You can get grass clippings and leaves from your neighbors straw bales after Thanksgiving. Your town may have free compost that you can get. Keep reading on the soil forum (ignore the hostile posters). Some are very picky about their compost. Organic matter is good to smother weeds and for mulch even if you don't exactly make compost properly.

Beth, all you need to do is find an out-of-the-way spot and start piling clippings, grass, pulled weeds, kitchen waste, manure (not cat and dogs!) if you have any. To keep it composting, it is a good idea to add a layer of dirt between the layers.

I also put kitchen waste around plants, but under the mulch so it won't look so bad.

I think people make too much fuss about "compost". It is just decomposed organic things. I also toss old flower pots of plants and potting soil onto mine. I never turn mine over, just let it lay for a year....it looks good to me!

Yay, thanks ladies! I feel like I can start one now, over on the soil forum it's rather complex... LOL! Thanks again!

Beth