Flickr Most gardeners judge their compost by smell or texture. Color, though, tends to be an afterthought. That’s a missed ...

There are two images associated with the word compost. One is of a rotting, fly-infested cesspool of kitchen scraps that makes you gag if you get close. The other is rich, crumbly, pleasantly earthy ...

Starre Vartan is an environmental and science journalist. She holds an MFA degree from Columbia University and Geology and English degrees from Syracuse University. Compost is decomposed organic ...