Anyone who gardens, especially those in northern climates, likely dreams of extending their growing season with a greenhouse. The greenhouse has been used in various iterations since Ancient Rome.

When winter rolls around, it’s easy to let composting slide. The cold can make it feel like nothing will break down, but there are actually plenty of useful scraps you can still toss in your pile.

As a young boy, I had to contend with my grandfather’s compost heap. It was a veritable Vesuvius of foul-smelling, putrescible plant waste, a metre high and hidden behind a privet hedge. We had placed ...