Frances Tophill visits our School Gardening Champion of the Year

Horticulturalist, author and TV presenter Frances Tophill recently visited teacher Felicity Sturge at Guildford High School in Surrey to present her with her award.

10 July 2023

Frances Tophill, horticulturalist, author, TV presenter and long-time supporter of the RHS School Gardeners of the Year competition, recently visited Guildford High School to celebrate the achievements of Maths and Politics teacher Felicity Sturge, winner of the RHS School Gardening Champion of the Year 2023. 
   
The visit was part of Felicity’s prize for winning the award, which is presented to an adult who inspires young people and has shown a passion for encouraging gardening at their school. Read on to find out more about the visit and discover what tips Felicity has to share that you might be able to try out in your school gardening space… 

Early awareness of the natural world 

The day began with a special assembly for pupils from years 7 to 12, where Geography teacher and Sustainability Lead Sharon Howitt, who nominated Felicity for the award, shared the video Felicity submitted as part of the competition.  

Frances addressed the pupils, explaining where her love of gardening came from and congratulating them on their school garden – she said she wished she’d known about gardening much earlier than her early twenties!   

“It's so important to ignite young people with an excitement and fascination for the natural world, whether it's in growing or in studying nature, or inspiring a potential career.” 

- Frances Tophill

While presenting Felicity with her certificate and the school’s £500 of National Gardening Gift vouchers, Frances commented that to create nurturing spaces, it takes special people like Felicity. In September, the school will also take receipt of a patio glasshouse, kindly donated by Hartley Botanic.  


 
The RHS is delighted to recognise how in a short space of time, Felicity transformed an unloved patch of land near the sports centre into a thriving school garden filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables. Her vision was to create an educational space that can also be used by students to relax and improve mental wellbeing and encourage an appreciation of nature. 

An inspiring role model

Frances praised Felicity as an inspiring role model for young people who works tirelessly to enrich the people she encounters in her school life.

“To create, nurture and maintain this garden and engage so many people is incredible but the fact that Felicity makes time to do this alongside her full-time, busy teaching job and all the pressure that brings is humbling. The world needs more Felicitys!” 

- Frances Tophill

Felicity led a tour of the garden highlighting the habitats for wildlife that the children have created and the use of recycled materials such as an old wheelbarrow for herbs. The pupils grow vegetables that are unusual to grow in the UK such as  Achocha: Giant Bolovian; Patty pan: Sunburst; and Beans (growing for Guildford Seed Bank): White Lady and Kew Blue, which helps educate them on where food comes from. Flower wise Felicity is planting with an eye on what will look good in September when the children return from the school holidays including dahlias; sunflowers; cosmos; and cobea (climbing around the hazel arch that welcomes people into the garden).  

Felicity explained that the children enjoy planting pots, composting, planting bulbs, sowing seeds, thinning seedlings, picking produce and potting up dahlias.

“We have all learned through trial and error about what will grow best in different areas of the garden depending on soil type, light saturation and competition from permanent shrubs and trees.” 

- Felicity Sturge

A calming oasis

As well as Felicity’s commitment to running a gardening programme alongside her teaching responsibilities, this year’s judging panel was impressed with Felicity’s outreach programme which invites children from a network of 13 local primary schools to share the garden and its benefits and experience outdoor learning. 
 
Rebecca Falkner, a Teaching Assistant at Holy Trinity Pewley Down – one of the primary schools in the network, explained how beneficial it is for the children to come to the garden:

“Felicity shows them how to grow and they taste peas, drink homemade elderflower cordial...they're so interested. It feels like an oasis in the middle of the week. We remind the children of their focus while they are on their way here – learning to share, letting others have a turn first and learning to work as a group, and we see it make a difference back at school.”  

Children from Holy Trinity Pewley Down enjoyed planting seeds during the visit – Pak choi (red and green varieties), Mooli radish, tatsoi, mustard Purple Frills as well as Shooting Star courgettes. They also helped plant out Alchemilla mollis in the borders. 

“I got my mum to give me a big lemonade bottle. I put some good soil in so I'm growing beans, pumpkins, potatoes. I'm literally growing everything. I found all the seeds in the compost and Felicity said I could keep them.”

- Pupil from Holy Trinity Pewley Down

Felicity demonstrated how to make a bouquet using flowers from her own allotment. Pupils presented the bouquet, containing jasmine, rosemary, sweet peas, cornflowers, snap dragons, nasturtiums, larkspur and nigella to Frances.   

Celebrating the garden

“It's been amazing having Frances here. We are all a bit star struck! It's been lovely to celebrate the garden and the children's hard work.”

- Felicity Sturge

Year 7 ‘Greener Guildford High School’ members also participated in the celebrations. Sharon Howitt explained the transition from after-school activity to curriculum time. 

“We started Greener GHS as an after-school club, then introduced tree planting days. We have partnered with Surrey Wildlife Trust who have come in and led Science lessons outdoors focusing on areas like sampling biodiversity, and next year we're introducing a Natural History lesson for Year 9s, linked to a new GCSE in Natural History in 2025.”

Engaging students

The garden presents many learning opportunities and Felicity is keen to reach and engage as many students as possible. In September 2021 she launched a new General Studies course in horticulture for sixth formers which runs with a partner school. 

“Well done to Felicity and everyone in the gardening team. You are contributing to a sustainable Guildford High School and a sustainable Guildford.”

- Karen Laurie, headteacher

For more photos and videos look at our Instagram highlights.  
 
The Campaign for School Gardening is here to support you on your gardening journey. Visit the site for useful resources, training courses and information on how to sign up for our School Gardening Awards. 
 

Felicity’s gardening tips