Every garden needs a compost bin or heap.
 
This provides essential organisms, from worms to minute bacteria, with a stable home. Adding compost to your soil addsnutrients, structure and these helpful little creatures. All the minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and sugars that plants absorb throughout their life, are taken back into the soil.

Organic matter is rotted or degraded by the action of tiny organisms eating the rotting concoction. The compost heap is a world full of energy and life, it is warm to the touch due to the organisms working away.
 
Every process in life is illustrated in the compost heap; life, death, chemical and physical processes, reproduction...the list goes on. The compost heap is also a massive feeding station for predatory animals too, birds and small mammals. Bacteria and fungi get to work on the compost heap by living off the rotting waste and using its energy to survive whilst liberating the nutrients locked up in the materials.
 
All composting methods are designed to meet the requirements of the organisms that do the work. They need a varied diet, including fibrous materials and some soft leafy waste, they need air, water and warmth. This means compost can be made in any container that allows air flow through it but can keep warmth and moisture in. The container needs to keep the cold and rain out as much as possible.

The size and style of compost container will depend largely on the size of your garden, how much kitchen waste and garden waste you produce and how much compost you need.
 
When starting a compost heap it is best to collect a lot of garden waste over a week or two then lay it down o give the organisms something to get started with. EcoCharlie Hessian Sacks work well for collecting your kitchen waste etc. However you first lay down the garden/kitchen waste, make sure you are letting moisture and air get to it.
 
A good starting point is grass clippings but make sure to add a variety of waste materials after this as grass by itself does not rot down effectively. Once a grass layer is put down why not add a layer of paper or twigs?
 
Do not be shy of using grass clippings though. they are rich in nitrogen and perfect on a compost heap, just try to avoid a grass only heap. Manure help keep the compost heap fertile and moist as does urine.
 
Autumn leaves should have a dedicated area for themselves as they break down into a fine mulch with a little manure.
 
A compost heap will take around 6 months to produce nice compost. It is common to have two on a rotation scheme as a compost heap takes longer to make usable compost in winter when it is cooler.