I'm currently reading "Forest Gardening" by Robert Hart. He mentions using mound gardening which originated in China and is also practiced in Germany where it is called Huglekultur. I think I need to try this since I have huge stacks of rotting ligustrum already in make-shift chicken wire compost bins that I have stomped down (yep, having a bit a weight on me is really useful for stomping on tree branches). His description on page 53 says to dig a 1 foot trench (I won't be doing that...) fill it with woody material (branches, hedge cuttings purnings) to make a firm but porous core (already done), cover with sod, placed grass down, then layers of compost, then top with soil. Plants can be grown on the sides and the top. Here is a website with another description and pictures. Here is another blogger who shows a side by side comparison.
I was already thinking about growing pumpkin, sweet potatoes and other random vining plants on top of the outdoor compost pile, but this seems like it will be even cooler to try.
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