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 1 May 2009

Beltane!



A bright May Day to you all

I didn't get up and wash my face in the May Day dew this morning, I have done so in the past, but not today ....I don't feel so good and so stayed in bed this morning!


However, I don't have time to be ill as am very busy at the moment, we will be taking part this weekend in Blossomtime. This is a festival of apple blossom and all things cider-y, held every May in these parts as part of The Big Apple. Twice a year The Big Apple Association organise Blossomtime in May and The Big Apple in Oct. Thes are events where the seven parishes of the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire celebrate their heritage of apples and pears, cider and perry.

This year we are not entering any of our cider for the competition ( want to keep it to drink ourselves!) but instead spent last Sunday walking and writing the clues to a nature trail for families. it was a lovely day and we all three enjoyed the walk!

So in addition to the usual daily tasks here, I am busy today and tomorrow potting, labelling and generally preparing plants (grown by the children and me, as well as donated by other parents) to sell at the Blossomtime event up the road on Sunday at Putley. I will be womanning the plant stall and selling the nature trail sheets to raise funds for Eco Club at school.

BUT I expect I shall get round to having a Bel fire later on today :-)

Monday I shall be having fun with my family, drinking cider and watching Moris dancers do their stuff. And playing in the wood, if I am lucky :-)

Have a very good weekend, all of you, and Beltane blessings to you all.

8 comments:

  1. Have a wonderful Blossomtime CW. I wish we could be there too but sadly finances don't permit (getting there involves hiring a car you see). I'll have to make sure I imbibe plenty of cider anyhow! Have a great weekend!
    x

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  2. Ah thats a shame Rebecca, I was hoping to see you :-(

    But understand about finances...such is life at the moment...and it IS a long way to come..

    I shall post up pics so you can enjoy..and if you email me your address I shall try to send you a little memento of the weekend...

    Blessed Beltane/May Day to you

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  3. hi....i just found your blog and will be a follower. i think you might want to check mine out. we have very similar interests. browse the archives if you have time!

    octoberfarm.blogspot.com

    enjoy! joyce

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  4. Hope you had a wonderful day. I too ment to get up early for the dew, but like you stayed in bed until 7am, I guess my routine morning horse slobber will do..

    Have a wonderful weekend.
    K

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  5. I love it - womanning - did you make it up? You will have to put a copywrite on it. I, for one, am going to use it. womanning - it has such a deliscious ring to it LOL

    Enjoy your weekend.

    Margaret

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  6. Happy Beltane! I wish we had activities like you describe here. What kind of plants have you prepared?

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  7. Lizzylanefarm, LOL to horse slobber...makes the face a bit green tinted, though!

    Margaret, I think its a 60's feminist saying? I use it as I can't "man" the stall, as I am not a man...and I dislike "personning" a stall...so I use "womanning" !

    It raises a smile usually :-)

    Lialz, gosh, where do I start?

    I shall do a post about the stall, with photos, but there are 20 big pots of hedgerow trees, loads of tomato, aubergine and assorted salads I have grown, strawberry runners potted on by the children, different beans, peas and salads the children grew, various herbs I have divided from the school(and my own) herb bed

    An awful lot of plants, and I have been watering and tendind them all in the PT forthe last 5 weeks...

    I will probably offer the seed potatos I have left over as well...10 p a chitted spud seems reasonable!

    I guess it will take me 3 car loads to take them to the stall site, tomorrow...?

    Am going to be busy I think ;-)

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  8. This is possibly my most favourite time of year. Things are blooming, leaves are out and look fresh and new, bluebells are carpeting the woods, veggies are growing, lots of jobs to be getting on with but not too mad a rush.

    LOOOOVE it.

    By the way, am I right in thinking it's National Compost Awareness Week next week?

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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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