THE warm summer weather and tropical rainstorms this year has helped our gardens to bloom and flourish – but the time has come to prune, trim and prepare the garden for next year.

So what should you do with all the extra garden waste? Get composting, of course.

A spokesman for the Somerset Waste Partnership said: “Do not look at it as waste; your old garden debris has the potential to give you a free supply of top quality compost with very little effort.

“Simply throw it into a compost bin and over the winter months it will rot down to produce environmentally friendly compost that when added to the garden will suppress weeds and retain moisture throughout the dry months.”

Benefits of home composting are many - it is easy to make and easy to use, produces a free continual source of the very best compost, improves soil structure and maintains moisture and helps the soil PH balance.

It also suppresses plant disease, reduces the need for polluting bonfires and carbon emissions, and also helps to divert organic waste from landfill.

While it also reduces collection costs.

For more information on home composting, hints and tips and the Somerset Compost Champion Scheme, look under “More You Can Do” at www.somersetwaste.gov.uk.