Gardens come in all shapes and sizes, and houseboats have long been an opportunity for gardeners to develop garden boats.
Model Poppy Okotcha shot to fame in her 20s following a series of catwalk appearances for at Chloé, Alberta Ferretti and Vivienne Westwood. Away from the limelight, Poppy is a talented ecological grower and forager. She began her practice whilst living on a houseboat moored near Ladbroke Grove in London. She was inspired to start growing when she decided to plant a supermarket bought ginger root to see if it would take in a pot. Inspired by the success of this, she went onto develop a thriving garden on the roof of her houseboat, affectionately called ‘Big Blue’.
In 2025, Okotcha published her first book, A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us, which is memoir on what she has learnt about herself from her gardening practices. This original illustration for the publication by artist Frances Whitfield was acquired for the Garden Museum from the artist.
Whilst Okotcha’s book reflects on belonging, gardening and becoming embedded in nature, the illustrations depict Okotcha at ease in the garden she has created and present a type of urban gardening and domestic growing in pots on roof terraces and balconies which will resonate with many urban growers.
