

Rebecca McMackin is an “ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer” (her description) and an incredibly engaging, deeply knowledgeable plant nerd (ours). (Just check out her Ted Talk entitled “Let Your Garden Grow Wild” from earlier this year.) As Arboretum Curator for Woodlawn Cemetery, she manages one of the best tree collections in New York State. And as a garden designer, she creates inspired landscapes that make both people and pollinators happy. In fact, her garden for the Brooklyn Museum, a collaboration with Quick Takes alum Brook Klausing, just won the Perennial Plant Association’s Award of Excellence, in part because of its use of native plants to create habitats for the birds and bees.
We’ve interviewed Rebecca before (see 9 Radical Ways to Face Climate Change), and today, we’re thrilled to be able to share her perspective again. Below, the biodiversity crusader talks about her love for spying on bugs (“so much drama”), her admiration for dead wood (“so hip, so helpful”), and her disdain for orange Rudbeckia (agreed!).
Photography courtesy of Rebecca McMackin.
I had my first garden when I was 6. I grew up on a small farm in Connecticut, where we gardened as a way of life. I grew carrots and Celosia. I remember how sweet the carrots were. You just can’t buy carrots as good as you can grow them.
Carol Gracie was a mentor to me. I had read Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, had my mind completely blown, and promptly began a respectful stalking mission that resulted in years of friendship. Carol was a marvelous observer and her books taught me to see flowers differently. They weren’t about plants in the traditional sense. They were written from the plant’s perspective. Carol explored what flowers were doing with their lives. She shared not only how they were shaped but why, who they were trying to attract, and how the plants communicated. I’ve read her books countless times and use them as references often. Truly the best ever.
I love Adrian Smith’s account: @dradriansmith. He does the simplest thing—taking slow-motion videos of insects taking off from a table—and it’s just glorious. There’s so much drama. The clumsiness of beetles, the leap of a moth, the absolute miracle that something like an oak treehopper can actually get airborne after spinning around three times. It’s hilariously entertaining, but also helps people understand that these animals live full lives, with struggles and victories.
Wild. Beautiful. Butterflies.
Southern magnolia. Nobody does it better.
Euonymus alatus. Why is it legal to sell this plant? How broken is horticulture that we can’t phase out plants causing actual harm. Get this guy out of the trade already.
Aquilegia canadensis. Adorable. functional. Adaptable. and charismatic.
Less is more. I hate this one. I want all the plants in every garden. But they really speak to people much more when there are only a few flowers blooming at a time.
We can all have a little lawn as a treat. Lots of people like lawns. It’s like they’re habitat. Lawns can be nice, organic, bidiverse, and small.
Every species in every color. Do you really need an orange Rudbeckia? Does anyone? Sometimes I think breeders are just trying to impress each other.
Tip a wheelbarrow up on its front wheel, and swing it back and forth to empty it all the way.
Honestly…. let my husband care for his houseplants. I used to have a massive begonia collection but then I had a kid and … plants have to take care of themselves.
Snag. Dead wood is so hip. So helpful. So biodiverse. Figure out how to fit, sculpt, or hide deadwood on land everywhere.
Bluestone! I am from New England. But also cobblestones because I am also from New York City.
Carhartt overalls forever.
Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca. Best garden ever made.
I’m a slave to beauty. How could you not want to hang out with flowers and butterflies? It’s the best thing ever.
Thank you so much, Rebecca! (Follow her @oroeoboeococoao)
For our full archive of Quick Takes, go here.
v5.0
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Member benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
Benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Member benefits include:
If at any time you want to become a Subscriber and enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to all our content, just go to the My Account link and choose Subscribe.
Advertising funds our work at Gardenista and helps us provide you with a daily dose of garden inspiration & design. We hope you’ll consider disabling your adblocker for Gardenista so we can continue our mission: a well-designed garden for all.
Thank you for your support.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation