“A rainforest story lies on a cosy window seat in an elegant outdoor room. Delicate, textural plants reminiscent of temperate and tropical rainforests illustrate the power of books to transport you anywhere in the world. As dusk falls, gentle lighting illuminates the scene, highlighting books, maps and translucent glass shelves.” rhs
SILVER MEDALLIST, CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2023
In 2023, we were commissioned to construct our first garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Following working at the International Garden Festival in 2022, this was our second show garden working with the talented designer Gini Denison Pender of Beautiful Wild. The Doorstep Library Garden: Words Take You Places celebrated the community-focused children’s literacy charity Doorstep Library. The garden highlights the importance of rainforests, as well as encouraging children to read.
Doorstep Library is a community-focused literacy charity dedicated to bringing the magic of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children who need our support. With one in four 11-year-olds leaving primary school unable to read or write properly, they recruit and train home and online reading volunteers to go into disadvantaged areas of London and beyond, to introduce young children to the pleasure and benefits of reading.
The idea for the Rainforest Conservation garden began with a simple vision: a window seat surrounded by rainforest greens and books — a space where children could discover the wonder of nature and be inspired to protect it. Reading lies at the heart of that idea, transporting us through imagination into distant ecosystems whose well-being depends on our collective actions. Many tropical rainforest species used in UK gardens are now in decline, alongside the flora and fauna of those regions. This garden celebrates the beauty of sustainable, UK-grown timber and plants that echo the richness of global rainforests while thriving in our climate.
Ferns and mosses from the temperate Atlantic coastal rainforests of the UK and the Pacific rainforests of the US bring a lush variety of greens, chosen for their resilience to the UK’s mild climate. The design also includes hardy relatives of tropical plants — such as Passiflora hybrids, cousins of the passion fruit vines of Brazil’s forests — which can flourish here with a little winter care. Asplenium ferns, found in both tropical and temperate forests, add texture and authenticity to the planting scheme.
Layered planting within orangery-style enclosures creates dappled shade, ideal for understorey species, while climbers like Passiflora reach for sunlight above. The planting medium combines lightweight, water-retentive coir with peat-free compost, ensuring good drainage without heaviness. On a balcony, the same mix would thrive with regular watering and occasional plant swaps — larger specimens moving to ground-level gardens where they can reach full size, continuing the cycle of shared growth.
Every detail of construction was crafted with care and sustainability in mind. All timber came from a single Cedar of Lebanon tree felled for safety reasons. Each piece was individually sanded, planed, and routed, assembled without visible fixings to preserve its natural beauty. The result was a space that felt both refined and alive — a small garden with an enormous impact.
The design featured a cushioned reading nook, recycled glass bookshelves, mirrored walls, hanging kokedama, and two planters overflowing with tropical foliage. Children’s books nestled throughout the garden invited visitors to sit, read, and dream amid the greenery.
Now relocated to the Max Roach Centre in Brixton, the garden continues its purpose — offering children a place to read and connect with nature’s magic. A heartfelt thanks goes to our daughters, Dot and Arabella, whose joy and curiosity on press day brought the garden fully to life. Their wonder captured the spirit of the space: that even the smallest gardens can inspire big ideas about conservation, imagination, and the enduring beauty of our planet’s rainforests.
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