"john hamilton" wrote
When the local council have pulled out all the 'finished' plants they have
put out in flower beds, they throw them on a big unsightly heap in a
remote corner of the cemetery.

After a while it ends up being a very sandy type of compost. It doesnt
look like there is much loam in it.

Would this be good to throw into garden pots mixed with some additional
soil? I guess the dead plants would just rot down and add some nutrition
to the mix?

It also has a lot of small bits of chopped tree bark in it. Would this
tree bark help with moisture retention, or would it be a waste of time
from that point of view? Would I be better picking out the tree bark and
throwing it away? Thanks.
If it's all rotted down then I can't see a problem. Presumably it's the
original compost mixed with rotted plants and a bit of bark, sounds good to
me. Try some and see.
I often use bark chippings in compost, aids drainage without adding weight,
and it's not only orchids and citrus that appreciate it.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK