Waddya do with the compost pile when the compost is done?

Our dear friend Princess mockingly uttered those words after we ranted to her about re-using and reducing waste. Taking my morning stroll with the compost bucket from the kitchen, I noticed it's about time to build on an addition to my lovely compost bin and retire the present one. Not one of my best examples of craftsmanship, I've gradually hidden it from the house via the woodpile and brush I've stood up vertically for the benefit of the birds. They love the thicket I've created, and use it daily for hopping in and out of the compost bin, picking through the scraps.

This compost bin has been a source of pride for us. Not just because of how beautiful it looks (umm, yeah, right), or the benefits to the garden (nothing, absolutely nothing yet), but by the vast reduction in waste we've experienced this last year. You see, we fill our trash can once every 3 months (working on reducing even more). There are two major reasons for this: first, we compost all compost-able materials to be fed back into our gardens; second, we simply buy mostly produce and products contained in recyclable materials. Nothing is in microwavable throw-away plastic containers. We thought that the biggest reason for choosing to do this is to help the environment. It turns out the foods we eat are SO MUCH TASTIER than the instant meal in a throw-away box, we couldn't possibly return to that tasteless, soggy way of life ever again!

Our broccoli raab in its "last hurrah" stage. The blossoms are amazingly good layered over pizza, mmm...