The key to good compost is understanding which of the great amount of material around the home can be composted. Grass clippings, leaves, brush, spent flowers, vegetable plants after harvest, and wood ash all are fair game for the compost pile.

From the kitchen, eggshells, coffee grounds, produce peelings, leftover pasta (without sauce), stale bread, and past-its-prime fruit also work well. Shifting waste to the compost bin instead of the garbage bin can greatly reduce the amount of trash you bag each week.

In total, almost 20% of the materials hauled off to landfills each year could easily be composted at home. This would not only save on space at the dump but also reduce fuel usage for transporting the refuse, return nutrients to your soil, and reduce the amount of fertilizer you must buy and apply each year (and the environmental impact if you're prone to buying chemical fertilizer).

While some serious composting experts include meat, bones, and fat in their bins, these advanced ingredients could attract critters, bugs, and odors most novice composters would rather not deal with. Many municipalities have ordinances against backyard composting for this very reason, so before beginning, be sure to check the local laws.