Compost heap – where have you been all my life…

Although I have my own vegetable beds I haven’t had a compost heap until this year and, now I have one in my life, I can’t believe I didn’t make it happen years ago.

As well as composting waste from the garden – veg tops, flower heads etc – all my vegetable peelings, fruit skins, tea bags, egg shells and fire ash goes on there. It’s means that every fortnight I only have one scantly filled bin liner for the black bin and that in itself makes me feel rather wonderful.

The bin itself was super easy to make – four pallets nailed together. The wonderful thing about this method is that when I need to create another bin I can just build off the side of the original.

It really is a thing of beauty.

It sits alongside a couple of leaf mulch bins made from chicken wire and a beautiful heap of rich, dark cow manure that has been years in the making.

Through the process of being more waste-conscious I also decided to move a plastic compost bin we have into the same area. It involved uncovering seven years of rotted peelings – it was so incredibly dark and looked full of nutrients (if that is at all possible). I lovingly spread it on the veg beds to hopefully encourage bumper crops this year.

When I get to the stage where I have homemade compost each year I’ll certainly be living the dream!