Matt Collins Talks Horticulture: ‘I’m Focused On The Effects Of Our Volatile Climate’

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Having trained at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Matt Collins is a Gardener and Writer who has written for publications such as The Guardian and The Times.

He has also published several books, with his most recent, ‘Forest, Walking Among Trees’, being shortlisted for an Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award.

I was able to speak with Matt about his career to-date, his love for garden writing and his role as the Head Gardener at The Garden Museum in London.

Please note that the imagery in this article was provided with permission by Eva Nemeth.

Where Did Your Journey With Gardening Begin?

“Like many professional and amateur gardeners, an early physical introduction no doubt left a lasting, if unconscious, impression on me,” Matt shares.

“This included gardening with my mother occasionally in our back garden and pulling potatoes with my grandfather in Wales, but really it was born (or reborn) from spending time in the countryside as an adult and becoming suddenly aware of how few names I knew of the trees and plants around me.

“It sounds oversimplified, but gardening for me really began as a desire to know the names of plants and to fill in what suddenly appeared as a substantial and probably quite important general knowledge gap!”

From That, What Led You To A Career In Horticulture?

“From that moment, I began getting out into woodlands, fields and hedgerows local to where I was then living, in South-West Wales, with a field guidebook, learning to identify plants and learning their common and botanical names, their leaf colours and shapes and their winter buds.

“At the same time, I also took up a gardening course at the National Botanic Garden of Wales and from the very first week of study I could see immediately that gardening, the outdoors and the world of plants was the place for me.

“The combination of the subject, the physicality and the working outdoors made horticulture so appealing.

“This was in addition to all the like-minded people I get to encounter along the way, as the conversations tend to be pretty wonderful.”

What Is It About Garden Writing That You Enjoy The Most?

“I think I’d always wanted to write, and as my interest in the natural world developed, it seemed to make sense that I would write about gardening,” says Matt.

“I love writing about gardens or the act of gardening, as you face an irresistible challenge in conjuring up an image of a garden through words alone.

“My favourite articles to write are those unaccompanied by photographs, where you can layer into the description all the intention, effort, deep-felt connection, joy and wonder that goes alongside the purely visual elements of gardening.

“Each occasion is an exercise in examining and celebrating what it is that makes us engage so profoundly with plants.”

Can You Tell Us More About Your Role As Head Gardener At The Garden Museum In London?

“The Garden Museum is housed within the former church building of St Mary-at-Lambeth, with adjoining contemporary buildings providing education spaces and a popular cafe.

“Situated in Central London across the river from Westminster, it is a museum dedicated to the art, history and design of gardens, and these themes are explored through exhibitions, permanent collections, public talks and varied workshops.

“I’ve cared for the gardens there a long while. It’s a part-time role that encompasses many things, including the continued development of the gardens, the running of an annual horticultural traineeship scheme and contributions towards the museum’s exciting events and talks programme.

“It’s a real hub for horticulture – pretty much every familiar gardening name has at some time or other passed through the doors – but more excitingly, it’s a place of continued change and development and is noted for really pushing the boundary of what is possible for a comparatively small museum.

“Public engagement is at the heart of its remit, giving voice to gardeners from all walks of life.”

What Does A Day In Your Working Life Typically Look Like?

“If I’m at the museum, I’m most likely to be darting from the garden to office meetings to the greenhouse to the potting shed – the days are never quite long enough!” he jokes.

“On the days when I’m at home in Hampshire writing, time moves similarly quickly but my body less so, as I’m sat at my desk in the top room for the most part, looking down at my little garden for divine inspiration.

“I love the contrast of physical work with the mental, and though I’m never quite sure which is the more exhausting by the time my head finally hits the pillow, I’d always want a balance of the two.

“The writing informs the gardening every bit as much as the gardening feeds the writing.”

Can You Sum Up Your Career In 3 Words?

“Forever pursuing intrigue.”

What’s Next For You?

“Like many gardeners at the moment, I’m focused on the effects of our changing, volatile climate and on what gardening is going to look like under increasingly stressed conditions, such as heatwaves, extended drought and torrential rainfall,” shares Matt.

“This is the focus for both my gardening and writing projects at present.”

What Does Gardening Mean To You?

“On the micro-scale, gardening is a creative, rewarding and enriching activity.

“On the macro, it is the source of an entirely new perspective on life. I can’t imagine my life without the pleasure of growing things!”