The Compost Bin: wheel of the year

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!

Showing posts with label wheel of the year. Show all posts

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Lammas greetings - .

So, the end of July and tomorrow is Lammas Day . The garden is in full production now and I am bringing in loads of assorted vegetables and fruits for us to enjoy.

Unfortunately the Rivers Early plum tree split under the sheer weight of plums ( again) it has done this before and we really can't think how to prevent it - the branches are not really suitable to prop up - I think a severe prune is needed.

My pumpkins are doing very well - this is Jack o lantern - should get some huge pumpkins off these plants - I have five of these and five Butternut Squash plants and all are setting fruit very well.

I am picking lots of chard and spinach and today I gathered onions, the first leeks, turnips, beetroot and courgettes - but the salads, caulis and calebrese all seem to be bolting. I guess it has just been too hot for them, even though I watered them every night. I am ppicking the brassica leaves so we will still get to eat something off them :-)

And of course I am picking tomatoes every day, and now the aubergine and pepper plants have ripe fruits to pick. Today we also harvested the last of the broad beans. Which means we are eating lots of lovely fresh produce at every meal.

Off to bake a loaf of lammas bread and walk in the wood in the dusk :)

Friday, 1 February 2013

Imbolc Blessings

Imbolc blessings to you all. May yours and mine seeds be fertile and all our crops and livestock grow in abundance!

I always plant the first of my pepper and tomato seeds today or tomorow, and I make sure to get outside and work in the garden and the polytunnel, regardless of the weather :-)

I also gather a small bunch of snowdrops and bring them inside. These are some of the many patches we have flowering in the garden and the wood. Lovely! \I love snowdrops, so cheerful and make me feel spring will soon be here.

More about the Festival of Imbolc

here

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Lammas greetings

The loaf was still in the oven (!) - but here are some flowers and fruits picked today. I hope all my readers have a fruitful and boutiful harvest in the upcoming months.