BESPOKE GARDEN DESIGN IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, BERKSHIRE & OXFORDSHIRE
– Rigden Studio creates planting-led gardens shaped by their setting and the people who use them. From individual planting schemes to complete garden redesigns, our projects range from small urban courtyards to expansive country gardens. Based in the Chilterns, working across the region and beyond –
AWARD-WINNING DESIGN BY TABITHA RIGDEN, MSGLD
Recognised by House & Garden and the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers, my work brings together thoughtful planning, distinctive materials and planting rooted to place. Sustainability and longevity are central to my approach, creating gardens that stand the test of time.
Tabitha ia a Registered Member of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers, meaning she has passed its rigorous accreditation process. This reflects a commitment to high standards, ethical principles, and environmentally responsible design. Garden Design remains largely unregulated, making bodies like this vital to maintaining standards.
Rigden Studio also achieved SGLD Registered Practice status.
FEATURED GARDEN DESIGNS
Oxfordshire Country Garden
A Mediterranean-inspired country garden with pool, outdoor kitchen and al fresco dining
Surrey Family Garden
A compact urban garden with lush, wildlife-friendly planting and a woodland-edge feel
Award-Winning Pub Garden
A former pub car park transformed into a dining garden, with fire pits and dining spaces defined by naturalistic planting
Tabitha’s enthusiasm, knowledge and attention to detail made the whole process enjoyable from start to finish. We’re thrilled with the result.
-T. Osen, Godalming, Surrey
2023
HOW CAN A GARDEN DESIGNER
BENEFIT YOUR PROJECT?
A garden is a significant part of your home, and good design helps you make the most of it. Like an architect designing a house or extension, a garden designer combines creative vision with technical knowledge to bring all the elements together, helping you make informed decisions from the outset and creating a garden that thrives beautifully for years to come.
There is more to a successful garden than choosing plants that will grow in a particular spot. It takes a deep understanding of how the garden will be used to determine how different areas connect, and how changes in level, water drainage and routes through the space should be handled. The positioning and proportions of paths, terraces and other structures fundamentally influence how the garden feels and functions.
Understanding how plants grow together in natural communities helps create cohesive schemes that feel at home in their setting, work as a whole and develop over time. With increasingly unpredictable weather and a changing climate, choosing trees and plants that can cope with future conditions is also important.
Knowledge of materials, suppliers and specialist makers can make a real difference. The material palette affects not only the appearance of a garden, but how it performs, weathers and ages. Knowing what is available, how materials work together and where to source them helps create a distinctive, well-resolved design, with details that might otherwise be overlooked. Specialist knowledge also allows lighting to be used sparingly to maximum effect.
A garden will naturally evolve as plants mature and materials weather. Good design anticipates these changes, allowing room for growth. A well-designed garden is an investment in your home and the way you live. By bringing the elements together from the outset, a garden designer can help you avoid costly mistakes and work alongside the landscaping team to ensure the design is translated into a well-built, well-planted garden.
We were impressed with Tabitha’s attention to detail, her creativity and depth of knowledge, the quality of the designs and supporting documents. She really listened to what we wanted to achieve and adapted the design to ensure the project respected our budget, finding clever ways to use high quality materials.
– T. O’Flynn, Maidenhead, Berkshire
STUDIO RECOGNITION
HOUSE & GARDEN RISING STAR 2025
Tabitha was honoured to be named Rising Star 2025 at House & Garden’s design awards at Christie’s, London, in April - what a moment. She was one of 10 design talents who claimed an awardsacross 10 categories that spanned Interior design and Garden design. The beautiful David Harber trophy, crafted from a bronze ribbon offcut used in their iconic sundials, now sits proudly in the studio.
A huge thank you to the category sponsors Emma and Hector Finch of Hector Finch Lighting for presenting the award, and to Richard E. Grant for the unforgettable on-stage welcome! We’re deeply grateful to the amazing team at House & Garden for their support and acknowledgment. It was an honour to stand alongside horticultural greats like Sarah Price and Nigel Dunnett, and the gifted individuals from the world of interior design.
HESTIA GARDEN AT THE PLOUGH SHIPLAKE A WINNER AT THE SGLD AWARDS 2025
Tabitha was thrilled to accept the award for New Designer 2025 at the annual ceremony at London's Landmark Hotel - and to discover that Hestia Garden is the first ever pub garden to win a coveted SGLD Award!
The garden was also selected as a finalist in the 'Public Realm Landscapes & Gardens' category for 2025, standing alongside some of the most prominent names in the industry - a major milestone for the studio.
'TRANQUIL COURTYARD GARDEN' SHORTLISTED FOR PROLANDSCAPER AWARD 2024
Our Marlow courtyard garden made it onto the Prolandscaper Projects Award shortlist 2024, in the category for projects costing under £50,000 to build.
This little jewel of a garden is a good example of what can be achieved in a small space, for both biodiversity and aesthetics - and why lawns aren’t for everyone!
Tabitha guided us through the detailed development process including surveying and tender specification. The result was a beautiful space, delivered on budget.
– J. and V. Howe, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
TESTIMONIALS
S. Charles
Wokingham, Berkshire
Working with Tabitha on the landscape design for my new build project in Frieth was great. She understood the design approach really well and created a landscape scheme that complimented the architecture perfectly and married the internal and external spaces beautifully.
B. Gombert
Architect
Connected Architecture, Berkshire
Tabitha was a valuable resource when we didn’t have the perspective to think outside of the box. She helped us gain a clear vision of what might be possible, helping us create a 10 year plan and to understand how we might be able to plant for our ever warming summers. We are grateful to her for her dedication to our project.
C. Black
Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire