How to compost, garden, and not be a hypocrite

Back in March 2012 I wrote an article encouraging everyone and their brother to start a compost bin because it helps reduce the amount food waste that ends up in landfills but also results in beautiful, nutritious soil to use for your garden.  I also explained how easy it is to start a compost....

And then I realize that I had neither compost bin nor garden.  And I felt like a hypocrite.

So the last three months I have been busy.  I made a compost bin, ordered 1000 red wiggler worms, purchased 10 pounds of sphagnum peat moss, and started composting my food scraps.  I now have beautiful, decomposed nitrogen-rich compost to use as a soil amendment.

I also purchased organic zucchini, pumpkin, and spinach seeds at my local Target, drew a shade map, planned my garden, amended the soil (after doing a soil test), and planted.  The spinach bolted once it got hot (and is inedible), but I now have a fresh zucchini every 3 - 4 days.

The next several blog entries will explain, step by step, how to start a compost bin, how to start a garden, and how to avoid some of the mistakes I made.