Nature Is Happy With My Composing Work

(Originally posted on NTUMC68 class website, June 3, 2008)

While Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Symphony No.6, " Recollection of Country ", for human to enjoy with joy, Yeh Tze composed "compost", a rich nature product, for plants to benefit with appreciation.

Over a decade ago, I attended a " Composting Yard Wastes " seminar in our local County Recreation Commission and learned how to become a " composer " of compost and recycle the nature waste products. At the end of class, they offered me a free 2x2x4 ft. compost bin to start "the art of composting".

For years, I have enjoyed doing it and have become an experienced "nature composer ". The fact is that you place all the organic wastes from yard, green or brown, or from the kitchen, ie. scraps, into the compost bins and add some ingredients, ie. soil, water, now and then. By the " aerobic workout " of the microbes, yeasts, fungi, worms and bugs etc, it gradually, weeks to months, turns into a rich, dark material with an unique fresh earth smell called compost, which was later removed from the bins and sprayed around the roots of plants, flowers, shrubs providing them a healthy, natural, nutritious environment to grow. During all this silent process, I have worked faithfully with the microbes, worms and bugs. You provide them what they need, ie.nitrogen and carbon from the nature wastes, and moisture (water) as well as oxygen (air). They would be then happy to help you out do the decomposing. Every time I open the cover to dump more organic wastes, I saw all these tiny small busy creatures, worms, bugs, ants, happily crawling around the gradually degrading and sinking pile of their natural "foods".

Last Sunday, since my last exercise on this compost bins six months ago, I again did my "aerobic" workout just as these tiny creatures had done, I removed most of the well composed composts and sprayed them around the roots of the flowers and fruit trees. They seemed to appreciate my effort and contribution.

I am a happy composer, and I believe nature has been happy with my composing works just like we have loved to enjoy Beethoven's composed work, Symphony No.6.

Yeh Tze