Starting a Compost

Remember my overgrown wasteland of grass that I shared with you and my plan to change that space into a luscious garden of delectable veggies?

How could anyone forget it?

Several years ago, I lived in an older apartment complex that had very lax rules. We could pretty much do whatever we wanted to our apartment inside or out (and I certainly did). I loved that little apartment with the apple wallpaper in the kitchen, blue tiled bathroom, and the HUGE window that looked out to my flower garden in front!

One of my neighbors was an older gentleman Bill (I called him Farmer Bill) who kept a garden on the side of the apartment building. A no-kidding vegetable garden that Farmer Bill tended to every day as if it were a 10 acre farm. I admit to occasionally making fun of him (shame on me, he was such a nice man) because he spent so much time gardening that little plot, but he had some of the yummiest veggies EVER...SERIOUSLY!

Sadly, Bill did not have a lot of friends. In fact, in the five years I lived there, I saw only two people ever stop by. So, because I do try to be a nice person, I befriended him and, I learned a whole lot about gardening. More than I ever thought I would need to know.

Without getting completely off subject here with this story... let me get to the point and say that Farmer Bill taught me how to make a great compost.

I haven't had a garden in several years now and this year I am going to make time to start a great one that my children are going to help me with and, I have started the compost that is going to nourish my garden and help it to grow.

I don't have one of those fancy composting bins or tumblers that mixes everything, but I do have it on my wish list (and I certainly wouldn't be opposed to receiving one as a gift from any of the lawn and garden companies).

just like this one!

or this one!

I simply use a large plastic bin with a lid that I got at Target for less than $10.

Want to start your own compost?
Go for it! Go for it! Go for it!

You too can purchase an {inexpensive} plastic bin or if you can afford it, a nice compost tumbler to get started. There is a huge list of items that can be put into a compost.

Check out this list HERE of over 100 different items you can compost .

For a more in depth discussion of composting with lots of links, check out The Greenest Dollar's post on How to Start Composting.

My garden is going to LOVE me later this year...and I have lots of love to give back!