Queen of the Compost Pile

2011-11-12T00:13:00.000-08:00

I love my little garden, I grow mostly tomatoes and herbs and it is super fun. On one end of my garden is my compost pile. Composting is a great way to reuse some of the waste from your household and grow a healthy garden. Not only is it a great way to dispose of compostable goods but also easy to maintain and it takes hardly any time and commitment. My dad constructed the outer walls for my compost bin out of chicken wire, in about 20 minutes.

: My humble compost pile, made of chicken wire

In my parents' kitchen I keep a container for the refuse that can be composted, here are some of them:

egg shells
banana/orange peels
used coffee grounds
potato skins
moldy/ rotten veggies or fruits
watermelon rinds
strawberry hulls
moldy/stale bread

: I spy with my little eye...

It is important that my compost kitchen container have a top on it, because this stuff can get a bit smelly and I don't want to attract flies. I add to the container as I cook, instead of just throwing them away, and later when the container is filled and I have free time, I dump it outside. I always keep a pitchfork on hand to cover the newly added kitchen refuse with grass clippings. If you don't, the uncovered junk can attract flies and create a stink.
Other things in my compost:

grass clippings
fallen leaves
trimmed branches

I turn the compost every couple of weeks, to aerate, covering any exposed parts in grass clippings when I am done.
All in all it is really low maintenance and in a couple of months all I have to do is dig deep and to the bottom to find a fine residue full of nutrition for my fledgling plants.
* A good compost is hot and moist, as this is the ideal micro-climate for the tiny microorganisms that break down the compost. Remember to water occasionally!
Happy composting!

Hello World!

2011-11-12T00:04:00.001-08:00

I am a notorious for giving over explanations. After finishing a book I have to tell someone all the major plot points and characters; I am a walking storyboard for every book I have ever read. Same thing happens with personal anecdotes, the minute of related events are swamped by the five of back story.

So here is my back story, because every blog has a beginning.

I am inspired by my grandmother, the most amazing housewife ever as well as my teacher. She taught me how to sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch , and quilt. A lot of what I know I learned from her, and what I didn’t I picked up myself from the internet and from books.

I love projects and am always up to something, so here goes my quest to document them all from gardening to baking and crafts, I try to do it all.

Housewife at Heart

Queen of the Compost Pile

Hello World!