[alnick]

I compost what I can, not for the environment but for my lasagna (no-till) garden beds. Rather than doing the back-breaking work of removing sod and tilling earth, I just lay about 10 sheets of dampened newspaper right on top of the grass, and layer used coffee grounds (obtained in bulk from Starbucks -- they will give used coffee grounds to anyone who asks), shredded leaves, grass clippings, horse manure, and produce scraps. I always top the bed with shredded leaves for attractiveness sake.

You can either plant in it right away or wait a few months and let it decompose. You end up with incredibly rich garden soil for very little work.

[Grampa Dave]

In my wife's and my younger days, we did what you do. It turned a rock pile into a great back yard with a minimum of 6 inches to 19 inches of good top soil.

Apparently there is still a market for the grass triming and garden green waste. As a separate truck picks up that container.

[Triple Word Score]

Adding that to my repertoire of strategies. My garden battle may be futile no matter what I do. A maple tree wants my garden space. It keeps sending roots in, and branches to shade my raised beds. The maple tree is lovely and the jewel of my backyard, utterly necessary in July and August, but apparently there isn't a food crop in the world that likes maple roots tangling their way into their space.