calls itself the "City of Trees." But it's a passion we pay for every
autumn, spending weekends raking, blowing and bagging so can have the
perfectly coifed lawn. We pay again for bags, and haul the leaves to
the curb. And then we pay again - to purchase bags and truckloads
compost, mulch, topsoil and fertilizer to enrich our soil for
flowerbeds and lawns!
Did you know that there is an easier way to have a beautiful and
natural landscape, plus save money and a lot of time and energy?
Instead of bagging those leaves and stacking them by the curb for
collection, drop them into a compost bin. By the time spring rolls
around, that bin will be full of rich, black compost, ready to use in
your garden. Think about it: Compost currently retails for as much as
$5 or more per bag. What's it made of? Exactly the materials that's
you are raking and putting out by the curb!
Composting is easy to do. You can make an inexpensive bin on your own
with some simple wire fencing in corner of your back yard, or purchase
a commercial composting unit. After that, build your pile right and
let nature take its course.
Mecklenburg County can help you get started. Enroll now in a class
that will help you learn how to use those leaves and yard scraps to
save money, and give your yard a beautiful and environmentally
friendly makeover.
The Basic Home Composting Workshop is a two-hour, hands-on course that
will teach you about home composting and residential recycling, soil
preparation and management, toxicity reduction, grasscycling and
mulching. Beginners are encouraged (and welcomed). Class is outdoors,
so please dress appropriately and wear closed-toe shoes.
Registration fee of $10 includes instruction, booklet and a wire bin.
Classes begin Saturday, Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. – noon and will be held at
several locations: Friendship Trays and Little Sugar Creek Community
Gardens, in Charlotte; and St. Albans Community Garden in Davidson, NC.
For more information and dates, click on the "Wipe Out Waste events"
tab at http://wipeoutwaste.com, or call 704.201.2201.
