More Gardening--Composting

I realize that my posting style is scattered.  It works a lot like my life and my mind.  I would present information in an orderly fashion, but I tend to be inspired by what is going on in my life.  Right now, I'm all about getting the garden ready (and backyard, so the kids are entertained while I garden.)

I have a few more tips that I think will help beginning gardeners.  I think this post and the next will focus on compost and collecting water for the garden, both of which can conserve resources and reduce waste.

I was lucky when we moved in, there was an established garden already here.  My problem was that at the time I was pregnant and the garden was HUGE.  Not having really done much gardening before, it was a challenge.  Then with a newborn and even young toddlers, it is just so hard to find the time you need.  We gradually removed more and more of the garden to lawn, but it was when I stumbled upon the concept of container gardening that I started to do much better.

Composting

We already had the compost frame here.  It's a basic and rudimentary wooden frame with a little bit of ventilation.  There are many different types of composters on the market, but something like this will work fine for your needs.  I had to search through my pictures, because I don't think I've ever deliberately taken a picture of my compost bin.

For composting, we just collect food and yard waste and dump it into the compost frame.  You can follow instructions perfectly and use the proper order of materials like HERE or you can be a little more loose.  The difference is that it might be a little slower or not quite as "pretty."  I put in yard waste like leaves, weeds, grass trimmings, and I also put in food waste.  My only rule on the food waste is that I try not to put in any animal products (dairy, meat, though I do put in eggshells) simply because they attract animals and can smell.  I also use the non-shiny parts of the newspaper.

Then I kind of stir it up when I think of it.  I let the rain take care of keeping it moist unless it's been a long dry period.  Then I might add a little bit of water so it doesn't dry out.

I sometimes dream of buying some of the fancy compost tumblers or holders like these:

But it actually works pretty well to collect our coffee grounds, vegetable peels, bread crusts, and egg shells in a coffee can, then taking it out to dump daily in the wooden frame.

This makes some great plant food, and it reduces the amount of household waste we throw out with our garbage.  Talk about green (though it's more brown.)