
- Ashwells
- Reclaimed Timber
Ashwells Reclaimed Timber has a long and fruitful relationship with Royal Horticultural Society show-stopping event gardens. Beginning in the 1990s when Mediterranean and conceptual gardens were pushing boundaries, to today’s gardens which focus heavily on sustainable low-impact garden design.
Relive the fourteen award-winning gardens Ashwells Reclaimed Timber has featured within. Discover 1998’s Cleve West at RHS Hampton Court, 2003’s Murdoch Wickham Tree House at RHS Chelsea and follow the rise of reclaimed timber’s use in RHS award-winning gardens.
If you’re inspired, we’d love to welcome you to our timber yard to explore how reclaimed timber can add beauty and sustainability to your next garden design.

1998 RHS Hampton Court
Designer: Cleve West
Garden: Over the Top
Award: Gold
Sponsored by Thames Water, the triangular-shaped redoubt with reclaimed railway sleepers and burnt elm spikes enclosing a large pool fed by rills was designed in collaboration with sculptor, Johnny Woodford.
2003 RHS Chelsea
Designer: Murdoch Wickham
Garden: Tree House
Award: Silver
Murdoch Wickham designed the structure for Pear Tree (Tree House) Ltd. Large sections of reclaimed timber were incorporated within the structure including, waney edged Sequoia broads; Oak keel blocks as seating from The Royal Chatham Docks and edging made from pile points, cut from Greenheart pile ends.


2019 RHS Chelsea
Designer: Joe Perkins
Garden: Facebook: Beyond the Screen
Award: Gold
Reclaimed Greenheart from Whitstable Yacht Club slip took pride of place in the gold medal winning Facebook Garden at RHS Chelsea 2019, designed by Joe Perkins Design. A central feature of the garden is a decked area, suspended over a tranquil pool of water.
Designer: Davis White Duchess of Cambridge
Garden: Back to Nature
Award: Not Judged
Reclaimed Keruing timber from Southend Pier featured as a central walkway feature in the Back to Nature Garden at RHS Chelsea 2019 – co-designed by Andrée Davies and Adam White in collaboration with HRH the Princess of Wales (was Duchess of Cambridge). The garden was displayed at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden before becoming a permanent visitor garden at RHS Garden Wisely.


2021 RHS Tatton
Designer: Freddie Strickland
Garden: On Topic
Award: Gold
Sponsored by Ashwells Reclaimed Timber, the ‘On Tropic’ garden with sub-tropical flora of Cornwall was designed by Freddie Strickland in partnership with Two Circles Design and Chris Briggs. The garden featured tropical timber deck boards reclaimed from Tilbury Docks.
Designer: Peter Lloyd
Garden: Breathe Easy
Award: Silver
Sponsored by Peter Lloyd and Mustard Seed Gardens, the ‘Breathe Easy’ garden promotes mindfulness and the benefits of being in a green space.
Timbers reclaimed from London dockyards were used to create a bold backdrop to the garden as well as resting and seating areas along the sunken path. Timber suppled included, a range of reclaimed sleepers, Oak posts, keel blocks and Opepe boards.


2021 RHS Chelsea
Designer: Taina Suonio
Garden: Finnish Soul Garden
Award: Silver Gilt
Designed by Taina Suonio (the first Finn to design a show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show), the garden illustrates the significance of the Baltic Sea, sauna and the country’s natural landscape to those who live there. Tropical timber reclaimed from a Police jetty on the River Thames features in the garden.
Designer: The Blue Diamond Group Ltd
Garden: The Blue Diamond Forge Garden
Award: Silver
Sponsored by Blue Diamond and built by Conquest Creative Spaces, the garden is natural woodland with a traditional forge at its heart. A reclaimed Greenheart pile takes pride of place as a structural timber in this award-winning design.


Designer: The Blue Diamond Group Ltd
Designer: Martha Krempel
Garden: Arcadia
Award: Not Judged
Martha Krempel’s garden Arcadia was about providing an escape from the bustle of city life. We supplied beautiful ‘tiger face’ reclaimed Jarrah to be transformed into a swing seat.
2021 RHS Hampton Court
Designer: Jamie Butterworth
Garden: Garden for a Green Future
Award: Not Judged
The RHS Garden for a Green Future drew attention to the impact that the changing climate is having on UK gardens and gardeners. The design demonstrates ways in which we can adapt to, and embrace, the changing climate. We supplied a range of reclaimed crossing timbers and crane mats, to be re-used as decking boards. The weight and superior quality of this timber allowed the fitting to be completed in under an hour.


2022 RHS Chelsea
Designer: Lulu Urquart and Adam Hunt
Garden: A Rewilding Britain
Award: Gold
Designed by Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt and built by Landscape Associates, ‘A Rewilding Britain Landscape’ garden features reclaimed Oak timber as a natural beaver dam.
Designer: Joe Perkins
Garden: The Meta Garden – Growing the Future
Garden: Gold
Meta Garden: Growing the Future’ designed by Joe Perkins and built by The Landscape Consultants. Our reclaimed timber features as the central decking area. Ekki bridging timbers from Cambridge.


Designer: Yoshihiro Tamura
Garden: Circle of Life
Award: No Medal
Designed as a sanctuary and a place of escape from the digital world, this small garden sought to represent the cycle of life from beginning to end through different means. Our reclaimed timber was selected to create a patchwork of mosaic sections in this sanctuary garden.
2022 RHS Tatton
Designer: Alex Petitt
Garden: Slow Down, Breathe Deep
Award: Silver
Designed by Alex Pettit and built by Topoforma Landscape, the garden focuses on environmentally conscious design. ’Slow Down, Breathe Deep’ is a relaxing space for staff at a specialist hospital, inspired the NHS. Our reclaimed timber decking boards are a key structural feature in this sustainable garden.
