Today I began turning over the dirt in our soon-to-be vegetable garden. Gleek and Patches delightedly watched the process. Gleek declared “Oh! You are good at finding worms!”
I’m also good at finding large river rocks. Fortunately Gleek and Patches cheerfully carried these away for me and put them on a nearby rock pile. I had to stop for this morning, but later today I’ll be back out there digging up worms and rocks for the amusement of my children.
Speaking of worms
One thing that’s amusing, environmentally friendly, educational, and can save you trash money is a worm composting bin. Look up “vermicomposting” or just “worm composting.” You start it with a bunch of garden worms and few handfuls of soil, and then you put in certain household and garden trash – newsprint, veggies, fruits (I have bad luck with banana peels), egg shells, grass clippings, raked leaves – in a ratio of something like 3/4 brown old stuff and 1/4 green new stuff. The worms eat it all up, you can do it indoors or outdoors, it doesn’t smell (aerobic decomposition), and since I pay by the bag for trash it saves me money. I also throw in any papers that I shred (such as credit card applications) since it’s possible to tape them back together and steal my credit info.
Speaking of worms
One thing that’s amusing, environmentally friendly, educational, and can save you trash money is a worm composting bin. Look up “vermicomposting” or just “worm composting.” You start it with a bunch of garden worms and few handfuls of soil, and then you put in certain household and garden trash – newsprint, veggies, fruits (I have bad luck with banana peels), egg shells, grass clippings, raked leaves – in a ratio of something like 3/4 brown old stuff and 1/4 green new stuff. The worms eat it all up, you can do it indoors or outdoors, it doesn’t smell (aerobic decomposition), and since I pay by the bag for trash it saves me money. I also throw in any papers that I shred (such as credit card applications) since it’s possible to tape them back together and steal my credit info.
We have an excellent yearly crop of rocks in our New England backyard garden. Usually fist size. In fact, hereabouts, if you have a good potato yield, folks will comment that they’re as big as rocks! This hearty perennial yield has, however, ceased to be amusing for most of us here.
We have an excellent yearly crop of rocks in our New England backyard garden. Usually fist size. In fact, hereabouts, if you have a good potato yield, folks will comment that they’re as big as rocks! This hearty perennial yield has, however, ceased to be amusing for most of us here.
Re: Speaking of worms
How interesting! I may have to try that sometime.
Re: Speaking of worms
How interesting! I may have to try that sometime.
I keep hoping that eventually I’ll get all the rocks sifted out, but I’m not betting on it.
I keep hoping that eventually I’ll get all the rocks sifted out, but I’m not betting on it.
It’s almost creepy…. I spent a goodly portion of the weekend forking the garden (turning the weeds under with a big ole garden fork). Good exercise in the fresh air!
I say almost because it *IS* spring, and gardening is one of the things which happens this time of year. As is raking, painting, digging, chopping…. lots of good healthy physical labor. *wry grin*
-John
It’s almost creepy…. I spent a goodly portion of the weekend forking the garden (turning the weeds under with a big ole garden fork). Good exercise in the fresh air!
I say almost because it *IS* spring, and gardening is one of the things which happens this time of year. As is raking, painting, digging, chopping…. lots of good healthy physical labor. *wry grin*
-John