A historic woodland is set to inspire a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Penn Wood, an ancient forest near Beaconsfield in the Chilterns, is the inspiration behind the Woodland Trust’s Forgotten Forests Garden, designed by Ashleigh Aylett for the 2026 event.

The garden will highlight the decline and restoration of the UK’s ancient, hidden woodlands - many of which are under threat from non-native plantations.

Penn Wood is one of the largest ancient woodlands in the Chilterns, spanning more than 176 hectares and home to veteran beech and oak trees, spring bluebell carpets, and historic open glades.

Read more

Duff gives brutal verdict on Chairboys season hopes, says 'play-offs done for us'
Thames Water fined over A40 Wycombe lane closure with 'no workers present'
'He's done': Wanderers' push for promotion suffers fresh blow

George Griffiths, site manager at Penn Wood for the Woodland Trust, said: "The story told in the Chelsea garden is our story too, and it shows that with patience and care, even a struggling woodland can thrive again."

After the Second World War, much of the site was cleared and replanted with non-native conifers to meet timber demands, resulting in a darker, less biodiverse woodland.

For more than 20 years, the Woodland Trust and volunteers have been working to restore Penn Wood, removing conifers, reintroducing native plants, and allowing more light to reach the forest floor.

The Forgotten Forests Garden will reflect this transformation, taking visitors on a journey from a shadowed, damaged woodland to a restored, vibrant ecosystem.

Ms Aylett visited Penn Wood to inform her design and, with the help of local volunteers, collected Western hemlock for use in the garden.

She said: "It’s about amplifying an urgent regeneration story.

"Designing at RHS Chelsea gives you the chance to influence domestic and commercial garden making and wider conversations about ecology and conservation."

The Woodland Trust warns that thousands of ancient woodlands across the UK face a similar threat, with many sites at risk of further clear-felling and replanting unless action is taken soon.

Penn Wood also faces ongoing pressure from invasive species such as rhododendron and Western hemlock, which shade out native flora and threaten the habitat’s recovery.

The government has pledged to restore 15,000 hectares of privately owned ancient woodland by 2030 but has so far delivered less than one per cent of that target.

The Woodland Trust is calling for a fully funded restoration plan and stronger legal protection for ancient woods in the upcoming England Tree Action Plan.

Nick Phillips, principal forestry policy advocate at the Woodland Trust, said: "If we are serious about saving these precious habitats, we need urgent action – not just empty promises."

The Forgotten Forests Garden is sponsored by Project Giving Back, with additional support from Lloyds Banking Group, Whitkirk, and Hillier Nurseries.