TheKendal-lass and other Kendalians (iGazette March 8) may stop using their green bins after they’ve cleared all the leaves away, but I find mine invaluable all year round and fill it as full as can be, regretting that the service stops for a month in the winter.

I compost as much as possible, shred small branches and mulch with that and leaves, and saw and dry bigger branches for the wood burner.

There are also bunds of ‘green’ material at the bottom of the garden which rot down more slowly to lovely earth.

That still leaves me with all the twigs from pruning trees, hedges and shrubs (the four buddleias are just the start!) and a large area of rampant ground cover plants to control.

Please don’t anybody get the idea to reduce green bin collections. I might be forced to have more than the very occasional bonfire, which I’d rather not and is not good for the environment.

Gilian Cleeve

Cark-in-Cartmel