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Award-winning land transformed from a car park into a stunning beer garden, recognized as the top in the nation.

Vibrant hospitality blooms in the modern interpretations of Tabitha Rigden at The Plough Shiplake's pub garden, transforming a former parking lot into a lush, well-tended outdoor space.

Incredible Beer Garden Transformed from Car Park Wins Nationwide Accolade for its Stunning...
Incredible Beer Garden Transformed from Car Park Wins Nationwide Accolade for its Stunning Landscaping

Award-winning land transformed from a car park into a stunning beer garden, recognized as the top in the nation.

Award-Winning Beer Garden at The Plough in Shiplake Offers a Contemporary Oasis

The Plough in Shiplake, a charming pub near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, has undergone a remarkable transformation, thanks to the vision of Tabitha Rigden, the talented mind behind Rigden Studio. The new beer garden, now a tranquil haven for visitors, is a testament to Tabitha's expertise in creating secluded, sensory spaces1.

The garden, spanning around 640 square metres, has been strategically designed to offer a sense of privacy and comfort. Tabitha's tips for achieving this include using island-style beds, underplanted multi-stem trees, clipped yew hedging, and a combination of clump-forming ornamental grasses[1]. The garden's soil, which was poor and slightly alkaline, was improved with topsoil.

The garden's planting scheme is a delightful blend of robust and resilient plants, such as Euphorbia x martini and grasses like Deschampsia cespitosa and Sesleria autumnalis. Mediterranean-style perennials, including Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' and Salvia 'Blue Spire', add a touch of the exotic[1]. To evoke warmth, Tabitha has incorporated flaxen grasses and russet tones.

The garden's hardiness zone is USDA 8b, reflecting the temperate climate created by its hillside location. The bar leads to the garden via a limestone-stepped, scented walkway, while the path leading to the pub from the new car park is bounded by woodland-edge plants.

Tabitha's goal was to create a sensory journey and a dry Mediterranean bank in the garden. To achieve this, she recommends choosing furniture that continues the theme of translucency to blend with the planting[1]. The garden features generously sized beds of gravel planting with grasses such as Stipa gigantea and Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Transparent'.

The garden's creation was part of an initiative to save the community pub from developers. The new owners moved the pub's entrance to a quieter side road, and the garden's new location on a more elevated site offers better views of the surrounding countryside[1].

For more detailed insights into this celebrated project, including precise plant varieties, seclusion tips, and additional design details, consulting the full Gardens Illustrated article or design portfolio by Tabitha Rigden is highly recommended[1]. Rigden Studio's work can be found at rigdenstudio.co.uk, and more information about The Plough can be found at theploughshiplake.co.uk.

[1] Gardens Illustrated, From pub car park to garden of the year, 2020, www.gardensillustrated.com/content/from-pub-car-park-to-garden-of-the-year/

The award-winning beer garden at The Plough in Shiplake, a transformed pub, offers a sensory experience blending robust plants, Mediterranean perennials, and ornamental grasses, creating a contemporary oasis within a home-and-garden lifestyle. The new garden design, a tranquil haven, follows the principles of a dry Mediterranean bank, with gravel beds, translucent furniture, and clipped yew hedging, enhancing the home décor.

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