British Rainforest Garden enchants judges at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
A reimagined rainforest which pays tribute to one of the UK’s most mysterious and forgotten habitats has been awarded at Chelsea Flower Show.
The iconic event opened its gates to royalty and celebrities on Monday, with a focus on re-wilding and sustainability.
Awards are rolling out for stand-out displays including a debut entry from The Wildlife Trusts, which has received the Silver Gilt Medal from judges.
The Rainforest Garden, designed by Zoe Claymore, is a lush, mossy tribute to the temperate rainforest that once swathed the western coasts of the British Isles.
Ms Claymore said: “I’m proud and delighted to have won a Silver Gilt medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.
“We have challenged convention of what a garden is and we’re celebrating the perfect-imperfect of nature.
“It was such an honour to show His Majesty, The King around our creation – he told me it was his kind of garden.”
On viewing the British Rainforest Garden, visitors are met with a canopy of rowan, oak and birch before following a path which snakes between boulders cloaked in moss and fringed with ferns and lichens.
Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won such a prestigious medal at Chelsea.
“But more than that, we’re thrilled to see these magical, moss-laden rainforests finally getting the recognition they deserve. These are places of wonder – habitats that feel pulled from myth or folklore. Yet they’re real, rare, and right here in Britain.
“This garden is a love letter to them – and a call to help bring them back.”
Once the show ends, the garden will be re-homed at the Bristol Zoo Project, where it will become a permanent, immersive feature.
Visitors are invited to see the garden at site number 340 throughout Chelsea week until its final day on Saturday.
Find out more here: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 – British Rainforest Garden | The Wildlife Trusts
Pictured top: Zoe Claymore stand in her British Rainforest Garden alongside young climate campaigners at Chelsea Flower Show (Picture: Eleanor Church)
