borebrae Garden Design & Maintenance
Hands on experience & qualifications
We are Lauren Macfadyen and Andrew Wilson, a collaborative partnership dedicated to designing and maintaining beautiful, functional gardens across Ayrshire and the west of Scotland. With a blend of horticultural expertise and design knowledge, we create bespoke outdoor spaces tailored to our clients’ needs and lifestyles.
In addition to our design work, we care for a variety of private gardens and estates, managing everything from ornamental borders and productive vegetable gardens to full-scale redesigns. Our practical, hands-on experience ensures that our designs are both aesthetically striking and easy to maintain.
Inspired by nature, wildlife, and permaculture, we take a sustainable approach to garden design, prioritising harmony with the environment. We’re also passionate about giving back to our community, actively volunteering with local groups to foster greener, more vibrant spaces.
Find out more about our services
Lauren Macfadyen
My affinity for nature has been a constant throughout my life. From 2004 to 2009, I studied Geography at Edinburgh University, specialising in human-nature interactions within urban settings. My focus has always been on optimising public and private natural spaces to maximise their potential for human engagement. I’m particularly interested in experimenting with naturalistic planting designs that are low-input with high ecological value, immersive, emotionally engaging, and have a reduced need for maintenance.
In 2010, I completed a Permaculture Design and Organic Horticulture course led by Patrick Whitefield at Ragmans Lane Farm. This experience appealed to my practical side and I enjoy designing systems and spaces to be as efficient as possible using common-sense sustainable practices. This is where my passion for perennial vegetables (especially perennial kale!), heritage vegetable varieties, and seed saving began. Subsequently, I completed RHS Level 2 Certificates in Horticulture to further develop my skills and knowledge. Additionally, I have a keen interest in medicinal plants, stemming from my qualifications as a complementary therapist, and I never leave the house without an essential oil in my bag!
I am a member of propagate.org.uk, working as the community gardener at our joint project with Garrion People’s Housing Co-operative in Wishaw.
Some other ways I like to spend my time are collecting propagating house plants, collecting rocks, sedums and succulents and hanging out with my cats & chickens.
Andrew Wilson
Having spent several years developing my skills in all aspects of garden maintenance and plant care, I decided to formalise my knowledge by completing the RHS Level 2 Certificates in Horticulture. I am particularly interested in how traditional horticultural practices are evolving to bring ecology more firmly into the fold. This passion for dynamic, naturalistic planting principles led me to a course in Naturalistic Planting Design led by Dr. Noel Kingsbury and Prof. Nigel Dunnett, which has influenced how I approach the design process. I am currently undertaking a Professional Development Award in Ecological Surveying and studying field botany through the BSBI Identiplant programme. As a Student Member of CIEEM (Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management), I am dedicated to applying proper ecological standards to the spaces we create.
When designing a garden, I love rethinking how a space works – understanding how people will actually use, live in, and move around it. Because I have the practical, hands-on experience of building and transforming these spaces, I know how to implement those spatial ideas in a way that is makes sense on the ground. Beyond our private gardens, I am also a trustee for our local regeneration association, exploring options to improve green spaces in the local area.
As an enthusiastic chef and home brewer, I take pleasure in cultivating ingredients for the kitchen. I have even dabbled in growing hops and other botanicals for brewing with in our Ayrshire garden.