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 20 July 2012

Plant order from Rocket Gardens


As you all know we have had some very wet weather here. A lot of plants have been smashed to bits by the torrential rain, or just didn't even germinate at all this year.

I had little success with my courgette plants - the two in the polytunnel are doing ok, but the four I planted outside got smashed in the last downpour which also flooded the garden and polytunnel.

I have also had a complete failure of dwarf french beans and the latest set of pea plants. I have planted loads more seeds in the polytunnel, I tried looking on Freecycle, I have asked around friends and I have looked in my local garden centres for organic plants but with no joy - I guess growers are suffering the same way and what few plants are in the shops are snapped up quite quickly!

So I decided to buy in some plants online and thought I would see what Rocket Gardens plants were like. I have heard good things about them from various friends and from reviews in the media  Rocket Gardens, say on their website

All of our seeds are sourced from Soil Association approved organic seed suppliers.
The compost we use to grow the seedlings in is approved for use in Organic systems by the Soil Association.
Our plants are grown naturally under a fully organic regime.
 
So, I decided to order some courgette plants, some peas and dwarf french beans as well as some more spinach as I have been having trouble with growing seedlings and I wanted a back up in case of any more losses! I also ordered some late strawberry plants and some herb plants. When I ordered there was 25 % off all orders so I did buy a few more plants than I originally intended (cough!)


The cardboard box came promptly and the plants were packed in layers of hay ( organic, I later found out on checking :-) )



The herbs were very good plants, I have brought the Lemongrass plants inside ( after listening to what Jekka McVicar had to say!)


The mint was to replace a variety which died in the very cold weather last year.




I also planted up a herb planter with some of the other herbs I bought. All were a good size and very healthy looking.

The strawberry plants were quite the best looking ones I have ever bought and I will be planting up a strawberry tower with them in the next day or so.

I shall pot on the beans, peas, spinach and  and courgette plants into individual containers and let them get a little larger before planting them out, but they were a good size also. I just want to make sure they do not get drowned or bashed to bits outside (especially as it is raining here AGAIN!)

Also had a very nice chat to a lady on the other end of the phone, when I called them about the hay, so all in all am impressed with their service and their plants. The prices are pretty good, also ( especially with a further 25 % off...)

Will keep you all updated :-)

4 comments:

  1. Rocket gardens is indeed very good to use as "backup" for crop failure. I've always been happy with them. The hay is no bad thing either, agreed!

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  2. I have been fed up with planting vegetables recently as the slugs have eaten everything. As we're going away this weekend and possibly a few days in September, maybe it's meant to be. My garden is plagued with Mares tails and I'm struggling to get rid of them.

    One thing I have meant to ask you I have a compost bin (2nd one) that looks like a pvc bag with a zipped top. Whenever I open it lots of horrible flies fly out, in my face. Have you any idea what I am doing wrong? I never had that problem with my conventional one I bought from the council. I have lots of ants in that one though? Should they be in it?

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  3. I think that everyone, worldwide, is struggling with gardens this year. I'm in the US and have had HOT, HOT weather ... and because we had a warmer than usual winter, we have tons of pests who seem to think my vegetables are part of their salad bar. So my garden struggles. Hopefully your new plants will do well ... and how brilliant that the company uses organic hay to pack the plants!

    BTW ... would love it if you'd link your blog in my "green" linky ... it stays open until Thursday and you and your readers are invited to join in. :-)

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  4. What a coincidence, I got an email from them yesterday advertising this 25% off deal and decided to go mad and order the 'Large Top-Up Summer Garden.

    Brilliant value over 226 veggie plants for just £41. It makes it just 18p a plant, almost a cheap as growing it myself (the chickens will love the hay for the nest boxes too, nice to know it's organic, thanks for checking).

    I'll be making some 'deer defences' before these go in!!

    Sue xx

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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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