Down To Earth
Living France|Autumn 2017

The shortening days are a good time to develop new garden habits. Sue Bradley builds a compost heap and gets her bulbs in

Sue Bradley
Down To Earth
A dark, rich, crumbly compost is a wonderful thing. There’s something magical about a process that transforms a diverse assortment of garden and kitchen detritus, whether it’s banana skins, hedge trimmings, lawn cuttings or potato peelings, into a substance that introduces extra nutrients for plants, improves the structure of the soil and feeds the worms.

Autumn, a time when our thoughts turn to tidying up the garden, is the perfect season to start a compost habit, which will hopefully go on to become part of a daily or weekly routine.

There are lots of different ways to make compost: some swear by dalek-shaped plastic bins, while others are devotees of joining together wooden pallets to contain their rotting vegetation or simply piling everything into a heap and letting nature do the rest.

This story is from the Autumn 2017 edition of Living France.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Autumn 2017 edition of Living France.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LIVING FRANCEView All
Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
Living France

Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company

If your current employer is happy to let you continue working for them after you move to France, there are a number of rules and regulations to be aware of to ensure you stay on the right side of the law, as Catharine Higginson explains

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2020
On vintage soil
Living France

On vintage soil

Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Living France

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2020
In safe hands
Living France

In safe hands

There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2020
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Living France

THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE

Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2020
My frugal France
Living France

My frugal France

Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
Hidden Talents
Living France

Hidden Talents

Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2020
Beauty to behold
Living France

Beauty to behold

With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
Living France

AS SEEN ON SCREEN

A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
A local's view
Living France

A local's view

Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2020