February 7

As spring approaches with the promise of new growth, I consider my resources. How full are my compost bays? Consolidating what's in the bays allows me to take stock of the organic matter I have. Some will be black gold that will feed my beds. Some will need a little time, yet. If there are any white grubs lurking in the piles, I gather them for the birds. Consolidating the bays makes space for the dead plants left over winter to feed the creatures in the garden. It makes space for the green weeds that will grow when nothing else will. The empty bays create space for the first mowing, as the lawn breaks through the overwinter thatch and dead leaves and awakes from dormancy. These weeds and waste will with time and turning also become black gold.

So much in our lives depends on what's come before. To grow, we must compost those experiences, use them to feed our lives.