The coast is an area where the sea meets the land, a place of great energy, constant change and rich biodiversity. What unique challenges do we face in using the coastline as a site of growing and eating? What opportunities could there be to nourish ourselves from this shifting and dynamic landscape?
Intertidal Allotment artist Andrew Merritt and Cement Fields Director Jon Davis are delighted to be joined by gardener, presenter and author, Frances Tophill, in a conversation about growing and eating coastal plants. Frances, who grew up in Kent, is well known for her on-screen work, award-winning show garden and as the author of five books on gardening. Here we explore her lasting interest in the Kent coastline as a habitat and her ideas for gardening in unexpected locations.
About Frances Tophill
Frances started her love affair with plants doing an NVQ and apprenticeship at The Salutation Garden in Kent followed by a degree in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Her practical gardening experience is extensive: she worked a season at Monet’s garden, has worked at the Andromeda Botanical Garden in Barbados and has done WWOOF work at a number of different locations, including work on vineyards and in viticulture. Frances has spent many years working in gardens with vulnerable adults, including adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges. She is passionate about conversation and sustainability and has worked in native tree planting for the Conifer Conservation Project in Edinburgh and for Moor Trees in Devon. Frances is the Patron of Thanet Urban Forest and works with the RHS on the Campaign for School Gardening. She is currently Head Gardener and Grower at Sharpham Trust. In 2022 Frances was awarded best show garden for a sustainable garden design and build at Gardeners’ World Live. On screen Frances is known for her work with Gardeners’ World and Love Your Garden. She is the author of five books and her down to earth nature makes her a popular speaker at garden events.
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Eating the Coastline is part of the wider project Intertidal Allotment. Our 2024-2025 Intertidal Allotment events programme invites people to explore ideas and test out materials for a new community allotment on the north coast of Sheppey – a proposed functional artwork by artist Andrew Merritt, one half of the artist duo Something & Son. As we move into the prototyping phase, we will be offering stimulating conversations on the project’s themes and hands-on activities to test materials and forms for the world’s first coastal allotment.
The project is kindly supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and The National Lottery Community Fund. With additional support from Ideas Test, Swale Borough Council, and Kent County Council. To find out more, click here.
