How We Work
Earthly Comforts is built around work that’s steady, thoughtful, and often quietly invisible.
You might know one gardener by name, but what we provide is a service — shaped by shared standards, consistent methods, and a holistic view of garden care. Our approach is carried through visit after visit, not reliant on one individual.
We don’t rush gardens into shape or chase dramatic results. Instead, we return regularly, notice small changes, and work with each garden’s natural rhythm.
Some days, the work is visible. Other days it’s preparatory, preventative, or simply observational — but all of it matters.
It’s work that doesn’t shout, but over time, it shows.
Gardening in Changing Weather
Weather patterns are changing, and responsible gardening has to change with them.
We continue to work through challenging conditions — including prolonged wet weather and periods of high heat — but never at the expense of long-term garden health.
This means we may:
Adapt working hours during extreme heat.
Phase or pause project work in saturated conditions
Prioritise soil protection and plant resilience over short-term appearance
Routine maintenance can usually continue as planned.
Project gardens, however, require judgment, timing, and sometimes restraint.
Our approach is simple: we work with the conditions, not against them — so gardens remain healthy, resilient, and sustainable over time.
Insurance & Professional Cover
Earthly Comforts is fully covered by public liability insurance, providing reassurance that both people and property are protected while we’re working in your garden.
Earthly Comforts Advocates
Some clients choose to support Earthly Comforts by helping us gain local visibility.
This usually means displaying a small Earthly Comforts window poster — a quiet, neighbourly way for people nearby to discover us. It’s how many trusted gardeners have always been found.
Not everyone does this, and there’s no expectation that they do. It’s entirely optional.
How it works
Clients who display a window poster are considered Earthly Comforts Advocates.
Because this visible support helps our small, local business grow naturally, we offer a modest thank-you from time to time.
While a poster is displayed, a small Advocate credit is quietly noted in the background. When it reaches £10, it can be:
Taken off an invoice, or passed on as a £10 reward with a local independent business* [See Table Below]
There are no points to track, no rewards for visits alone, and no obligation on either side. It’s simply a way of recognising local support.
| Ossies Fish & Chips | Costa Coffee | Amazon Gift Voucher | Mango House |
| Orchid Nails | Strand Street Kitchen | Carpenters | The Bell Hotel |
| Lole Wellness | Hercules Wine Warehouse | Archers Low Nursery | Wingham Country Market |
| The Waiting Room | Harlowes | Earthly Comforts Gift Voucher | Fred’s Pet Shop |
| My Thai | The Lazy Elephant | Spellbound |
Referrals
Occasionally, new clients find us through a neighbour.
When that happens — and the referral becomes paid work we’re happy to take on — we may add a small, one-off Advocate thank-you as recognition.
This isn’t something we promote or encourage. It’s just quietly noticed.
A small note
Earthly Comforts Advocates are not “members” of a scheme, and this isn’t a loyalty programme in the usual sense.
It’s a simple exchange:
local visibility, met with local appreciation.
Working With Changing Seasons
In recent years, weather patterns have become less predictable.
Longer wet spells, sudden heat, and sharp seasonal shifts mean gardens require a more flexible approach. We adapt our work accordingly.
This may involve protecting soil during prolonged rain, adjusting working hours during periods of heat, improving drainage, or planting in ways that support resilience rather than short-term display.
Our role is not to force gardens into a rigid schedule, but to respond to how each space behaves over time.
Familiarity matters. Gardens — like people — respond best to steady, informed care.
Why You Won’t See Before & After Photos
Most of our work is ongoing green maintenance, not one-off transformations. Gardens under regular care don’t have a clear “final” stage — they evolve over time.
We also respect client privacy. Gardens are personal spaces, and any images we take are for reference and continuity, not public display.
Where before-and-after images make sense, such as clearance or restoration work, we may share them with permission.
Otherwise, we believe the true measure of our work is consistency, trust, and gardens that quietly thrive.
We garden for the people who live with it — not for the camera.
Please see A Quiet Reputation for an in-depth understanding.
Why We Support Gazen Salts Nature Reserve
Before Earthly Comforts existed as a business, its roots were already taking shape.
For over two years, I volunteered at Gazen Salts Nature Reserve, working hands-on with land shaped by water, wildlife, and time. That experience changed how I understood gardens — not as isolated spaces, but as part of a wider living system that depends on patience, balance, and long-term care.
The principles learned at Gazen Salts — soil health, restraint, seasonal awareness, and respect for natural processes — became the foundation of how Earthly Comforts works today. In many ways, it was there that the business came into its own.
Supporting Gazen Salts is our way of staying connected to those beginnings, and of recognising that good garden care extends beyond individual boundaries into the wider landscape we all share.
Rory Matier
Projects For 2026
Looking Ahead: The Soil Hub
We’re in the early stages of developing a Soil Hub—a closed-loop, circular approach to soil care built on responsible green waste recycling.
The aim is to retain as much value as possible from garden waste generated through our work, returning it to the soil in useful, practical forms rather than treating it as disposal. Over time, this will support healthier soil, fewer miles of waste, and more resilient planting across the gardens we care for.
The Soil Hub is not yet live and is being developed slowly and carefully. When introduced, it will sit quietly alongside our existing services, supporting long-term garden health through reuse, regeneration, and informed soil management.
Looking Ahead: Robotic Mowing
During the coming year, we also plan to introduce robotic mowing in selected gardens where it is genuinely beneficial.
Used thoughtfully, robotic mowers can support consistent lawn health, reduce noise, and lower environmental impact through frequent light cuts rather than occasional heavy ones. They are not suitable for every garden, and we will only recommend them where they align with the space, the soil, and the client’s needs.
As with all new approaches we adopt, this will be introduced carefully, tested properly, and integrated in a way that supports long-term garden care rather than convenience alone.
