Thomas Rainer, through his writing, teaching, lectures, and practice, has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary planting design.  For more than two decades, he has advanced the art and science of landscape architecture by creating and communicating new knowledge about plant systems, ecological function, and resilient planting strategies. He is a registered landscape architect, teacher, and author. A leading voice in ecological horticulture, Thomas is known for shaping immersive, richly layered plantings that are both visually striking and ecologically resilient. As co-founder of Phyto Studio, he leads planting design and strategy for high-profile public landscapes across North America. His work is rooted in the belief that planting in public gardens should be as conceptually rigorous as it is horticulturally rich—an approach he brings to every phase of design.

Thomas has contributed to planting strategy and design at some of the nation’s most respected public gardens, including the Native Plant Garden at The New York Botanical Garden (while working at OvS), the Grand Entry Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, OH, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Alabama. His work balances interpretive storytelling, botanical diversity, and maintenance practicality—helping institutions reimagine planting not just as backdrop, but as a defining experience. Across more than 100 projects from Maine to Florida, he has developed a reputation for designing plant systems that thrive under the complex demands of public life.

Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia where he was recently awarded one of nine Distinguished Alumni in 2019. He began his career at Oehme, van Sweden and later served as a Principal at Rhodeside & Harwell, where he led planting design for major civic and institutional landscapes. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Architectural Digest, and The Washington Post.

In addition to his professional practice, Thomas has taught planting design at George Washington University and frequently lectures at public gardens, botanic institutions, and design conferences. He is co-author of Planting in a Post-Wild World, named a top book of the year by the American Horticultural Society and widely regarded as a seminal text in contemporary planting design.