GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL, NOVEMBER 2025

A Beacon for Pub Gardens

Featured in the Garden Design Journal, the monthly industry print publication of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers, this feature looks at the transformation of The Plough in Shiplake, near Henley-on-Thames, and the thinking behind our unusual pub garden.

Hestia Garden is a large rural garden created for outdoor dining and entertaining, with an outdoor kitchen and seating for 50 guests, but no lawn. The project went on to win the New Designer category in the 2025 Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Awards and was one of just two gardens shortlisted in the prestigious ‘Commercial Garden Design’ category.

The importance of functionality

With the demands of a busy pub to consider, functionality was central to the design. The article explains how guest and staff circulation, health and safety and the need for generous dining capacity were resolved without losing the feeling of being in a garden.

And how planting became a key part of the solution, with grasses, perennials and twenty mainly native trees defining routes and creating separation between dining areas.

Using existing resources

Cost and sustainability were also important considerations. Rather than replacing an existing retaining wall, we created a planted bank between the garden and car park, with a clipped yew hedge providing screening, sound reduction and wildlife habitat. The gravel garden provided a simple, contemporary framework for the planting, avoiding the need for extensive hard landscaping while giving the large space a strong sense of structure.

Warmth and comfort

The feature also explores the idea of warmth and gathering, inspired by the open fires used in the pub’s outdoor kitchen. A large Corten steel beacon forms the central focal point, complemented by a more secluded fire bowl at the far end of the garden. Together, the Corten steel, gravel and naturalistic planting create a contemporary garden that feels relaxed and rooted in its rural setting – while working hard as a busy commercial space.