SPOTLIGHT ON... compost

Confirmed composters typically confine their garden rubbish inside a square framework made of old pallets or wire netting nailed around four posts hammered into the ground.

But if you go about it correctly you can make a traditional compost heap with no external means of support. Mark a metre square on the ground and fork the surface over to improve drainage. Now make a “dwarf wall” around the outside, using materials such as tussocks of weeds or old turf, packed down hard.

Fill the centre of your heap with suitable compost materials, adding each fresh deposit in a layer roughly 6in deep, firming it down well with your wellies.

Spread grass clippings between each layer of other materials. They will break down quickly and act as a natural compost starter. As the heap rises, build up the sides with another layer of firm materials and taper in the sides slightly so the heap becomes narrower as it grows higher, giving stability.

When it reaches one metre high, give it a final firming, cover with a couple of inches of soil and throw a tarpaulin over the whole thing, holding it down around the base with a row of bricks.

After three to six months, get a fork and turn the whole heap sides to middle, building a new heap from the old. About three to six months later, you’ll have a pile of compost for planting or mulching – for free!