'Gardening Needs Shaking Up!'

Gardener Frances Tophill on her mission to inspire a new generation to sow and grow, and working with legends Alan and Monty

 

- Rebecca Fletcher

Frances Tophill is on a mission to turn us all green. Green-fingered that is – in particular, the younger generation whom, she says, aren’t catered for enough on TV.

‘I love the thought that I might inspire young people to get their hands dirty, but first I think the gardening establishment needs shaking up a bit!’ smiles Frances, whose weekly enthusiasm for transforming wastelands into prized gardens in ITV’s Love Your Garden is nothing short of infectious.

‘The audience for gardening programmes is predominantly older people so, naturally, a lot of shows cater for that, but it’s quite alienating for young people. There’s nothing out there that caters for the youth.’