Farming Friends

 

Colleen over at In The Garden Online has come up with the idea of garden bloggers exchanging seeds they collect from the plants and flowers in their gardens. I think this is a great idea but the problem is I live in the UK and Colleen lives in Michigan which makes seed swopping difficult due to the laws on exchanging seeds between countries.

Colleen and I would like to hear from anyone both in the UK and abroad who would also be interested in joining Colleen’s Gardenblogger seed exchange. So if you are interested please leave a comment here or click on this link for more information about the Gardenblogger Seed Exchange and leave a comment on Colleen’s website.

Flowers Gardenblogger Seed Exchange Seeds

Today I planted some radish seeds and transplanted some broccoli and beetroot that had survived the flood. After digging the ground and planting the seeds and seedlings, I decided to mulch around the potato ducts that I am using to protect me plants from wildbirds, my poultry and my cats. The weeds grow pretty quick in my garden and after reading an article by My Grandpas Garden and TopVeg I was convinced that I had the solution. Both recommend using newspaper with straw on top because not only will this keep the weeds at bay but will also help reduce the need for frequent watering. I think this is a great idea as I have plenty of newspaper and straw and anything that will help get rid of the weeds in my garden and reduce the amount of time I spend watering the plants when it is sunny is excellent in my book. Thanks Michelle and TopVeg, I now have three rows of veggies surrounded by newspaper and straw mulch.

Recycling

Where is the best location for the compost bin?

• Place the compost bin onto bare soil or grass so that the worms can get in and the moisture can drain out.
• Ensure that the ground is level and drainage is good.
• Ideally place the compost bin in a partially sunny position as the heat helps to break down the waste. (A shady location will still produce compost but at a slower rate.)
• Place the bin where there is easy access to it.
• Ensure that there is enough room around the compost bin to mix the compost and get the finished compost out.

Click on this link to find out what to put in your compost bin and click on this link to find out how to make compost.

Click on the link below to visit Amazon.co.uk to find out more about this book or visit one of the Farming Friends Bookshops.

 

 

 

 

 

Composting Recycling

I have started to recycle different containers for plant pots as advised by Top Veg. Here are my efforts so far.

Recycled cream pot with sunflower seedling.

Recycled cress tub with tomato seedling.

Recycled strawberry punnet with pepper seedling.

Recycled yoghurt pot with pepper seedling.

Another recycled yogurt pot with pepper seedling.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of recycling these pots before now, because not only is this environmentally friendly but it is also financally friendly aswell!

Click on the link below to visit Amazon.co.uk to find out more about this book or visit one of the Farming Friends Bookshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homegrown vegetables Recycling

Two years ago my husband took some cuttings from a poplar tree and placed them in my vegetable garden to see if they would grow. I wasn’t very happy when I found out where he had planted them as the cuttings were taking up valuable vegetable planting land. However, two years on the cuttings are thriving small trees.

One advantage to the poplar tree is that it is a fast growing tree which Dr D.G Hessayon (The Tree And Shrub Expert) says can reach heights of “80ft in less than 20 years.”

We aim to use our poplar cuttings to restock our hedgerows where gaps have appeared and old trees have died naturally. This has both environmental and wildlife benefits. Growing the poplar trees will also help our goal to be more self sufficient because in the future we will be able to use some of our poplar trees for fire wood, knowing that we have a system of replacing the trees that we use for our own heating needs.

Trees

Help the environment by recycling as much of your household waste products as you can.

Here are a few helpful tips to help with the recycling;

• Reuse plastic carrier bags when shopping.
• Use a bag for life.
• Start composting your food and garden waste.
• Reuse glass jars for homemade jams and pickles.
• Freeze homemade soups and meals in reusable plastic packaging.
• Take lunches to work in reusable plastic packaging.
• Reuse polystyrene or plastic takeaway cartons for packed lunches.
• Reuse clear plastic bottles for germinating seeds and protecting plants in the garden.
• Reuse plastic containers or glass jars for storing nuts, bolts and nails in the garage or shed.
• Buy refillable products.
• Buy bulk items.
• Buy loose meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables rather than prepacked items.
• Buy items using recycled content.
• Regularly visit a recycling bank.
• Put a container near your kitchen bin to separate out paper, plastic containers, glass jars and tin cans that can be recycled.
• Recycle old clothes, books, videos, dvds and toys by taking them to a charity shop.
• Reuse suitable old clothing as cloths for washing the floor or dusting the furniture.
• Reuse paper for messages, lining the bottom of a pets cage or burning on the fire.
• Add paper to the composter or recycling bin.

Click on the link below to visit Amazon.co.uk to find out more about this book or visit one of the Farming Friends Bookshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you find these tips useful, let me know if you have anymore helpful recycling tips.

Recycling

• The compost bin can be filled with kitchen and garden waste.
• Waste products can be categorised into green and brown waste.
• Equal amounts of green and brown waste are needed in order to make good compost.

Green Waste

• Fruit peelings.
• Vegetable peelings.
• Tea bags.
• Coffee grounds.
• Grass cuttings.
• Old flowers.
• Dead plants.
• Plant prunings.
• Weeds.
• Animal manure.

Brown Waste

• Egg boxes.
• Scrunched up paper.
• Paper towels.
• Paper bags.
• Newspaper.
• Cardboard.
• Leaves.
• Hedge clippings.
• Sawdust.
• Eggshells.
• Old straw and hay.
• Guinea pig, gerbil, rabbit and hamster bedding.
• Old cotton.
• Linen rags.

Do Not Compost The Following Waste

• Meat.
• Fish.
• Cooked food.
• Sandwiches.
• Cooked vegetables.
• Dairy products.
• Diseased plants.
• Thorny prunings.
• Perennial weed roots.
• Weed seed heads.
• Plastic bags.
• Tin cans.
• Drink cartons.
• Plastic bottles.
• Disposable nappies.
• Cat litter.
• Dog excrement.
• Glossy magazines.
• Bones.
• Straws.

Click on the link below to visit Amazon.co.uk to find out more about this book or visit one of the Farming Friends Bookshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on this link for advice about making compost.

Composting Recycling