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What is compost? Ever ask yourself what is compost, anyways? Well, compost is essentially organic materials that have decayed and are weakened by living organisms. This process continuously occurs in nature when leaves and other organic matter collects on the ground. Composting in your own backyard helps accelerate this process.  The resulting substance is rich in nutrients and feeds plants, improves soil quality and even helps prevent weeds. Why compost? You may also ask yourself, “Why compost, just for some free fertilizer?”.  But there is so much more to composting and so many great benefits: It reduces the amount of trash that goes to the landfill not to mention the amount you have to lug to the curb on trash day. By composting food & garden waste and recycling we’ve reduced the amount of trash we throw away down to only one bag per week. Your garbage will smell less. Composting a large portion of the food scraps you would normally throw in the trash also reduces the amount of rotting food in your trash. Which would otherwise stink and attract roaches. You feel good because you’re helping the environment, less methane is produced in landfills (a powerful greenhouse gas). It’s great for your soil,…

In order to work out your small garden’s function you would like to think about three things: 1 How you will use your small garden This will set the stage for your small garden design. You should begin by asking yourself, “What is my vision for this garden?Do you want to be able to go outside and pick your own vegetables and herbs? Do you want a fragrant rose garden? Or, do you just want a little getaway that you can enjoy by yourself or with family and friends. This is totally up to you; it is completely a personal preference. 2 How much space you have Once you know what you want to use your small garden for, you’ll need to look at how much space you actually have to work with. This will determine if all the ideas you have for your garden are possible. At this stage start picturing in your mind where you would place elements that you may want to use. Think about where you'd put a chair, table, bench, fountain, containers, etc. 3 What is your budget How much do you want to spend? This will determine how large or small your project will…

Figuring out what plants grow best in your area is a very important part of the small garden landscape design process because it would be very disappointing if you plant your garden and then half of it dies at first frost. A simple and mostly reliable way to figure this out when shopping for plants is by using the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. This map divides the United States into 11 different zones based on average minimum winter temperatures. This index rates plant hardiness per area and can be used as a guideline when choosing plants for your small garden. Keep in mind though, that this is not foolproof because temperatures may go well below the minimum temperatures for the area. And it doesn’t account for heat, humidity, and regional climate fluctuations.  Also, there are temperature fluctuations within the garden itself – for example, a shaded garden will have lower temperatures than a full-sun garden. Photo by Arbor Day Foundation When deciding on plants you have to also take into consideration the amount of shade and sun, the wind circulation, and the direction your small garden faces. A southern-facing garden will get much more sun than a northern-facing one. You should also consider…