Autumn Leaves Recycled Into Our Public Garden Beds
Thursday 5 July 2012, 3:37PM
By Marlborough District Council
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The Marlborough District Council leads by example - look at the size of the Council compost heap!
Instead of paying the cost of dumping all the leaves that fall from the trees in our main parks, the Council’s gardeners use them to generate rich and nutritious compost to feed the garden beds in Pollard Park and Seymour Square.
It saves buying 50 or 60 cubic metres of compost each season, it avoids dumping costs and it’s good ‘green’ gardening practice.
The Council compost operation, tucked out of sight at Waterlea, allows for the rotting and screening of the autumn leaf fall – a four-year process.
Head gardener Brad Moloney sweetens up the mix with blood and bone and a bit of lime.
While the biggest challenge for the gardeners is getting enough moisture into the enormous pile to keep the rotting process going, that hasn’t been a problem this winter!