| I’m a gardener, but I don’t always want to talk about gardening. Gardens, plants and wildlife are naturally a large part of what I write about. They are where I spend my working days, and after years of doing the job there is plenty I have learnt, plenty I have opinions about and still plenty that makes me stop and wonder. There is also the business of being a gardener. The realities of running a small gardening company, dealing with the changing seasons, finding good people, looking after clients, putting a value on what we do and occasionally wondering why something that looked perfectly straightforward at eight o’clock in the morning has become considerably less so by lunchtime. But there is a world beyond the garden gate, and I’m interested in that too. I’ve always been curious. History, wildlife, science, people, places, things that are changing and things we have almost forgotten. Sometimes a question catches my attention simply because I don’t know the answer. At other times, it begins with “what if?” and ends up somewhere rather unexpected. So while gardening will always be part of these pages, it doesn’t define them. A Gardener’s Curiosity is really a journal of ideas, observations and thoughts. A place to explore the things that catch my attention, whether they begin in a garden, at work, in something I have read, in a conversation, or simply with a question that refuses to go away. Some of it will be practical. Some of it thoughtful. Some of it speculative, and some of it may be slightly peculiar. There doesn’t have to be a grand reason for writing about something. Sometimes I’m curious to see where a thought leads. |
Earthly Comforts Latest Posts …
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.
The Garden Butler Essays
Trust is the most valuable tool a gardener carries. Rory reflects on how reliability, judgement and quiet consistency transform gardening into stewardship.
Plants Worth Looking at Twice
A reflective exploration of Astrantia, the quietly elegant perennial that proves subtle beauty and thoughtful planting often leave the deepest impression.
If Roots Became the Real Problem
What if the greatest challenge in the garden wasn’t above the soil, but beneath it? A thoughtful exploration of roots, resilience and the hidden world quietly shaping every garden.
Plants Worth Looking at Twice
A closer look at Echinops, the architectural globe thistle whose striking flowers, drought tolerance and remarkable attraction to bees reveal a softer side.
African Insects
A reflective exploration of African butterflies and moths, examining migration, rainfall, timing and the remarkable movements that allow insects to survive across vast landscapes.
The Edge of Discovery
Discover The Edge of Discovery, a new investigative series exploring cryptozoology, legendary creatures and the fascinating boundary between folklore, science and zoological discovery. Join Rory as each Case File examines the evidence with curiosity, balance and original research.
If Growth Continued Through the Night
What if plants never slowed down after sunset? A reflective and gently humorous exploration of gardens that continue growing through the night, and what that might mean for gardeners.
Plot 17 Update
A late summer update from Plot 17, where Suze now stewards the allotment, proving that resilient gardens can continue to flourish as life and priorities change.
Within Living Memory
Has autumn changed, or have our memories changed? A gardener reflects on shifting seasons, historical evidence and why autumn no longer feels quite as familiar as it once did.
Plot 17 Update
A late summer update from Plot 17, where organic vegetables are now arriving daily. From courgettes and tomatoes to cucumbers and beans, here’s how the allotment is rewarding steady care.
African Insects
A reflective exploration of African ants, bees and wasps, examining how cooperation, underground systems and rapid seasonal response support survival across extreme landscapes.
Echoes Through the Garden – The Second Verse
A reflective pairing of two original poems written fourteen years apart, exploring how time, gardening and nature transform our understanding of autumn, fallen leaves and the quiet cycles of life.
If the Weeds Took Over
What if the weeds finally stopped waiting for our mistakes? A thoughtful and quietly humorous look at resilience, adaptation and what weeds can teach us about gardening.
Raised Beds
Discover how to keep raised bed soil healthy for years with practical advice from a working gardener, including composting, feeding, watering and seasonal maintenance.
Nature Rarely Produces Waste
Discover why nature has almost no concept of waste and how gardeners witness the world’s oldest recycling system every day. Explore composting, soil health, biodiversity and why the natural world continually recycles what humanity too often throws away.
COVID: The Pandemic That Apparently Ended
COVID may no longer dominate the headlines, but it still disrupts lives. A personal reflection on illness, recovery, public perception and the irony of a virus many believe has simply gone away.
More to the Soil Hub Journey
Follow the latest chapter in The Soil Hub journey as a major setback turns into an unexpected opportunity, securing affordable land and bringing the composting and worm farming project back to life.
Bindweed
Most gardeners throw bindweed away without a second thought, but could this persistent weed become a valuable natural liquid fertiliser? Discover its surprising ecological benefits and learn how to safely turn bindweed into a nutrient-rich weed tea for your garden.
When a Blog Quietly Becomes a Journal
After four years, The Earthly Comforts Blog has evolved into The Earthly Comforts Journal—a gardener’s life journal exploring gardening, wildlife, observation, history and lifelong curiosity.
African Insects
Discover the extraordinary world of African insects in this five-part series, exploring how ants, butterflies, beetles, locusts and predators survive, adapt and shape some of Earth’s most demanding landscapes.
A Year Later: Finally, My Left Eye Surgery
After a year of waiting, I finally undergo surgery on my left eye. A personal reflection on recovery, living with mismatched vision, and taking the first steps towards seeing clearly again.
| © 2022 – 2026 Rory Matier – Earthly Comforts – All rights reserved |
| 07300 216849 earthlycomfortsuk@gmail.com Earthly Comforts GPM Ltd Business Website |
A Gardener's Curiosity 