The Compost Bin

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!

Saturday, 16 April 2011

These are what the wood looked like in mid March

And these are from today, just 4 weeks further on in the Wheel of the Year.

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Potato bed - how four weeks have flown!

On the 15th March I emptied out the old compost from this 2 m x 3 m raised bed and filled it with my new season compost. I planted out 20 "Charlotte" and in the next door raised bed I planted out 20 "Nicola" chitted, organic tubers. I then covered the 2 beds with geotextile to warm them up and keep them safe from frost.

Today I uncovered the 2 raised beds and replaced the Geotextile with open woven mesh. This keeps the hens off the growing spuds AND provides a bit of frost protection.

They are growing really well!

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Master Composter training

Ooo so busy! I have been busy teaching Master Composters today, was great fun and I enjoyed the work a lot Very Happy

I like my job! Very Happy

Also had a friend Paul here afterwards ( he was on the training session) and we talked about a lot of stuff over lunch.

Now drinking cider and about to eat chicken with leeks and cheese and saute potatoes and other stuff.

Have also done yet more seed sowing and planting of stuff in the veg patch. Am amazed at the progress of some stuff - tomatoes in particular are very advanced!

Have been up since 5.30 so bed beckons, soon-ish.

How are you all getting on?

Monday, 11 April 2011

Peter and Crystal

No, these are not some reality show so called celebs! But my two rabbits!

We moved them into the outside run , a few weeks ago. They have a house to go into at night, but basically they live in the run all the time. We move it around every few days and they are very happy in there.

We moved them over into the orchard a few days ago, because Crystal had started digging in the lawn, so we decided she could dig in the orchard instead. See what she has been up to!

She is making a nest! She pulled lots of belly fur out, took all the hay from the feed rack and carried it down into her underground chamber.

She isn't actually in kit, as Peter has been castrated, but obviously Spring is in her blood and is telling her it is time to have babies.

Cassi Cat looks on, bemused by all the flying soil.

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Craft suppliers

I use a variety of suppliers for my various crafting needs, I get a lot of stuff from my local Scrapstore, but I do buy new as well. So here are some suppliers I use.

Making stuff, ideas

- http://www.allfreecrafts.com/
- http://www.enchantedlearning.com/
- http://www.essortment.com/family.html

Suppliers of craft stuff such as raffia, fabrics

- http://www.tts-group.co.uk/
- http://www.westmerciasupplies.co.uk
- http://www.yellowmoon.org.uk/

- http://www.bagnboxman.co.uk/
- http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk
- http://www.calicocrafts.co.uk/