It's remarkably easy and requires very little maintenance. Simply layer kitchen vegetable waste with garden clippings, keep it moist, and turn the pile occasionally. In six to eight months, you'll have beautiful, black, organic compost to add to the garden. Even the smallest yards can accomodate a compost container. As far as pesticides are concerned, I use nontoxic products containing pyrethrum or neem.
Pyrethrum comes from insecticidal compounds found in African chrysanthemums.
It can control such pests as aphids, whiteflies, stinkbugs, and mites. You should be able to find pyrethrum products in your local garden center. Check labels carefully, and make sure you choose the one intended for the crops you're growing or the pests you're trying to eliminate. Neem , as you may know, comes from the seeds and leaves of an Indian tree, Azadirachta indica . Garden pests won't eat plants sprayed with neem, and they starve to death despite a readily available source of their favorite foods.