[jaffab]

All,

We have various pots of growing material (peat free) -  we have used around the place this year - hanging baskets, troughs for flowers, troughs for cucumbers, tomatoes etc.   When bought it in bags, it is called compost, not its not what I would call compost

Anyway, rather than waste all this or consume it to a land fill, I want to re-energise it and use it again next year.

We recently have taken on goats, which produce plenty of manure.

Can I just:
1) Empty all the pots into a 2 tonne big builders bag
2) Mix in a lot of the goat waste and used goat straw
3) Throw in some worms
4) Throw in some of last years leaf mulch
5) Mix it all up
6) Leave it to sit over winter

Will that work?

I am trying to avoid having great big piles of rotting manure around the place, or binning the old growing material, or having to buy it all again - that would all seem a waste

What are peoples thoughts?

Not really a gardener, so any advice welcome.

[Fleecewife]

I wouldn't use a builder's bag because they photo degrade into lots of little bits of polypropylene which we don't want in the environment.  Best to make a compost heap about 4 feet cubed with a lid if possible, out of wood such as old pallets and make your own garden compost.  The stuff sold in plastic sacks is more a sterile growing medium but as you have realised can be used to make a living compost, much better for growing plants in.
Add various stuff to your compost bin such as thin layers (4") of cut grass, non-pernicious weeds, fallen leaves (don't waste stuff which has already rotted), your goat manure plus any poultry manure (not dog or cat droppings), ripped up cardboard minus sticky tape, all peelings, green waste etc from the kitchen and of course the 'compost' you grew flowers in last year.  Let it get rained on then shut the lid or cover and leave for a year.  You can turn it in that time to speed things up. Use it as a lovely fertile, home made growing medium.
Compost worms will make their own way into a wooden bin even if it's built on hard standing.  You need red compost worms not earthworms.
If you want to grow your own flowers from seed, then make plain leafmould and mix with sieved molehill soil for sowing (seeds don't need fertility), then plant out into your garden compost.
You could also allow yourself to become a vegetable gardener as your skill and knowledge grows