| It’s funny how things go, you know? While down at the allotment over the last two years, I’ve had to cut back on and even give up some genuine passions in order to focus on progressing and developing the gardening business. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave those things behind; it was simply a case of not being able to do everything at once and still build Earthly Comforts. So, I let them go — with the promise to myself that somehow, somewhere, sometime, I would reintroduce them into my life. But this time, they would have a purpose: to become part of the business and, hopefully, grow into a profitable sector that could stand on its own. Well, this is exactly what the Soil Builder’s Hub Club is all about. Here at Earthly Comforts, we see garden waste differently. Instead of being a problem to dispose of, it’s the start of a cycle — a resource waiting to be transformed into something useful. Every bag of clippings, every pile of leaves, and every branch we prune has potential. With the right tools, a bit of patience, and a clear system, all that material becomes compost, mulch, leaf mould, or worm castings: what we call soil builders. The Hub is more than just a set of compost bins and storage bays. It’s a way of proving that a gardening business can be both practical and sustainable, cutting down waste while creating something valuable for the soil and the community. It’s also a way of reconnecting with the passions that first sparked my interest in gardening — composting, recycling, and soil health — but now woven directly into Earthly Comforts’ future. So, let me explain how it all works… |
| Looking at Waste Differently Most people see garden waste as something to get rid of — bags of clippings, piles of weeds, autumn leaves stuffed into sacks. The old way was to send it off and forget about it. But here’s the truth: there’s no such thing as “waste” in a garden. What we call waste is really just a resource in the wrong place. The Hub was created to change that way of thinking. Instead of shipping material off, we’re turning it into something that feeds back into the soil. It’s a closed loop: what comes out of the garden eventually returns, but improved, richer, and ready to give back. |
| Compost: The Heart of the Hub At the centre of it all are the compost bins. Built from sturdy pallets, they take shredded green waste and transform it into what gardeners like to call “black gold.” With the right mix of greens and browns, a little added bokashi (fermented food waste), and regular checks for moisture and heat, the bins come alive. Microbes do the hard work, breaking material down in just a few months. By the end, what once looked like a pile of garden leftovers becomes crumbly, dark compost that breathes new life into the soil. |
| Worms at Work Composting doesn’t stop with microbes. Worms have their own role to play. In a continuous flow worm bin, food scraps and shredded material go in at the top, and over time the worms work their way through, leaving behind castings. These worm castings are one of the finest soil improvers available — nutrient-rich, full of microbes, and a perfect example of nature’s quiet efficiency. It’s fascinating to see how something so small can make such a big difference. |
| Autumn’s Hidden Treasure: Leaf Mould Then there are the leaves. For some, they’re a nuisance — raked up, bagged, and forgotten. But in the Hub, they go into a pallet-built kraal, where they slowly break down into leaf mould. Shredded leaves can be ready in under a year, while whole leaves might take 18 months. Either way, the end result is a conditioner that improves soil structure, helps it hold moisture, and encourages a thriving underground ecosystem. What looks like a problem in autumn turns out to be a gift for the following growing season. |
| Mulch Matters Woody clippings, branches, and prunings also have their place. After a run through the shredder, they become mulch — a simple but powerful tool in gardening. Spread over beds and borders, mulch protects soil from drying out, suppresses weeds, and gradually adds organic matter as it breaks down. It’s a perfect example of how even the roughest waste has value when used well. |
| Closing the Loop The Soil Builder’s Hub is more than bins, worms, and mulch. It’s a way of proving that small-scale, local systems can make a difference. Every tonne of waste kept on site means less transport, less landfill pressure, and less carbon in the atmosphere. Every bucket of compost or handful of worm castings that goes back into a garden is proof that the cycle works. For me, it’s also about reconnecting with the parts of gardening I love most — the quiet work of building soil, the patience of waiting for things to transform, and the satisfaction of knowing that nothing is wasted. |
| Waste isn’t waste at all. It’s simply the beginning of something new. |
| Over the next couple of weeks l will publish several posts that look at each section and once the building commences of The Hub itself in October l will write about it in more detail. |
Earthly Comforts 
Repurposing waste is a brilliant idea, Rory.
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