August 2nd-8th
At this time of the year, the garden generates huge amounts of waste: grass clippings, tired foliage, summer prunings. All - except for diseased plants and the roots of perennial weeds - can be turned into compost: as you tidy up beds and borders cut the trimmings into 5 to 10-inch lengths. In my experience, the best compost is made in a cubic bin measuring at least 36 inches each way and standing on the bare soil. Build up the heap in layers, combining two parts woody, brown material (prunings, stems, dried herbaceous matter) with one part green, supple material (grass, weeds, fresh herbaceous stuff). If you like, use a proprietary activator (available at garden centres for about £3.35), or a bit of farmyard manure every nine inches to speed up the decomposition process.
Water the heap if it is dry and cover with carpet. It will reduce in size dramatically in a couple of weeks, when you can build it up again with further material.