In my garden, I dig a hole about three square inches in size during the summer. I deposit tea and coffee grounds, discarded vegetables, squash seeds, as well as the fireplace ashes I collect during the winter, and let them decompose.

These household items are all I tend to use for enriching my garden soil. In the spring when I start preparing the beds for planting, I simply mix the compost in a bucket and spread it around to other vegetable and flower beds around my yard, mixing it into the soil.

I chop fruit and vegetable scraps because it makes them decompose faster. The soil on top should cover about six inches deep. When one compost hole is full, I make another one. Every summer I have three or four compost holes.

Compost enriches my garden soil by recycling nutrients and organic matter. It allows me to grow any kind of vegetable such as lettuces and mustard greens for salads.

My favourite compost mixture is when I add squash seeds, especially acorn squash, and food scraps to my compost hole. First, it will enrich the soil with nitrogen. Secondly, I will have young squash vines burst out of the ground within a couple of weeks. I enjoy the young green stalks for stir fry side dishes with my meals. The squash plants also spread out very quickly to stop weeds from growing.

I love to grow all my basic herbs and flowers that I use for tea and cooking. During summer, my neighbours of all ages stop by and look at the flowers. They ask if they can have a flower, or seeds. I always give them more than they ask for. I feel this is very helpful for children and adults to observe, comment on, and question the things that they see in the world around them – starting with what is growing in my garden. This is why I call it my “literacy garden” that is valuable throughout the year.

Nhan is originally from Vietnam and owns Pacific Cafe and Cooking School at 10874 97 Street.