Compost Collection (page 5)

Hand placing compost around base of Canna rhizome in box

Terracotta flowerpot lined with bubble wrap and being filled with compost, close-up

Digging in organic matter beside a wooden fence, using a fork

Garden fork being used to turn soil, front view

Childs hand filling blue plastic tray with soil, next to red bag of soil, on wooden table

Two hands cupping heap of soil, close up

Using fingers to plant Calendula (Pot Marigold) seedlings in compost seed tray

Vegetable matter waste, close-up

Sage seedling being potted in larger pot, hands pressing down compost, close-up

Tipping organic waste from metal bucket into wooden compost bin, close-up

Border of vegetable waste

Detail of worms in wormery

Hand holding earthworm above compost in wormery

Annelida, Earthworms on surface of soil, close up

Wheelbarrow on compost heap C017 / 7461
Wheelbarrow on a compost heap

Packaging waste outside industrial unit C013 / 9027
Packaging waste awaiting collection in yard outside industrial unit. Photographed in the West Midlands

Small Inkcap Fungi (Coprinus sp. ) fruiting bodies, growing out of compost in plant trays, Powys, Wales, February
Small Inkcap Fungi (Coprinus sp.) fruiting bodies, growing out of compost in plant trays, Powys, Wales, February

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) clump growing on disturbed and enriched soil beside garden compost heap, Bacton, Suffolk, England, july

Composting toilet Skomer Island Pembrokeshire West Wales UK
MAB-990 Composting toilet Skomer Island Pembrokeshire West Wales UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Productive vegetable plot with stick beans potatos and small chicken shed Mickleton UK
MAB-1317 Productive vegetable plot with stick beans potatos and small chicken shed Mickleton UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Compost - variety of kitchen waste including vegetable peelings paper and fruit in top of black plastic composting bin
MAB-390 Compost - variety of kitchen waste including vegetable peelings paper and fruit in top of black plastic composting bin compost Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel

Compost - large bags of peat free multipurpose organic compost in garden. Cotswolds - UK
MAB-771 Compost - large bags of peat free multipurpose organic compost in garden Cotswolds - UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Allotment plots - with green vegetables sheds and compost heaps Chipping Campden Cotswolds UK
MAB-925 Allotment plots - with green vegetables sheds and compost heaps Chipping Campden Cotswolds UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Sack of peat free multi purpose compost, Cotswolds, UK
MAB-214 Sack of peat free multi purpose compost, Cotswolds, UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Green vegetables cabbages and leeks growing on local allotment with sheds
MAB-887 Green vegetables cabbages and leeks growing on local allotment with sheds and compost heaps near Chipping Campden Cotswolds UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel

Garden compost area with wheelbarrow and tools
SG-20253 Garden compost area with wheelbarrow and tools Ardea London contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

USA, Oregon, Portland. Morning frost on fallen leaves in field

Cheshire Muck Heap
Farmers Gold - a muck heap on a farm in Cheshire, England, proving that where theres muck, theres brass ! Date: 1960s

Potted Plants
Community pots - the tiny plants have been removed from flasks and are pricked off into pots. The compost is sphagnum moss and osmunda fibre - finer than normal. Date: 1955

Greenhouse with manure pit
A greenhouse with a manure pit filled with compost in 18th century France. Date: circa 1760

Garden compost heap with shredded paper, England, march

Young female gardener with fork, adding material to compost heap in allotment garden, Norfolk, England, october

Peppermint perfume spraying over green compost heap at municipal waste site, near Chester, Cheshire, England, march

Doppstadt portable trommel screen, used to filter rubbish from green compost at municipal waste site, near Chester, Cheshire, England, march

Volvo loader turning green compost waste for aeration at municipal waste site, near Chester, Cheshire, England, march

Close-up of hands holding green compost waste at municipal waste site, near Chester, Cheshire, England, march

Rubbish filtered from green compost waste at municipal waste site, near Chester, Cheshire, England, march

Woman putting vegetable scraps into garden compost bin, England, april

Teabags on garden compost heap, Suffolk, England, march

Plastic garden compost bin with rotting fruit and vegetable scraps, England, april

Compost heap in snow covered village allotments, with church in background, St. Marys Church, Bacton, Suffolk, England, november

Grass cuttings on garden compost heap, Suffolk, England, october

Biodegradable bag with fruit peelings for compost heap, England

Composting. Vegetable peelings being tipped into a compost bin

Vegetable peelings and other kitchen waste in a compost bin

Leaf mould heap. Leaf mould is a type of compost formed predominately from decomposed leaves. The material beneath the top layer of grass cuttings and leaves has begun to decompose (bottom)

Leaf compost. Jute bag containing oak leaves (Quercus rober). Once rotted, the decomposed leaves form a useful garden mulch

Composting vegetation. Compost is a mixture of decaying organic matter. It is used in gardens to improve soil structure and provide nutrients

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"From Kitchen Scraps to Nutrient-Rich Soil: The Magic of Compost" In the heart of Cotswolds, UK, a black plastic composting bin stands tall, brimming with potential. Inside this 220-liter container made from 100% recycled plastic by Blackwall, a bustling community thrives. A closer look reveals an intricate network of worms wriggling through a variety of kitchen waste – vegetable and fruit peelings mingling with cardboard scraps. These diligent worms are nematodes, captured in stunning detail under the lens of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Their tireless efforts transform discarded organic matter into dark, rich compost – nature's own recycling system at work. Composting is not a new concept; it has been practiced for centuries. An ancient woodcut engraving depicts shepherds tending to their flock while surrounded by perils at sea. This illustration comes from "Le Grand Kalendrier et Compost des Bergiers, " printed in Troyes around 1490 – evidence that even our ancestors recognized the value of composting. In modern times, compost heaps take on various forms. In wild areas adorned with nettles and other plants thriving on nutrient-rich soil, wooden planks and posts create sturdy enclosures for decomposing organic matter. These humble structures serve as havens for countless microorganisms breaking down garden waste into precious humus. A cross-section illustration unveils the inner workings of a blue plant pot layered meticulously to ensure optimal drainage and growth conditions. Gravel provides stability at the base while turves and nutrient-rich compost nurture plants above ground level—a testament to how thoughtful design can enhance gardening success. Across continents in Issaquah, Washington State USA, rows of plastic watering cans stand ready for hand-watering gardens nurtured by this very same composted goodness. As gardeners tend to their green spaces using these tools inspired by practicality and convenience alike—compost remains the backbone of their thriving plants.