Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.


To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!


Friday 26 September 2008

A frantic Friday!

I have just shifted ALL the bedroom furniture around ( except the wardrobe) and vacuumed behind /under it all...AND cleaned all the windows AND polished all the woodwork AND wiped down all the surfaces ...and had a HUGE tidy up

This was brought on by needing to bleach the mouldy patches... We have an old, solid brick walled house and in a few places, during ultra damp weather, we sometimes get a bit of mould forming, on the external wall behind big bits of furniture where there is little airflow.

Normally its only bad in the depths of winter BUT after the summer we have had, I noticed a patch on the wall....and I can smell it ( even when no one else can! Horrible smell to me) So.....I moved all the furniture and Compostman did the wiping with bleach...as he is taller!

And THEN I decided ( as you do!) to have a good old clean up of our bedroom while I was at it!

It looks MUCH better now, and smells lovely ! Compostman is slowly insulating the rooms in our house so its not a big problem any more BUT there are a couple of places on a couple of walls in rooms not yet done (probably due to some pointing needing re doing outside!) where it still happens. As he finishes the house it is getting warmer and drier so this won't hopefully be an issue any more...

I have also cleaned out all three hen houses , their feeders and drinkers, and refilled everything!

It was a lovely day here today, a fine autumn sunny day..with a hint of woodsmoke and a nip in the air once the sun set..............

5 comments:

  1. That's an impressive amount to do in a day! If you have any withdrawl symptoms though having finished I'm sure I could provide more similar work! ;-)

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  2. I thought so, also!

    I gave up on helping Compostman and Compostgirl pick apples though, and went and had a cup of tea!

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  3. Phew!!! you must be exhausted... But what a lovely feeling it is when you have managed to achieve so much. Big pat on the back for you. (When can you come and give me a hand with my cleaning??)
    Love all your compost advice. I am very much into composting but in a much smaller way. I also have managed to convert some family and friends into composting. My Mum bless her heart is not into the composting thing.. but she saves all her veg, fruit peelings etc and gives them to me for my composters.
    I have some compost now that is nicely rotted and ready to be used.. I just love getting my hands into it.. such a satisfing feeling
    I also like watching the insect life in the earlier stages of composting has it breaks down.. its all so busy.
    I love where you live, especially having your own wood. I think thats simply wonderful. To be able to get so close to nature and to aid its progress must be the best feeling in the world.
    You are truly blessed.

    Jane xxx

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  4. Well today I paid for it all with a bad back...so I took it a bit more gently....

    I am very priviliged to live here, I know and to be a guardian of the woods and pool etc.....

    I feel passionate about handing it on to whom ever has it after us, in a better state than when WE got it...and I mean better for the wildlife, NOT people!

    I really want to have an eco centre here, run Forest School sessions, teach all sorts of stuff and run various eco oriented courses with local experts providing sessions in areas I am not so expert in...hopefully it WILL happen one day!

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  5. Hope your back is much improved?
    I hope you manage to get your eco centre up and running... it would be a wonderful thing to do. You should follow your dreams... just wish I took my own advice!!**!!

    Jane xxx

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Hello! Thank you for reading my blog and for commenting. I try to reply as quickly as I can and I really appreciate your interest in my life and doings here in The Compost Bin.

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