Everything Glendale

Filed Under: City Services, Composting, Events, Green Living, Workshops

I have an ash tree on my front lawn. I know this now, but, four months ago when my father-in-law asked me what kinds of trees I have on my property, I was embarrassed to admit that I didn't know.

My husband's family lives in a woody suburb of St. Louis and have been composting for decades. I was excited to tell them that I'd be joining the new locavore movement: buying produce only from farmer's markets, starting my own vegetable garden, and keeping my own compost bin. When my father-in-law highlighted the fact that I didn't know the first thing about quality of foliage that I would be adding to this bin, I thought I was in trouble.

When we returned from our Midwest retreat, I decided attempt composting anyway. And I was nervous. Not only did I not know what trees were on my property, I was an English major in love with all things poetic and metaphysical, and I here I was venturing into the natural world of the sciences. I had picked up one introductory book on composting and was immediately frightened by the specialized technical vocabulary of words like "aeration" and "actinomycetes" and "nematodes" and even some murderous terms as "thermal kill." I never realized composting could be dangerous.

Fortunately, I live in a city that is at the forefront of the eco-movement—and a user-friendly version at that. Each year, the City of Glendale offers composting workshops, "in order to make composting as convenient as possible."

The workshop alleviated any anxiety I held about composting. The presenter definitely reminded me of the many biology and chemistry teachers whose classes I nearly failed. His seriousness about composting was intimidating at first; when he summarized the scientific theories behind the process, my eyes glazed over. But he was also insistent about composting's ease and value. He offered a few sample "recipes" for a typical bin and insisted that you could throw yard waste in haphazardly and still produce quality compost in eight to ten months in a simple home composter.

And, of course, the best part is the free stuff. For an hour's worth of attention, each participant receives a free compost bin and a pitchfork. You can choose between a home composter or a Smith and Hawken Biostack. When I looked them up later, I found that the home composter sold for at least $100 and the Biostack for $129. Unfortunately, on the day I attended, they ran out of pitchforks, so I had to purchase my own. (Get in line early!)

So, my compost pile is built. All I had to do was dump my grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen waste into the bin. And find out what kind of trees I own.

I asked my next-door neighbor if she could identify the tree on our front lawn.

She said, “Oh, sure. That's one big-ash tree.”

Now I know.

City of Glendale Composting Workshops

Friday, March 13, 2009
11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 14, 2009
9:00 a.m.

Integrated Waste Management Section Yard
548 W. Chevy Chase Drive
Glendale, CA 91204
818.548.3916
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/public_works/backyard_composting.asp

See website for more information on worm composting.