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!


Wednesday 31 March 2010

And today I have been making.....

This!



it was really horrible out there today, but despite the rain, hail and sleet, I managed to make this willow structure, with help from children at the school and other members of staff.

All told we made 3 more today to add to the big one we made on saturday.

A roundhouse and two arbours ( mine is an arbour)

The children all had the chance to make some bit of at least one willow structure and also went and inspected the one the adults made at the weekend.

They can't wait for the willow to green up and be magical and shady.

I am going to make some similar structures in the wood as shelters. All good fun!

Saturday 27 March 2010

What I was up to, today....

Today I went to a bare field and created this...with several other people and a really great tutor!




spent the day making this...on the school field....

making more of them with the children next week................

Thursday 25 March 2010

(Sort of) back in the land of the living

Am sort of back in the land of the living BUT still a bit wobbly.. Labarynthitis is a very horrible thing to have and I have had 3 weeks signed off sick, so had to cancel lots of work, did no gardening or home steading work or even looking after my family...

Am back working and growing and doing my teacher training course...but it is all hard going as I am still not very well...I am ok ish, no more than that and with not much time or energy left over for blogging!

so blogging is one of the things which has to "give" at the moment I am afraid....

Expect me when you next see me....

Wednesday 3 March 2010

like Alice, I have tumbled down the slippery, whirling, twirling rabbit hole again.....

Just to let you know I am v poorly, have labyrinthitis, ( vertigo, nausea, photophobia, blinding headache - hence the "Alice/Rabbit hole in the title)

It came on with a vengence on Sunday, after bouts on and off last week and I was so ill I got carted off in an ambulance to A and E Monday night. Fortunately they let me out Tuesday morning, with drugs to take for it.

Am back at home now but spending the day on virtually total bed rest, looking at a blank wall in a darkened room is the order of the day. Am on drugs to reduce sypmtoms ( but not by much) which give me maybe an hour a couple of times a day where I can eat, see ok to read, type etc.

so am taking advantage of the current "good" spell now, to send a couple of important emails about cancelling work, and to let you all know what has happened.

Thank you for the kindly comments and emails I have already had but I am really not up to answering them at the moment - I hope you can all understand why?

Don't worry, I will live, but its not much fun being me at the moment!

Will come back when I am able.
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