohio State University and spending a few years training and showing horses, he settled into the landscaping industry as the General Foreman of Pennsylvania’s highest award-winning landscaping firm. While in Pennsylvania, he became a volunteer at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary where he met his wife Susana and was introduced to habitat gardening and the use of native plants in the landscape. He now operates his own award-winning design firm Magee Design in the beautiful countryside of Middleburg, VA where he also enjoys kayaking and taking long walks with his wife and dogs Shaq and Dilly. He created and hosts the award-winning Native Plant Podcast to help inform the public about the benefits of landscaping with native plants. You can learn more about John at his website john-magee.com and at The Native Plant Podcast.
SHOW NOTES
Finding rejuvenation and inspiration in the native ecosystems of Dolly Sods, West Virginia
A moment of awe sparked by discovering pink-flowered Pedicularis canadensis (wood betony) in the wild
Childhood memories in his grandmother’s garden sparking a lifelong love of plants
Transitioning from a career in horse training to landscape design through hands-on landscaping work
Lessons learned from building projects for designer Joanne Kostecki of Garden Design in the New American Garden style
Realizing the lack of plant knowledge in many commercial landscaping contexts
Shifting from production to design in his career
Advocating for hands-on landscape crew experience as essential for aspiring designers
Insights on starting with production before moving into design and how it shaped a practical approach
John’s recent article in Fine Gardening about a pollinator garden he designed
Experience designing a pollinator garden in a gated community with strict color constraints
Using plugs and small plants to manage large-scale installations economically
Emphasizing the ecological value of elderberry and strategic placement in wet sites
Applying bold, naturalistic planting in high-end landscapes while meeting client expectations
The benefits of constraints in the design process
Strategies for managing weeds in naturalistic plantings using modified weed trimmerw between close plantings
Incorporating maintenance efficiencies by burying weeds on-site to reduce hauling
Philosophy of combining ecological soundness with appealing, client-specific aesthetics
Managing stormwater on-site with rain gardens piped from rooftops and planted with wetland species
Early adoption of rain gardens and recognizing their growing relevance in ecological design
Thoughts on using herbicides judiciously and only with client consent
Advocacy for smoother piping to prevent mosquito breeding in stormwater systems
Cautioning against overly ambitious soil prep, which can trigger invasive weed outbreaks
Personal shift away from intensive bed preparation due to changes in invasive species pressures
Emphasizing mass planting as both a design and maintenance strategy
Perspective on native plant design as a process of working with and responding to each site
Key takeaways for students: don’t be afraid to fail, start with production, and enjoy the process
Favorite plant combinations like Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master) with Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem), and Eupatorium perfoliatum (joe pye weed) with Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Insight into iterative design as a collaborative, evolving process with clients
The importance of responsiveness and clear communication in design relationships
Lessons learned from managing large projects and adjusting plans to meet budgets
Realization that aggressive soil prep can unintentionally benefit invasive species more than natives
Warning against downplaying the threat of invasive species within the horticultural industry
Personal responsibility in no longer planting species that show invasive tendencies
Frustration with the continued sale of known invasive plants in nurseries
Advocating for voluntary industry standards to avoid government regulation of invasive species
Example of discovering a beloved plant (Nigella damascena) was invasive and promptly removing it
Reflections on designing with ecological consciousness while still creating beauty
The value of podcasts in bringing together voices and sparking ideas across the horticulture field
Origin story of the Native Plant Podcast and working with Mike Berkley and other co-hosts
Memorable podcast guests like Dr. Michael Osborne and Felder Rushing for their emotional insights and big-picture thinking
Reminder that planting design is a living, evolving craft shaped by both intention and unpredictability
Use of waterproof notebooks as a simple but powerful tool for capturing ideas
Recommended reading: The Man Who Would Dam the Amazon and Other Accounts from Afield by John G. Mitchell for perspective on environmental ethics
Debunking the myth that native plants are more expensive or harder to grow
Emphasis on education and outreach as a way to engage the next generation of horticulturists
Encouragement to observe, experiment, and stay open to learning in the field of native plant design
You can learn more about John at his website john-magee.com and at The Native Plant Podcast.