Speakers

From childhood, Rachel has had a passion for our natural world as well as an interest in designing spaces - at the time this was directed at the internal space of disused buildings. After working as a research scientist on the effects of environmental pollution on wildlife (and us) in her 20s and later gaining a greater understanding of climate change, she has attempted to live as sustainably as she can, including growing fruit, vegetables and other perennial edibles, and embracing a wilder garden. This lead her to a diploma in permaculture design, where she discovered a love for designing gardens - returning to that interest in designing spaces started long ago. 

Rachel set up her design practice  in 2015 after working at the National Trust for Scotland and retraining at Edinburgh Botanics in garden design. Rachel is a registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and leads on sustainability for the SGD council. She is also a design member of the association for professional landscapers (APL).