Having previously featured in
House Beautiful s list of emerging female gardeners, find out more about Poppy Okotcha s modelling past and how she s become horticulture s newest rising star.
Poppy appears in Channel 4
• Poppy was born in London but grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. During her teenage years she moved back to the UK, spending time in the British countryside, and spent her early 20s in London.
• As a trained horticulturist and ecologically-focussed grower, Poppy s mission is to inspire people to engage with and connect to the natural world. She also advocates for those who are under-represented and marginalised in both horticulture and environmentalism. Whilst confirming her new TV slot via Instagram, Poppy reflected on why her casting is significant in addressing diversity in horticulture, writing:
Rejoice! Spring is in sight: how and where to spot the signs of nature telegraph.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telegraph.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The British Trust for Ornithology reports its membership has doubled since enabling free access to its year-round Garden BirdWatch survey in March 2020. Photograph: incamerastock/Alamy Stock Photo
Grassroots bird-watching and gardening groups have seen an influx of new members during the pandemic, which has reignited a British love-affair for birds and their song.
“People have loved watching birds in the garden and it’s one of the great solaces of nature,” says Fran Halsall, founder of Sheffield’s Wildlife Gardening community Facebook group, which has nearly tripled in size since the first lockdown.
“Over lockdown, the group was incredibly busy. I’m expecting a big influx into our community in the spring. We’ve also had quite a lot of interest in bird walks in Ecclesall Woods, although unfortunately we’ve had to cancel some of them for reasons of safety.”