Designer Spotlight: John Mariani
Many of you have come to know and love John Mariani over the years, but did you know that he is restoring nearly 60 acres of prairie in Wisconsin to its natural beauty? “It’s important that we restore our prairies and woodlands with plants native to our region to maintain our ecosystems,” says Mariani. “Landscape restoration is something I have always been passionate about, even before it became popular. When I was in school, nobody was teaching about ecology.”
Nearly 25 years ago, John restored his first prairie with native plants and he continues to bring a unique depth to Mariani Landscape’s designs through a holistic approach with the native land. “I always enjoy the process of restoring a site and discovering native dormant plants we didn’t know were there originally,” says Mariani.
John received his Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1978, but he originally planned on attending the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and majoring in commercial interior design. “I’ve always been interested in design and thought that commercial interior design was the direction I wanted to go,” says Mariani. Part of three generations of nursery families, John realized that it made more sense to focus on exterior design. “I wanted to remain a designer, but stay true to my nursery roots,” says Mariani. John provides both experienced leadership and a strong creative force to the ever-evolving design aesthetic of Mariani Landscape.
Through organizations like Lake Forest Open Lands, John teaches others why native plantings are essential to a living environment. John also speaks for various seminars at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum and Garden Clubs of Illinois.
