The garden is being ‘championed’ by the King himself (Image: WPA Pool, Getty Images)
The designer behind The King’s Foundation Curious Garden, for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has revealed she received a telling warning about one of the monarch’s defining characteristics during the creative process. BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill, 36, has taken on the task of designing the garden for this year’s prestigious horticultural event.
According to a statement on The King’s Foundation’s website, the garden is being “championed” by the King himself, alongside Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh.
Speaking to The Telegraph about her experience working on the project, Frances opened up about the journey of designing and bringing the garden to life.
She revealed that she travelled to Highgrove, Gloucestershire, to meet with the King’s gardening team, noting that the word ‘harmony’ was repeated on numerous occasions throughout her visit.
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Alan Titchmarsh, King Charles, Sir David Beckham and Frances Tophill (Image: PA)
Sharing what she had been warned about ahead of designing for the environmentally-conscious monarch, she added: “Everyone keeps saying that he’s so detail focused, that he’ll notice all the tiny things.”
With this in mind, Frances disclosed that she had also been trawling the internet in search of the perfect gnome, as a nod to Highgrove’s renowned garden. She added: “He hides it in the stumpery for the gardeners to find.”
This is not the first occasion on which Frances has spoken publicly about the garden. In a statement featured on The King’s Foundation’s website, she shared her enthusiasm for taking on such a remarkable project.
King Charles has an eye for detail, Frances was warned (Image: Getty)
She said: “I’m so excited to share my first garden for RHS Chelsea Flower Show. With input from His Majesty The King, Alan Titchmarsh and Sir David Beckham, I’ve had a lot of fun incorporating elements both celebrating their involvement and ideas they have contributed.
“With sustainability front and central for His Majesty, there are no man-made materials being used in the garden, and it will be a concrete free construction.”
Frances is recognised across the UK for her numerous appearances on BBC Gardeners’ World, which she has been part of for more than 10 years since she began featuring on the beloved programme when she was just 26.
However, in the same interview, she confessed she had no wish to replicate fellow gardener Monty Don’s level of fame, stating she would find it difficult to lose the freedom to carry out ordinary activities without attracting attention.
In 2023, she stood in for Monty when she presented BBC Gardeners’ World, recording from her garden in Devon, but when she went to assist a friend selling plants she found herself mobbed by admirers.
This proved to be a revealing moment as it offered her a window into what life might be like for Monty when he attempts to pursue some of his favourite pastimes. Frances said: “That’s when I got a glimpse of what being Monty must be like… I don’t want that.”