RHS Chelsea 2025

The Wildlife Trusts’: British rainforest garden

A lush garden with a small waterfall, green trees, purple flowers, ferns, and a winding stone pathway.

I was delighted to partner with The Wildlife Trusts once again, to create a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, inspired by the temperate rainforests of Britain.

Sponsored by Project Giving Back and supported by Aviva, this garden drew inspiration from the lush, misty woodlands that once blanketed the west coast of the British Isles. It celebrated these threatened habitats, the unique plants they nurture, and the ambitious 100-year nationwide restoration programme spearheaded by The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva to bring them back.

Once covering a fifth of Britain, these magical rainforests now cling to just 1% of our land. Having spent many happy childhood holidays exploring these rich ecosystems, I felt deeply honoured to champion their protection and renewal through this project, brining back my five year old self’s play palace on the edge of Dartmoor (see first photo).

Behind the Design

This garden was designed for a domestic scale setting, inspired by both my childhood adventures in Devon’s temperate rainforests, particularly the leaning trees and flowing water near my grandparents' home in Lydford. Further inspiration came from a visit to the Devon Wildlife Trust’s Dart Valley Reserve in 2024. This reserve is next to one of the first sites to benefit from The Wildlife Trusts’ temperate rainforest restoration project Bowden Pillars.

The backdrop of the exhibit featured a striking fern and moss wall, inspired by the lush, intricate tapestries of ferns, mosses, and cascading ivy I discovered near streams in this area. I may have slightly fallen in love with the fern wall, which inspired it, which sits on the edge of the Bowden Pillars restoration site.

A raised wooden, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, inspired by those in Wildlife Trust reserves, meandered across mossy, damp ground, offering immersive views while minimising soil disturbance within the design. A key part of the show garden criteria was to ensure 80% or more of the garden was planted.

At the heart of the garden design though - as in these natural environments - was moving water: a stream. Here I modelled it after the Dart River path. It fell down the back wall, then flowed under the boardwalk. Gathering in a tranquil pool in the corner of the garden, it provided a source of enjoyment for humans and wildlife alike. We were delighted with all the wonderful commentary from the show.

The garden also featured native trees like a leaning silver birch, symbolising resilience and the beauty of imperfection. The planting palette was inspired by the specific species of fern and ivy I found in the Dart Valley, alongside British woodland classics like bluebells, cow parsley, and foxgloves.

Championing Conservation Through Collaboration

The Wildlife Trusts’: British Rainforest Garden embodied the shared mission of The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva to restore Britain’s temperate rainforests, a partnership that began in 2023. Plants were responsibly sourced, using peat-free compost. There were also plant loans from two Plant Heritage National Collections including Stone Lane Gardens in Devon.

Located in the All About Plants category, this garden interpreted the unique flora of Britain’s temperate rainforests in a more domestic setting and invited visitors to reconnect with this extraordinary habitat. We were honoured to have won the People’s Choice Award alongside a Silver Gilt Medal.

The garden was built by Frogheath Landscapes with additional planting support and care from Gardens Revived.

Plants from: How Green,Lincolnshire Pond Plants, Kevock Garden Plants, New Wood Trees, Rymer Trees and Highland Moss.

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