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!


Monday 31 October 2011

Samhain

Lots more cleaning, tidying up and sorting out of stuff today. Have had a good ponder about where I want to be and what I want to do with the next year as well.

Was going to have a Samhain  bonfire outside tonight, but it came on to rain really hard, so have lit the woodburner instead :-)

I have burned some old documents (to symbolise the end of another year) and also the hop garland from my Green Man sculpture - and tomorrow he will get a new garland, probably of rushes or willow, to celebrate.





Sahmain/Halloween blessings to you all:-)

Sunday 30 October 2011

Halloween/Samhain preparations

Tomorrow is Halloween, the end of the old year for those who follow the Old Ways. A time for clearing out and tidying up and putting things to bed, ready to start afresh in the New Year.

I spent some of today digging and raking and composting and covering over raised beds; cleaning out pots in the polytunnel, cleaning out the chicken house and scrubbing their drinkers, decluttering rooms upstairs and looking at old documents;  sorting through "things", both real and in my thoughts.

I found it helpful to do this as while I got on with some hard physical work which needed doing, I also had
time to let my thoughts drift, to muse and ponder on my life, how it is, how I would like it to be and how / if I can get the two things to be closer together.

Hopefully some good will come out of this exercise - even if it is only in the physical sense :-)

After a good meal of Roast pork and lots of lovely veg, and apple crumble to follow, along with cider ( all except the pork grown/made by us ) and a sit down in front of the woodburner to relax, watch a little TV and do some knitting, I am now about to go to bed. More pondering and tidying to do tomorrow, as well as a pumpkin to carve ( maybe!)

Saturday 29 October 2011

Update on Tabitha

Tabitha Cat now fully restored to health - hunting, purring, pushing us out of bed etc etc . All scabs fallen off, huge wound scab gone and new skin growing new fur :-)

Many thanks to Mike the vet, who did a wonderful job and saved her life.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Crafty things with leaves








I have been preserving autumn leaves  today, for use at a craft workshop I am running in a few weeks time.

The method is quite simple, pick leaves, immerse in a mixture of 1 part glycerine, 2 parts water mix in a tray. Make sure the leaves are submerged, you might want to put something on top of them. Keep away from children and pets!

I will let you know how it turned out in a few days time.
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