Frances Tophill is a British horticulturist, author, and television presenter known for her contributions to Love Your Garden and Gardeners' World. She has written eight books.
Early life Tophill was born in Deal, Kent, and is one of three sisters. She did a BTEC in jewellery design, but was not interested in jewellery, and, aged 19, decided she wanted to be a gardener. She did an apprenticeship at the garden at The Salutation, Sandwich. She went on to a degree in horticulture with plantsmanship from the Scottish Agricultural College and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, finishing in 2013.
Career In 2011, Tophill auditioned as a presenter on ITV's Love Your Garden, and was successful. In 2016, she became a presenter on the BBC's Gardeners' World.
In June 2022, her first show-garden won a platinum medal and best in show at Gardeners' World Live at the NEC in Birmingham. It showed a post-apocalyptic garden.
Her book, The Modern Gardener: A practical guide for creating a beautiful and creative garden (Octopus Publishing, 2022), has been described as containing a "passionate, environmental debate" about gardening and gardeners.
Tophill works with the Royal Horticultural Society's Campaign for School Gardening to promote gardening to young people.
She is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002htd6
Personal life
Tophill lives in Devon. She is a quilter and amateur ceramicist.
Books The First-Time Gardener. Kyle Books, 2015 The Container Gardener. Kyle Books, 2017, Container Gardener's Handbook. Companion House Books, 2018, Rewild Your Garden: Create a haven for birds, bees, and butterflies. Quercus Books, 2020, The Modern Gardener: A practical guide for creating a beautiful and creative garden. Octopus Publishing, 2022, A Year in a Small Garden: Creating a Beautiful Garden in Any Space. BBC Books - Ebury Publishing, 2024,
References
External links https://www.gardenersunearthed.com/2020/01/frances-tophill.html