Book review
The Compost Coach
Who would write a book about compost my husband asked as I plucked a new garden book from its padded envelope? Surely there’s not enough to fill an entire book he mused. Well, The Compost Coach by Kate Flood, aka Compostable Kate, has more than 250 pages filled with information about composting that’s both highly readable and fun to look at. I even caught hubbie reading it. “Actually, it’s quite good,” was his understated verdict.
And it is. There’s everything here you’d want to know and more that you didn’t even know you wanted to know from the benefits of hot vs cold composting to tips on how to keep rodents out of your compost heap (strong wire laid under and wrapping up around a closed bin). Kate also outlines the life cycle of a worm and gives clear information about what goes into the compost (brown, green and other colours). There’s a bit that’s all about seaweed and a section that introduces the benefits that compost can add to your garden and to the planet. Kate also reminds gardeners how and when to use their compost and provides a Q&A so you can work out the best compost system for your household.
The book also includes QR codes so those who want to know more can investigate extra links to videos and more.
This book is a great reference for any gardener but would make an excellent housewarming gift for someone starting out on their gardening journey.
The Compost Coach by Kate Flood is published by Murdoch Books (rrp $39.99). You can follow Kate, who gardens on the south coast of New South Wales, on Instagram and Tik Tok.
Jennifer Stackhouse
