| I’ve always been curious. About wildlife, history, science, people, places, things that are changing and things we have almost forgotten. Sometimes something catches my attention simply because I don’t know the answer. At other times, a thought begins with “what if?” and ends up somewhere rather unexpected. Gardens, plants and wildlife will naturally appear often. They are part of my everyday world and have given me years of observations, questions and opinions. But curiosity has never needed to stay within the garden gate. The Gardener’s Curious Journal is simply a journal of the things that make me stop, think, question or wonder. Some will be practical, some thoughtful, some speculative and some perhaps slightly peculiar. Sometimes I’m simply curious to see where a thought leads. |
Latest from the Journal …
My Top Ten Stresses?
The gardens aren’t the stressful part. A working gardener reveals the real pressures behind running a modern gardening business, from wages and pricing to employees, contracts and rising costs.
The Quiet Lives of Britain’s Birds
Discover why the Barn Owl is far more than Britain’s most recognisable nocturnal bird, and what its silent evening flights reveal about our gardens, countryside and the habitats we often overlook.
A Sharp Habit
Why clean, sharp and well-maintained garden tools matter for healthier plants, easier gardening and longer-lasting equipment.
If Grass Refused to Grow
What if lawns stopped growing? A reflective and gently humorous exploration of Britain’s favourite garden feature, and what its silence might reveal about the way we think about gardens.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written years apart, exploring memory, the changing seasons and how time transforms longing into gratitude through the timeless return of swans each spring.
The Bull, the Scorpion and the Person Between Them
A reflection on astrology, autism, ageing and identity, asking whether we can change our stars or grow into different versions of ourselves.
What If the Walls Went Back Up?
What if Sandwich remained isolated for months? An imagined epilogue exploring how prolonged flooding could transform food, gardens, community and everyday survival.
The Garden Butler Essays
Every garden has something to teach. Rory reflects on how plants, clients, weather and experience continue to shape the gardener throughout a lifetime of learning.
What If the Walls Went Back Up?
As the floodwaters retreat and Sandwich reconnects with the outside world, what did sixty days of isolation teach us about food, water, resilience and survival?
The Living Garden Study
A reflective essay on the ecological value of a wildlife garden estate, exploring pollinators, birds, ponds, seasonal rhythm and real-world garden practice in the UK.
If One Plant Couldn’t Be Stopped
What if an ordinary creeping plant appeared in British gardens and simply couldn’t be eradicated? A speculative tale of persistence, adaptation and the moment gardeners realise nature cannot always be controlled.
African Insects
A reflective look at African mantids, stick insects and predators, exploring camouflage, patience, chemical defence and ecological efficiency.
Whatever Happened to Renard Moreau?
A reflection on the disappearance of blogger Renard Moreau, old WordPress communities, online friendships, AI, and the familiar voices we still miss.
The Hidden Craft of Gardening
A reflective look at how professional gardeners see gardens differently, revealing the quiet observations and hidden relationships that shape every well-cared-for landscape.
What If the Walls Went Back Up?
As Sandwich remains cut off by extreme flooding, everyday life begins to change. Food, water, power and community reveal what really matters when normal supplies stop.
We’re Gardeners… But We’re People Too
Discover the person behind the gardener. A reflective journal on curiosity, identity, writing, nature and why gardeners have lives far beyond the garden gate.
Within Living Memory
How reliable is memory? A gardener reflects on observation, evidence and why understanding the natural world begins with curiosity rather than certainty.
If We Were No Longer at the Top of the Food Chain
What if humans quietly slipped down the garden’s food chain? A humorous and thought-provoking look at sharing our gardens with the wildlife that already believes it belongs there.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written nearly twenty years apart, reflecting on an Asperger’s diagnosis, self-discovery, acceptance and the journey from seeking understanding to finding purpose and peace within oneself.
African Insects
A reflective exploration of African locusts, grasshoppers, katydids and cockroaches, examining rainfall, swarming, seasonal abundance and ecological correction.
What If the Walls Went Back Up?
What happens when extreme flooding cuts Sandwich off from the outside world? A fictional but realistic look at isolation, food, power and survival.
The Garden Butler Essays
Businesses evolve, just as gardens do. Rory reflects on why not every client relationship is meant to last forever, and how finding the right fit benefits both the gardener and the client.
If Plants Started Failing Quietly
What if garden plants didn’t suddenly die, but quietly became weaker each year? A reflective look at plant stress, changing seasons and the danger of accepting gradual decline as normal.
Life Beneath a UK Garden Pond
Discover the remarkable wildlife living beneath a UK garden pond throughout the seasons. From frogs and dragonflies to microscopic predators, learn how even a small pond supports biodiversity and benefits your entire garden.
The Edge of Discovery
Discover what cryptozoology really is in Case File 01 of The Edge of Discovery. Explore the history, science and philosophy behind the investigation of mysterious animals in an original, evidence-based introduction.
African Insects
A reflective exploration of African beetles, from dung beetles and desert darklings to jewel, rhinoceros and longhorn beetles adapted to heat and hard ground.
Why Do We Still Think Gardening Should Be Cheap?
Why is professional gardening still expected to be cheap? We explore the skills, knowledge, experience and responsibility behind professional garden care.
If Day of the Triffids Happened… Slowly
What if Day of the Triffids happened slowly? A thoughtful, humorous exploration of how gradually changing growing seasons could leave gardeners quietly struggling to keep pace with nature.
If Insects Became the Size of Buses
For one impossible day, Britain’s insects become enormous: football-sized aphids, bicycle-sized bees, car-sized butterflies and beetles as big as buses. Gardening carries on regardless.
Within Living Memory
Every garden is unique. A gardener reflects on observation, changing weather, microclimates and why learning to see is the most important skill in caring for the natural world.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written twenty years apart, exploring solitude, purpose and the quiet journey from isolation to understanding through the passing of time.
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The Gardener's Curious Journal 