THE ‘TIPP IN’ PUB GARDEN
RHS URBAN SHOW 2024
RHS x MEN FEATURE GARDEN
It was a pleasure to be invited to design and install a feature garden for the first ever RHS Urban Show, located inside the iconic Depot Mayfield, Manchester.
The brief for this project was to install container planting that would dress a bar area during the show and that could be relocated to a competition-winning pub in the greater Manchester area.
The competition was run by the Manchester Evening News with the winner being announced at the show. Due to the nature of the project, the containers and planting chosen had to be easily adaptable to a range of locations.
Europlanters troughs were chosen in a range of sizes to allow flexibility, and the planting selected is relatively low maintenance, hardy, and beneficial for wildlife. It will provide seasonal interest as well as a structure of evergreen plants for greenery during the colder months.
Plant List
Crataegus prunifolia ‘Splendens’ / Acer griseum / Fatsia ‘Green Fingers’ / Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ / Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ / Carex ‘Evergold’ / Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ / Asplenium scolopendrium / Heuchera / Tiarella cordifolia / Polystichum aculeatum / Pachysandra ‘Green Carpet’ / Pieris ‘Flaming Silver’ / Polypodium vulgare / Geranium mac. ‘Spessart’ / Euphorbia ‘Martinii’ / Cercidiphyllum ‘Magma’
Design: Emma Tamsin Tipping (Tipping Studio)
Sponsors: RHS / Manchester Evening News / Europlanters
Murals: art.beets
Plant suppliers: Ladybrook Nursery / Big Green Plant Centre
Photos: RHS / Manchester Evening News
RELOCATION TO THE STAR INN PUB, SALFORD
I had the honour of being on the judging panel for the pub garden competition and of announcing the well-deserved winner, The Star Inn in Salford.
The Star Inn is a truly local pub, loved and looked after by the community but, uniquely, also owned by them. It boasts the title of ‘Britain’s first co-operatively owned pub’. This community spirit was made so evident during our short time in Salford as we arrived to see that some lovely locals had come to give the outside a fresh coat of paint and a pressure wash to make sure it looked it’s best.
In many urban communities, pubs serve as vital social hubs, offering spaces for people to meet, socialise, and connect. Many pubs host group activities, such as community classes, board game nights, live music, and the ever-popular pub quizzes—activities that are especially meaningful in a time when loneliness is on the rise. In urban areas, where outdoor spaces are both rare and often expensive, pub gardens provide accessible spaces that everyone can enjoy. One of the pubs involved in this competition was recommended by a local who passed it on her daily commute, highlighting just how integral these spaces are to our everyday lives.
