Good compost is like liquid gold to the gardener! And knowing how to make your own compost from garden and household “waste” is one of the most valuable and satisfying (trust me) things you can learn

We produce almost all of our own compost here at Quinton Old Rectory garden; its nutrient rich, organic - and its free! Previous visitors may have noticed the compost bays dotted around the perimeter of the garden. For the first time, we thought we’d make these engines of the garden the focus of an event, and we’ve invited composting advocate and aficionado Avril Francome along to run a masterclass in the garden.

During this two hour event, you’ll learn about the composting life cycle in full - how to set up your composting system, what should be composted and what shouldn’t, getting the proportion of green and brown compost right, the benefits and limitations of “hot” composting, whether the turning or compression method is likely to work for you, how long you’ll have to wait for your compost to be ready, the wonders of leaf mould compost and more.

With Avril’s practical approach and engaging teaching style, this should be an insightful and very enjoyable masterclass.

And after all the composting fun, there’ll be time to explore the garden (and enjoy the Easter bonnet themed bulb lawn which should be in full bloom!) and round off the afternoon with tea and homemade cake.

We’re limiting places on the masterclass to 16, so do get in quickly if you’d like to come along.

The fee for the masterclass is £35 including refreshments, with profits from the events being donated to Garden Organic.