52 Weeks to Make the World a Better Place: Week 22 - Compost!

Yes, I'm using this in the verbal rather than nominal sense, in the imperative voice. But enough of grammar: save vegetable and garden waste and make a compost heap. This cuts down the amount of domestic waste that has to be removed and landfilled, and you can use the compost to replace chemical fertilisers. And don't trot out the old myths about them being smelly and attracting 'vermin' - these are absolute bunkum, invented by bourgeois wimps with a cleanliness fixation. OK, a little knowledge is required, but surely the acquisition of practical know-how is a good thing in itself.

Key points: a good mix of vegetable waste, light prunings and grass cuttings work well. Shred woody stems and add the shreddings if you prefer not to use them as a mulch. Cover the heap with old carpet to keep in the warmth. At the end of the season, begin a new heap and turn the old one, then leave for another 6 months (covered with that carpet!), and you'll have a sufficiency of decent nutrition for the garden that costs nothing but a little effort and saves you money as well as allowing your garden to develop its own mini ecosystem. You KNOW it makes sense!