It's not easy being green

Yes, compost happens. That's what I like about it -- it'll happen whether I take action or not. You see, I'm a lazy gardener. I love my garden, and I really enjoy harvesting the fruits of my labors in the fall, but I limit the amount of effort I put into it. My friends with their incredible flower gardens are amazing, and I envy them the aesthetics of their lovely yards. but truth be told, mine will never look that good. Alongside the vegetables are "helicopters" from the neighbor's silver maple, some ground ivy sneaking in between weedings, and the clover (that I can never quite get rid of) doing its job in the nitrogen cycle. I prepare the soil (with my own compost), plant, weed, water, weed, water, and then harvest. It works for me!

And for the compost part, it helps satisfy the Earth Mother part of me. I throw in kitchen waste, garden waste, grass clippings, even dry leaves in the fall, stir it once in a while with my mini-pitchfork, and it all decomposes steadily. It's fun (yes, I enjoy it!) to watch the whole process happening. Coffee grounds and the filters disappear within days. Banana peels? The same. The dirty paper towels after I clean up a spill? Not much longer. This is especially satisfying when I notice how much less kitchen garbage we produce in the compost "season", or our midwestern spring, summer, and early fall. Supposedly the big black container will absorb enough heat to keep the process going all winter long, but it hasn't worked for me. So... I feel a little guilt in late fall when I start throwing the coffee filters in the trash again, but I reassure myself that it's not easy being green, and I'm at least part way there.

And if you were looking for a different meaning to the phrase "compost happens", like the s*** happens bumper stickers of yesteryear, there's plenty of that in my life, too. I just prefer not to swear about it. I like to think my language capabilities are more creative than that.

Stumble It!