Did you know coffee enriches your garden soil?

When non-coffee drinker Michelle Soufian read that cold brew packs were not only so freakin good but can also be composted, she threw caution to the wind, ordering her own pack of Sweetwater Organic Coffee Cold Brew to steep for 12-24 hours and try for herself. She's now doing an Instagram giveaway. 

We talk to Michelle on the blog today about her little garden, and what she knows about composting. 

Follow her on Instagram at @allyourcurvesandedges and enter to win a free bag of 5 cold brew packs (ends Sunday, Aug. 23 at 12:59 p.m. EST). 

Check out Using Coffee Grounds In Gardens And Landscapes published by Washington State University for more on how to start or transform your own garden using coffee. Plus Youtube has many coffee compost videos! 

Sweetwater: Tell me about your garden! What's in it?

Michelle Soufian: I've been in the garden since I was a young girl. I found it so fun to plant a seed that would otherwise go into the garbage and watch it flourish. 

We used to have a watermelon plant and each day my neighbors would come over after school to see how much it grew and get excited to eat it all together. My garden taught me patience, and the importance of taking care of something and not taking it for granted. AND, yes, my watermelons brought the friends to the yard ;)

I have a bean garden, herbs growing (peppermint, lemon balm, oregano, spicy oregano, hyssop, thyme, basil, lavender). I also have a fig tree, blueberry bush, tomatoes, butternut squash, azaleas, hydrangeas, potatoes, radishes and peppers growing.

Sweetwater: How did you start composting?

Michelle Soufian: About 3 years ago when we moved into the house we're currently in, I decided to implement a family composting campaign. Our previous home had lots of rocks in the soil so it wasn't as conducive to composting and having living worms.

Now, we have a container in the kitchen where we collect fruit and vegetable peels for composting. It takes effort - to remind people to keep their peels and to compost them each day. When I see the pile, it makes me so happy to see how much of our diets are made of living elements. 

I like to keep composting simple - I don't have a fancy composting bin... I simply dig the organic matter into the ground with a shovel at the end of each day.

Sweetwater: How is coffee good for composting?

Michelle Soufian: Composting coffee grounds helps to add nitrogen to your compost pile and keeps the organic matter out of landfills. 

Many people feel that coffee grounds lower the pH (or raise the acid level) of soil, which is good for acid-loving plants. 

For me personally, it helps me feel connected to the farmers who grew the coffee in a different country and allows me to share our rich soil across borders and remember mother nature belongs to all of us.

Sweetwater: Anything else you'd like to add?

Michelle Soufian: As a kid, I had this magical idea to save the world by having each person have ONE plant.

I thought if we each had one plant we would be adding so much more oxygen to our environment and undoing some of the harm from industry and pollution. 

Now, as an adult, I see how cute and wise I was. 

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Order fair-trade organic Sweetwater Cold Brew for a seriously smooth, delicious experience and use the leftover packs of coffee grounds to flourish whatever is growing in your yard or in your garden! Subscription option available.