John Frater BSc(Hons), Dip GD

Plantforms was set up by me - John Frater. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 1996 with a degree in Ecology (honours in Natural Resource Management) I wanted to pursue a more creative livelihood. After some time travelling I settled into gardening, working in and around Edinburgh.

From 2000-2006 I left the city to work at, and eventually manage, Dhanakosa Buddhist Retreat Centre in Balquhidder Glen. This was a wonderful experience. While there I took on the extensive grounds, developing woodland, herbaceous borders, cutting gardens and an arboretum.

My training in garden design with the English Gardening School and the Institute of Garden Design was completed in 2006. There has been three phases of the business since then. Initially, although specialising in planting I continued with garden design. I quickly recognised that planting requires more attention to detail than this approach enabled. So I pursued planting design as a sole specialisation, enjoying the chance to be creative with plants without having to think about hard landscape or layout designs. Over the years I also then came to realised that my ecological training is a big advantage. Planting design, to be sustainable, needs to be based on sound ecology. The science of ecology is very much just that, a science. I now find myself in the wonderful situation where I can apply this science without having to crunch the numbers in the lab myself. This is a situation I never imagined when I graduated - the combination of aesthetic and ecological considerations. It seems too good to be true -science in dialog with the creative. This has come about with a shift in attitude in the scientific community towards urban ecosystems. You can read more about this on my essays page.