| Welcome to The Gardener’s Curious Journal 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. Other times, a thought begins with “what if?” and ends up somewhere unexpected. I’m a working gardener, so gardens, plants and wildlife naturally appear here often. They are part of my everyday world and have given me years of observations, questions and opinions. There are plenty of times when I’ll stop to photograph a plant, identify something unfamiliar or look for an answer to something I’ve noticed while working. But gardeners don’t only think about gardening while they garden. Much of the work becomes familiar with experience. You’re concentrating on what you’re doing, watching the garden and doing what needs to be done, but your mind is still free to notice things, remember things and wonder about things. A job can trigger a childhood memory, an insect can spark a question about the natural world, an old wall can make me wonder about history, and sometimes a completely unrelated thought arrives while I’m pushing a mower, pruning a shrub, or sweeping a path. That is really how The Gardener’s Curious Journal works. Gardening is where many of these thoughts begin, but it doesn’t have to end there. Curiosity has never needed to stay within the garden gate. So you’ll find articles here about gardens and plants, but also wildlife, insects, climate, history, memories, forgotten places, strange possibilities and subjects that made me stop and think. Some pieces are practical, some thoughtful, some speculative and some perhaps slightly peculiar. This isn’t intended to be a traditional gardening blog. It’s a personal journal written by a gardener who happens to be curious about rather a lot of things. Sometimes I know exactly where an article is going. Sometimes I’m curious to see where a thought leads. |
Latest from the Journal …
Plants Worth Looking at Twice
A closer look at the Japanese anemone, a beautiful late-flowering perennial with an unexpected history and a determined habit of spreading.
The World’s 50 Most Remarkable Tarantulas
A journey through 50 of the world’s most remarkable tarantulas, exploring their extraordinary diversity, behaviour, habitats, adaptations and natural history.
I Used to Go Looking for Ghosts
A personal journey from teenage ghost hunting to an unexpected fear of horror, exploring haunted houses, Candyman, Annabelle and why fear stays with us.
Extraordinary Gardening Adventures
Rory and John follow traces of human activity through the prehistoric landscape and discover an enormous abandoned garden — along with unsettling evidence that they may not be the first people to have found their way there.
The Lost Art of Sweeping
Why sweeping remains an essential gardening skill, from choosing the right broom to mastering paths, leaves and the final garden tidy.
The Hidden Craft of Gardening
Discover why the smallest finishing touches often make the greatest difference, and how the quiet jobs at the end of a day’s gardening shape the way a garden feels.
If Growth Became Too Fast to Manage
What if plants began growing faster than gardeners could manage? A speculative look at how rapid growth could transform garden maintenance, wildlife, green waste and the way we think about control.
The Edge of Discovery
Bigfoot is the world’s most famous unknown animal, but what does the evidence really show? Case File 03 investigates sightings, footprints, DNA, hoaxes, ecology and the enduring mystery of Sasquatch.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written nineteen years apart, exploring memory, betrayal, change and the freedom that comes from leaving the past behind and embracing another dawn.
Extraordinary Gardening Adventures
Rory and John step beyond the impossible garden shed and discover an ancient world of strange plants, unfamiliar landscapes and one unmistakable dinosaur.
The Soil Hub Revisited
Follow the evolving Soil Hub schematic as we test compost ovens, receiving kraals, leaf mould and a twelve-month soil-building experiment.
Do I Only Write Long-Winded Articles?
A friend asked whether I only write long-winded articles. It made me wonder whether long-form blogging still has a place, and how long an article really needs to be.
The Soil Hub Revisited
The Soil Hub finally has a field. We begin a long-term experiment turning garden green waste into finished soil improver through aerobic composting, worms, and vermicast.
When Nobody Comments, Is Anybody Actually Reading?
When nobody comments, is anybody reading? A look at blog statistics, quiet readers, WordPress engagement and why a quiet journal isn’t an empty one.
Extraordinary Gardening Adventures
An ordinary shed clearance takes an impossible turn when Rory and John discover there is rather more behind a client’s garden shed than there ought to be.
The Hidden Craft of Gardening
Discover why restoring a garden isn’t about removing the most plants, but understanding what deserves to remain. A thoughtful reflection on restraint, balance and the hidden craft of professional gardening.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written years apart, reflecting on the harsh winter of 2010–2011, solitude, resilience and the quiet strength forged through one of life’s most challenging seasons.
If the Garden Centre Closed — Permanently
What if the garden centre closed permanently? A gently apocalyptic look at how gardeners might rediscover propagation, composting, repair, sharing and old-fashioned self-relianc
How Many Insects Do You Walk Past Every Day?
How many insects do we walk past without ever noticing? A gardener’s look at the extraordinary hidden insect life occupying ordinary gardens and everyday spaces.
The Difficult Business of Keeping Clients Happy
Explore the challenges small businesses face in keeping clients happy while managing rising costs, price increases, concessions, loyalty and long-term sustainability.
North American Insects
A reflective exploration of North American ants, bees and wasps, and the hidden networks that move soil, pollinate plants and regulate insect populations.
Within Living Memory
Has the natural world become quieter? A gardener reflects on sixty years of birds, insects, wildlife and changing gardens, asking what memory and evidence reveal about Britain’s vanishing natural chorus.
Where Do Our Thoughts Go When We Have Finished With Them?
Where do forgotten thoughts go? A gardener’s curiosity leads into the science of thought, attention, learning and memory, and asks whether forgotten experiences can continue to shape what we notice next.
The World’s 50 Strangest Insects
Explore The World’s 50 Strangest Insects, an Earthly Comforts journey through 10 episodes that examine extraordinary insect adaptations, behaviour, survival, and diversity.
If the Weather Stopped Following the Rules
What if the weather stopped following the seasons? A reflective and gently humorous exploration of how gardeners might adapt to a world where nature quietly rewrites its own timetable.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
Two original poems written sixteen years apart, exploring identity, self-discovery and the quiet journey from searching for answers to finding peace through purpose, nature and life itself.
When Insects Really Were Giants
Could insects really become giants? We leave the bus-sized beetles behind and explore the enormous arthropods that genuinely inhabited the prehistoric world.
The Quiet Lives of Britain’s Birds
The Common Cuckoo is one of Britain’s most recognisable spring birds, yet its extraordinary migration, unusual breeding strategy and declining call tell a much bigger story about our changing landscape.
The Garden Butler Essays
The concluding essay in The Garden Butler Essays. Rory reflects on service, trust, stewardship and why the true dignity of work lies in caring well for people and the places entrusted to us.
If Insects Became Impossible to Control
What if insects became impossible to control? A darkly humorous look at changing seasons, garden pests and what happens when nature’s balance begins to shift.
Plants Worth Looking at Twice
A reflective look at Alchemilla mollis, the quietly dependable perennial whose dew-covered leaves remind us that gardens reward observation as much as admiration.
| © 2022 – 2026 Rory Matier – The Gardener’s Curious Journal – All rights reserved |
The Gardener's Curious Journal 