I used to collect bags of leaves from the neighborhood (80 bags in my full-size van), but I found too much stones, bottles, and dead cats. Now I just collect newspaper and cardboard. All carbohydrates go into the garden, sooner or later.
Using a mulching mower then all the goodness taken out of the garden by grass goes back in, borders apply wood chip or grass clippings (or better still hedge clippings that have been shredded) and every gardener should compost. My view is that it can cost very little or even nothing to keep improving your soil. Forgot to add any brown cardboard or news papers that come into my home make there way into my soil either under mulch or into the compost. Any thing biodegradable to me can be garden food.
Playing in the dirt is another form of grounding..... It is good and healthy for you, also barefoot on the ground. Its called the "Natural Feel Good Recipe"
Nature composts in place. Think about how rich and amazing mountain soil is... But at home we have to help nature. You are correct... organic compost is great... natures compost
What about sawdust? I have a shop and build high-end gates, I produce at least three or four large bags of sawdust. The wood is free of chemicals and glue.
Untreated wood is like gold. It can deplete nitrogen as it breaks down so let it rot first if you can, or just spread it on the top of the soil. We use all the newspaper we can find, too. I bury branches and rotten logs under garden beds.
I love making my own compost. I don't eat a lot of veg but we do drink a lot of coffee. I sterilize my egg shells in boiling water, then dry them in the oven. Then I pulverize them in my Vitamix and add to the compost. Coffee grounds are "green" containing a lot of nitrogen, so I balance that out with paper shreds and the dry material that collects under the bushes. It's now May, so I'm emptying my compost bin and will start filling it up for next spring. Thanks for the video.
