12 Late-Summer Yard and Garden Upgrades

See how you can pile up all those leaves you've raked with yard clippings and select food waste, and microbes will naturally break down the organic matter to create a nutrient-rich soil additive. The decomposition process takes a few months, so start your pile today, and by springtime you'll have heaps of so-called black gold to nourish your treasured shrubs and garden plants—for free. Learn these 7 Essential Steps to Composting.

Also see How to Build a Compost Bin to create your own weather-resistant structure to hide your new scrap heap.