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!


Thursday, 13 June 2013

Seed bombs, seedlings, scything and a nest box, hijacked

As you know I recently was sent some Seedballs to review. I thought they were so lovely, I got some more. Lots more! I was very kindly sent another BIG packet of Seedballs, by Project Maya  to scatter around Compost Mansions, so I went out seed bombing tonight


This mixture contains yet more bee attracting flowers, which is good as bees ( and other insects) need all the help they can get.


So I wandered around the garden,  seed bombing wherever there was a patch of bare soil which I wanted to become a patch of wild flowers. We already have LOTS of patches of wildflowers, but in my opinion you can never have too many :-)


As always, Cassi Cat ( my amber eyed familiar) came with me and watched in some bemusement as I scattered little round balls of clay. I think she hoped they would be something to eat! She did try to nibble on one but I think the chilli put her off :-)

 

 While seed bombing by the garage I noticed a lot of Bumblebees coming and going from a nest box,


which normally contains Blue Tits

.

not this year - it is full of Bumblebees nesting, instead!


Can you see her bottom? just going in through the hole?


I am in the process of filling up the compost bins again - its a bit like painting the Forth Bridge - never finished!


I have a load of "greens" waiting - the pile is getting very hot and was steaming.


An experiment - I have never tried transplanting carrot seedlings before, but as I was asked about it on a Composting stand I decided to try it - we shall see what happens to the carrots. I used a big pot and filled it up with my favourite peat free fertile Fibre growing medium and then carefully transplanted the seedlings without damaging the roots. I suspect they will grow forked, but who knows, it may work?


Compostman was outside scything while I was doing all this. He presented me with yet more green stuff to add to the compost pile ;-) He knows what makes me happy :-)

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2 comments:

  1. Kev Alviti14 June 2013 at 22:42

    I transplanted some parsnip seedlings when mine failed to germinate one year and they grew much better than I thought. Some were odd shapes but most were fine

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    Replies
    1. Compostwoman16 June 2013 at 19:44

      Ive done it with Parsnips Kev, and had no problems as long as it is done when the seedlings are very tiny, but everything I have seen about Carrots leads me to think they will fork very badly. But we will see - that is part of the fun of gardening :-)

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