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!


Sunday, 7 April 2013

Sunday seed potato planting, and a hen invasion

Hello lovely people!

Today had been another lovely day here in Herefordshire :-)

I started the day with a mass break in of chickens!



Cassi Cat wanted to get past them, but they were not going to let her though, oh no.
in the end she gave up and went the other way :-)

I have done yet more washing, tidying up, Compostgirl cleaned out the Guinea Pigs, Compostman painted more window frames and we had a visit from Kev of An English Homestead



And...we planted stuff outside today :-)


50 chitted Nicola and Charlotte spuds into the outside raised beds.


Covered over with geotextile to keep them nice and snug against the cold :-)


 The wood daffodils look beautiful:-)


This is what the linen tablecloth I was talking about earlier today  looks like - not sure what the pattern is called - anyone know? it is 5 ft by 10 ft so for a large table. It was bought when Compostman's grandparents moved from the family "old" farmhouse into their "new" farmhouse, just before MiL was born (in 1910). That was in 1908 so the fabric is at least that age, possibly older - and it was bought because the new farmhouse had a bigger dining table than the old one, apparently :-)



You can just make out the threadwork here - such beautiful, intricate work!

I have been advised by various Fb friends that the linens may well be worth a bit of money so I shall NOT take them to the charity shop but instead will visit a specialist fabric seller for a valuation .

Hope you have all had a nice day :-)




14 comments:

  1. The linen is beautiful and looks to be in great condition.

    I love your invasion of the hen horde. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi tpals :=)

      I had to wash it ! With much trepidation! as it had a huge, old, tea stain right in the middle :-(

      It came out :-)

      Delete
  2. Glad you have found a specialist fabric seller! The top tablecloth looks like Damask to me. Good luck and I hope they find good homes and good prices.
    I envy you planting your potatoes: mine have not even been delivered yet and I am panting at the bit.
    I also envy you your hens: after 40 years we have given up keeping chickens and I miss them. Mine used to come indoors and one or two used to come and sit beside me when I stopped for a cup of coffee, with one in particular always climbing up and sitting down on my knee. We do have geese which have fewer health problems but do not have quite the same lovely fluffy bums of the hens, and there is nothing like a cockerel crowing just before dawn for atmosphere and romance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the replay on the fabric - I hope to get some money for ir but failing that will keep it and just admire it :-)

      I would really miss having hens, even though I always seem to end up with mad ones :-)

      Delete
  3. I daren't put my potatoes in yet, we're still getting ground frosts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These are in a raised bed Mq, with lots of cosy thick geotextile on top - unless we go back to many days of below freezing they should be ok - its how we grow them every year and, so far, it has always worked :-)

      Delete
  4. I love old linen and am envious of your big tablecloths, having an 8 foot long dining table - but I have to admit that the washing and ironing would put me off, keeping up with the napkins is enough. I agree with your FB friends and suspect it's more valuable as a piece of linen than a tablecloth.

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  5. Want to buy it off me Z? As you have the table for it ;-)

    I am so pleased with how it has washed - I was very careful and looked on various specialist pages to see what to do - but linen is very forgiving - we have some smaller pieces which I wash regualrly but the ironing puts me off, especially as it always seems to need ironing again when taken out of the drawer to be used!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's a beautiful cloth, wow!

    and congrats on getting on so well outside.

    The daffs look amazing.


    Sft x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sft, I am pleased with how it has come up :-)

      The daffs are finally getting going :-)

      Delete
  7. I loved reading about your break-in of hens :) And I've only just got round to chitting potatoes this week so am very envious of the fact that you've planted so many! I must, must get more organised.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They did it again today - naughty hens!

      I still have another 60 or more potatoes to plant - so have to get on with it!

      Delete
  8. The tablecloth is beautiful!! Nice to see all the daffodils!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you :-) I must do a post about the other linen we inherited from MiL

      Delete

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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