Paying it Forward: Garden Compost Edition

So my plans for yesterday were simple enough. Make a run to the dump (don't they have a nicer name for it now?? I can never remember it....) with the brush pile created from last weekend's crepe myrtle pruning and, while there, pickup some compost for the two raised vegetable beds. I know I can buy bagged compost at my local garden center, but I'm trying to be more green, right?? Since I don't have a compost pile at the moment, I put my green waste out on the curb every two weeks and it is taken to the "dump" where it is turned into compost. Shouldn't I pickup that compost and take it back to my house now?

After much discussion and review of how much a yard of compost actually is, my husband and I decided that 1/2 yard of compost would be plenty for our future veggie beds. We pay for our purchase ($20/yard) and are instructed to drive to the compost area where someone with a loader would meet us. All of that was simple enough, but when the guy with the loader arrived at our truck, he dumped what must have been over two yards of compost in the back (and all over) our truck! There was so much it was piled up as high as the cab and poured out of the back all over the bumper. What would we do with all of this compost?!?!? My simple little project was now a really big project.

We immediately called friends and asked if they wanted some, which they did. After much ridicule, and the determination that they only needed to fill two half wine barrels, they sent us to a neighbor whose entire backyard is filled with fruit trees and raised beds who was thrilled to take some of the compost off our hands - and offered us apricots in the summer in return - yum! The three of us shoveled at least half of the haul into his backyard, then gave our friends two wheelbarrows full and, in the end, had about 8 wheelbarrows for our own yard and raised beds.

Our little dump run took three hours, but we were able to share our "wealth" with other gardeners and, speaking of good luck, I found a penny while we were unloading the truck and found three ladybugs in my raised beds. If that isn't a sign of good luck to come, I don't know what is. Now I'm looking forward to the fruits and vegetables I'll be enjoying this summer - from my very well amended soil.