In the first in a new series in collaboration with garden designer Ashleigh Aylett, discover what inspired her design for the Woodland Trust Forgotten Forests Garden, which has won a gold medal and Best All About Plants garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and get expert tips and advice to bring a sense of the delicate beauty of ancient woodland to your own garden
Following an earlier collaboration with the Woodland Trust on a show garden for RHS Tatton, where we were awarded a gold medal, last year I was invited to explore how the story of ancient woodland restoration might be translated into a show garden at RHS Chelsea. With the Woodland Trust’s long-standing commitment to protecting and restoring ancient native woodland, and a growing focus on highlighting the hidden potential of these “forgotten forests”, this was a natural fit with my own interest in naturalistic, process-led design.
The latest news from Chelsea 2026
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show to be sponsored by Range Rover in 2026
- Big changes for RHS Flower Shows in 2026: here's what's different
- The RHS has lifted its gnome ban for Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - for one important reason
As a garden designer, much of my work is inspired by landscapes, observing how plants behave in the wild, how they grow, compete and intermingle over time and in translating those qualities into gardens that feel expressive rather than controlled. For the Forgotten Forests garden, I was drawn to the challenge of translating something as slow and complex as woodland recovery into a space that could be experienced more immediately. Working collaboratively with the Woodland Trust, we developed a design that captures this process of regeneration, and with the support of Project Giving Back, we were fortunate to secure the funding to bring it to life at Chelsea.
The campaign by the Woodland Trust has drawn attention to what they describe as our “forgotten forests”, areas of ancient woodland that have been cleared and replanted with non-native conifer plantations, yet still retain a remarkable ecological richness beneath the surface.
Ancient woodlands are among our most diverse and culturally significant landscapes, shaped over centuries, and yet they are increasingly rare. Since the 1950s, almost 40 per cent have been lost, replaced by dense plantations of fast-growing non native trees, usually conifers, grown for timber. Despite this, traces of the original woodland often remain, held in the soil, in the seed bank, and in the species that struggle to persist. These are the habitats we risk overlooking.
Discover more about the gardens at Chelsea 2026
- First details of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026: discover who is designing what
- RHS announces five All About Plants gardens for Chelsea Flower Show 2026
- Chelsea Flower Show 2026: balcony and container gardens announced
We need timber production, just not on the small area of ancient woodland that remains. As many of these plantations now reach maturity, there is a brief and critical window to restore the ancient woodland beneath them, and to allow these ecosystems to recover.Our ‘pocket woodland’, in the All About Plants category, offers a hopeful next step in bringing the story of the UK’s forgotten forests into public view. It aims to reveal the hidden ancient woodlands that lie beneath conifer plantations, and the potential for their gradual restoration. We hope it will spark a renewed curiosity about the landscapes just beyond our doors, and the possibility of bringing a little of that woodland feeling into our own gardens.
Planting inspiration for your own ‘pocket woodland’ garden
The garden is full of ideas and inspiration for how you can bring the atmosphere of native woodland into your own outdoor space, however large or pocket sized that may be. The backbone of the planting is formed by ancient woodland indicator species that create a restful green tapestry, lifted by pops of colour from species such as red campion and dog rose. Visitors will also notice Viburnum opulus (guelder rose) - formally recognised as an ancient woodland indicator in Britain. Silene dioica (red campion) is another vibrant ancient woodland indicator that flowers for months, adding pink colour and soft texture. A touch of drama comes from Osmunda regalis (royal fern): Britain’s largest native fern, with fronds that can be over 1m tall.
Trees we’ve chosen include Acer campestre (field maple): a medium-sized deciduous tree celebrated for its five-lobed leaves and gentle autumn colour. Although people are sometimes nervous about adding trees to their space, I hope they see how they add so much character to the naturalistic planting as well as being crucial in terms of the biodiversity of your garden.
Where it all started…
Growing up in rural Bedfordshire, one of my first memories of woodland is of walking through a small copse near my home, where the light seemed to shift with every step. Crouching down to look more closely, I peered at moss carpeting the edges of fallen branches, at seedlings pushing quietly through the leaf litter, at the intricate patterns in bark that felt almost like maps. There was a sense that everything was connected, even if I didn’t yet understand how. I would spend hours there, tracing textures, watching the dappled light move through the canopy, aware of how different it felt from the open spaces beyond.
Perhaps that’s what continues to draw me back to woodland again and again. It's not just the trees themselves, but the sense that there is always something just beneath the surface about to reveal itself. As we grow older, these places can slip into the background, something passed through rather than paid attention. Woodland can appear constant, even unchanging, yet so many woodlands have been altered, reshaped or quietly obscured over time. Without care, we risk losing not only these landscapes, but the complex richness that makes them what they are.
Next month
This series will explore more of our much-loved native trees, alongside the layers that sit around them, from ground flora to edge habitats and the relationships between plants, and the atmosphere they create together. We will share more ideas for creating your own forest garden and suggest trees for every season.
Find out more
Find out more about Ashleigh Aylett and the Forgotten Forests Garden for the Woodland Trust
Follow Ashleigh on Instagram @ashleightaylett Find out more about the Woodland Trust’s Forgotten Forests campaign
