I tend to do a lot of research on most big-ticket items before purchasing them. Anything from cameras, baby car seats, to vehicles. So I decided today that I would dedicate every Friday to what I find. Hence the name Friday Finds.
I plan on growing my own raised salad garden this year. My mother in law bought me the book The Square Foot Garden, by Mel Bartholomew. I am really excited to start this new adventure. I have never had a salad garden. I have done a lot of gardening with flowers and I really enjoy it. So while thinking about gardening, I decided to also look into composting. So today I did some research.
Compost - is plant matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.
Composting - is nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost.
There is a lot out there about composting. I found several websites that have some really good information. Here are a couple:
[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Spin Bin Compost Tumbler from CleanAirGardening.com"]
[/caption]What I found that I liked the most is the Compost Tumbler. From CleanAirGardening.com
But then I got to thinking. Oh watch out. I have a very handy hubby, why can't he make one of these compost tumblers? So I did some more research and found on BoysLife.org the instructions on how to make one. If Boy Scouts can do it, surely my hubby can do it!
[caption id="attachment_153" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Homemade Compost Tumbler from boyslife.org"]
[/caption]Reasons to Compost according to About.com
1. Composting Is Easy
2. Composting Is Dirt Cheap
3. That Composting Pail Looks Stylish
4. Compost Makes a Healthy, Thriving Garden
5. Composting Is Good for the Planet
6. You Can Compost Even if You Don't Have a Yard
7. No Smell, No PestsI hope that I can start composting and gardening soon.
Happy composting!!!
Happy composting!!!
Posts
I would love to compost and have my own food. I'm gonna have to wait until next summer I think though because we might move before the baby comes, our house is a small 3 bed and we need 4 bedrooms with this growth of our family. Plus, there was a murder down the street, so I really want a better neighborhood. The next place will be the last because it will be the biggest.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to compost for along time. This is a great reference once I get started. Technically, what's a salad garden?
ReplyDeleteSelena, Thank you for your research! I loved the idea of building your own tumbler and will have to see if that is something I can do. ( You do have a mr. handy man, btw. very lucky, indeed). I'm planning on doing the same thing on my back deck. I'm making my beds with bottoms in case we do end up moving. Keep me posted on your garden and any tips!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Selena, for sharing this blog. Jerry and I took a walk out in the yard this morning to find the best spot for our square foot salad garden. We even discussed briefly - composting. I will show him the website for making the tumbler. Maybe he and Brad can construct them together!!
ReplyDeleteEw. Ummm yeah. I wouldn't feel so safe living there either. You could always do a little herb garden in a well lit window. Basil, Oregano..... mmm. Or even a little roma tomato. Check out GardenGuides.com
ReplyDeleteA salad garden would be a garden that you have designated for vegetables/herbs. I call mine a salad garden instead of a vegetable garden because I am specifically only planting things that I would use in a salad. Spinach leaves, green peppers, roma tomatoes, maybe carrots, green onions... I probably will throw in some basil and oregano.
ReplyDeleteWill do! I need to post my research so far for my garden. Because we are renting, we have to come up with a movable garden that won't damage the backyard too much. I probably should have started there, but I was researching composting yesterday. So that is what I posted. ;-P Hope you are doing well! Tell your boys I said hello!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh I didn't know you guys were going to do a garden too. Exciting! I found out my dad has 55 gallon barrels at his house ;-) One item on the list checked off.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to put wood on the bottom of my squares because I need my beds to be mobile, too. In the book, he explains putting the bottom on your square and drilling drain holes.
ReplyDeleteOn friday I will have my post on what we are doing for our garden. :-)
ReplyDelete