I've got compost!

When I was last here two years ago, I found the garden in much the same state as it is now - overrun with grass borage and nettles - and spent a month clearing it up then too. The weeds and the grass and the clippings from everything I cut back more than filled the Council's garden waste wheelie bin, so I revived the compost heap at the bottom of the garden. The borage and other weeds went into the wheelie, and anything which didn't have seeds or tap roots attached went into the compost heap - or the "dump" as we used to call it when we were kids.

Two years later and, despite it not having been looked after at all, I have the most gorgeous rich crumbly compost. There are still some woody bits that haven't broken down properly, but they're easy enough to sieve out and once that's done it looks almost edible. Pity I can't take some home with me - but I don't think it would fit into RyanAir's 15kg allowance-

I'm gradually digging it out and transferring it into bags at the moment. Gradually because I'm terrified of overdoing things and putting my back out - when you're gardening on a balcony you don't get much practice at digging. So I intersperse short bursts of heavy work with the more gentile aspects of gardening - deadheading the roses and spraying the black spot, you know the sort of thing - in the hope that I can con my muscles into staying the course.

Before I leave it will be dug into the garden, but there's a way to go before I get to that stage. However, I need the compost heap empty again for the new stuff, which is already piling up. Hence the transfer into bags.

This year though, the composting is going to be done a bit more scientifically. Last time things were just chucked on the heap in desperation. This time I'm planning first - I shall be chopping and shredding, layering my greens and browns, sprinkling old compost on each layer to introduce the microorganisms, and watering in.

I can almost hear the borage licking its lips in anticipation ...