The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

A Healthy Planet Recipe: Garbage to Compost

Egg shells, apple cores,
banana peels, too,
newspaper, grass clippings,
just to name a few.

Fallen leaves and tea bags,
toss them right in.
Mix it all together
in a pile or a bin.

Sprinkle with water.
Leave in the sun.
Let bacteria do its part.
Decomposing has begun.

Stir it every now and then.
Add water when it’s dry.
Wait a month or two.
Let some time go by.

When it’s dark and crumbly,
filled with worms and a few ants,
you will have the perfect soil
for growing your own plants.

About the Writer


Deb Reidy

Deb is a former elementary teacher. When in the classroom, she enjoyed sharing the wonders of poetry with her students. Her work has been published in Cricket and Highlights magazines and the poetry anthology Hop to It. Deb is also the author of two education resource books. Her many years of teaching, as well as her interactions with young family members and neighborhood children, are often inspiration for her poems.