Whilst I've always shied away from using proprietary chemicals in the garden, I've become more aware of just how much garden and household waste has literally been going to waste. A recent flick through Bob Flowerdew's book 'Organic Bible - successful gardening the natural way' reminded me that 'anything that ever lived can be converted back into fertility'.
Now I simply ask myself 'did it ever live' and if the answer is 'yes' the item in question goes into a bowl (no dashing to the compost bin in the rain) before being added into the compost bin. That includes all the vegetable peelings and broccoli stalks that previously went in the refuse bin. Of course the secret to good compost is getting the right mix between green nitrogenous material and brown 'twiggy' stuff. The heap must also be neither too wet or dry and have plenty of air to allow bacteria to work their magic. But don't be put off. Nature has a way of finding it's own balance and before long you should have lovely dark compost, ready to use on your plot.
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