The garden showcases the vital work the Woodland Trust does to bring the UK’s rare and vulnerable ancient woods back to life after decades of being enveloped by timber plantations of non-native conifers. It illustrates how a dark, densely planted conifer forest can gradually be transformed into a thriving, more diverse woodland rich in flowers, fungi and wildlife. This mirrors the Woodland Trust’s real restoration process: carefully thinning non-native trees to let in sunlight and encouraging the natural return of species such as bluebells and wood anemones from the soil’s dormant seed bank.

Visitors follow the restoration journey of a damaged ancient woodland, moving from a dense, shadowy conifer forest into a regenerated landscape bursting with life, colour and beauty. A key feature of the design is the transitional zone where uniform conifers give way to a richer, naturally regenerating woodland, showing how restoration is a long, evolving journey rather than an instant transformation.