My utterly, utterly beautiful compost heap

I am being nagged unmercifully by Ann yet again. I've been told to get on and write another post. So today's offering is about my glorious and wondrous compost heap, but first I must get rid of Scaredy who is insisting on sitting on my lap while I type.



I just love making compost. There is something so earthy and wholesome about messing about in the heap, digging it, turning it and watching the worms chomping their way through all the crap.



This is the compost heap currently in use.

My latest toy is a shredder. When The Wren was here last time, she suggested I bought one to dispose of any paperwork of a personal or confidential nature. (Oh, I wish). I've taken to shredding like a duck to water and everything goes in it, all the junk mail, bills, receipts etc. I have also discovered that the shredded paper makes excellent compost. I mix it in and it does wonders to the texture of the heap.



This is the heap that I am still building complete with a topping of sheddries.



And this is the heap which is complete and is slowly going off.

Peter is well known for losing things, and I don't think he has twigged yet that the lost items have probably gone through the shredder. Whoops, there goes the gas bill.



I have a number of heaps scattered around the garden in secret places. There is one hiding behind the Acanthus. I'm rather proud of this plant as I originally pinched a cutting from Peter's sister's garden and it certainly likes it's position in front of the heap.



The Wren and I have long and technical discussions debating the pros and cons of compost heaps versus compost bins. She owns a couple of bins and whereas her compost goes off quicker than mine does, mine is so much easier to get at with a spade. The contents of her bin that is in the process of going off, smells and looks like a sewage farm. She says it is something that should be used in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! It has been so hot in Brighton recently that the temperature inside the bins has soared. The snails inside have now cooked; l'escargot a la jardin she is calling her new recipe!

Wren's compost bin.

Chopped up comfrey really speeds up the going off time. I grow a lot of it, and as soon as it starts getting too tall and flopperty, I cut it down and shove it in the heap. The comfrey grows so quickly I can usually get three or four harvests a year.


One of my rather moth eaten comfrey plants.

I like to wear little rubber pumps while I'm gardening, a bit like cut-off wellies. If I'm not careful to put these high out of Badger's reach, she steals them and makes off with them. I rescued one from the flower bed yesterday.


Please note the chewed up fashion statement.

Now that it has become hot again, Scaredy's latest favourite place is in the back porch, curled up next to Peter's trainers.



And finally, Badger playing with her favourite toys: a deflated football and a plastic plant pot and Scaredy daintily sitting amongst the bonsai disdainfully watching Badger behave like a hooligan.