Wednesday 22 August 2012

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Not much blogging of late, but I've just spent the past few days turning my compost heaps, and it's been so lovely I guess I wanted to put it out there. 
The final stage compost heap gets sifted, which is a slightly physical but relaxing job. I have put the clinker (twigs and bits) under the two tall redwoods at the end of my garden. And some of the soft compost has already been put on the flower bed near my back door. The five sacks left over are ready waiting to top dress the island bed where I have planted strawberries, black-currants, a camelia, hardy geraniums, astrantia and columbine, amongst other things. 
The second stage compost heap was a bit exciting. It's just a case of shifting it over into the final stage box, but it seems I have bumble bees nesting right at the bottom. It was a bit of a stop-start affair as they weren't very pleased to be disturbed but I moved it over, because, well, I had to. This morning they were still there when I started to move in the first stage material so hopefully this will be o.k with them until the Spring when I will be doing the whole shenanigans again. Maybe the little fledgling robin, which has been my companion while I've been busy doing this, will be nesting too.