Literally and figuratively.

Have a look at this beauty.  The problem with most compost tumblers is that they just aren’t big enough.  That is, they don’t hold enough compost to really hit the sweet spot, the critical mass that gets things cooking.  Not so for this one, which towers overhead.

Perhaps 18 years ago, when I was living in Los Angeles, I scored this Gardening Naturally Earthmaker compost tumbler.  Friends of my parents, estate sale enthusiasts, picked it up as part of a larger sale, and gave it to me as a gift.  When I left L.A. for Northern California, I left it behind, for it took up to much moving van space.  I never knew what happened to it.  As it turns out, unbeknownst to me, my Uncle Tim ended up with it, and this past summer, he surprised me by giving it back!  A couple of days ago, I spent a few hours rehabbing it – the grip tape was worn out, and the rubber rollers a bit glazed, making it difficult to turn.  I replaced the tape and scored the rollers with a hacksaw, and it’s good as new.  The best part about this particular model is that the frame is sufficiently high as to allow a wheelbarrow to fit underneath.  Pop the hatch, dump the compost.  Simple.