A RENOWNED TV gardening presenter swapped the studio for soil at a special community fundraising event at Daisy Nook Garden Centre.
Frances Tophill delivered a talk on the theme ‘there is no right and wrong in gardening’ and helped to raise £2,000 for homelessness charity Petrus.
She encouraged those in attendance to embrace individuality in their green spaces, discussing how gardens can reflect personalities as much as they do homes, and how ‘breaking the gardening rule book’ can nurture a more joyful connection with nature.
Her talk was followed by an open Q&A, where visitors shared their own gardening philosophies and experiences. Proceeds from ticket sales will support Petrus’ work helping people affected by homelessness across Oldham, as well as in Rochdale and Burnley.
Renowned garden presenter Frances Tophill has visited Daisy Nook Garden Centre
Later in the day, Frances hosted a free workshop for local schoolchildren – including from Brian Clarke Academy in Oldham, who took part in an interactive bulb-planting session.
“To have the chance to meet some lovely gardeners, and potentially the next generation of gardeners, growers and ecologists, all rolled into a fun day of conversation and learning is a lovely thing to be involved with anyway,” said Frances.
“But for the whole thing to make a contribution towards tackling homelessness and making a difference to those in society who need our help, thoughts and actions the most, is a genuine privilege.”
The event was the first of its kind for family-run garden retailer J.Parker’s, which has pledged to host at least 24 free gardening talks a year at Daisy Nook on the Tameside-Oldham border.
Plans are also in motion for panel-style events featuring local experts, and a monthly children’s gardening club launching in January 2026.
“We are delighted to have had Frances pop along and give such an insightful, fun and interesting talk to local gardeners,” said Edward Doherty, Marketing Manager at J.Parker’s.
“It has been great to share our commitment to community engagement with her and raise some funds to help Sonia, Silvana and the amazing team at Petrus to continue the work they do. In particular, it has been great for the local school children to come along and meet her in person, experiencing first hand her genuine passion for developing the next generation of gardeners.”
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