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Garden and Compost Bin
Make Your Own Gold—"Dirt" Cheap!

Having a garden and compost bin is not a luxury item out here. And I'm long overdue in having a vegetable garden. With some help from my friend John M., (OK, LOTS of help from John!) he created a compost bin (hey, it's a start!). I hope this will inspire you to do the same.

There's nothing quite like growing and consuming your very own vegetables!

I realize as I type this, that it's kind of like putting the cart before the horse, as in you need veggie scraps from a garden to put IN the bin! Well, we do still purchase our produce from the grocery stores!

For a Good Garden and Compost Bin,
Site it Carefully

Take into consideration these points when garden siting:

Locate An Ideal Spot Near Water

Our photo (at the very top of the page) shows an ideal spot in our front garden that is close to a water supply, and is shaded at the hot times of the day either by the trees or a pull-over grommeted screen that will move horizontally on taut wires.

Shown here is a photo of John M, hard at work on the bin!

Donations: Scrap Wood and Muscle!

Seeing as the garden hasn't materialized yet, we thought we'd at least get going with the compost bin, so we'll have plenty of suitable material to work with when the garden is ready to go.

My dad had scrap wood he donated to the project, and John donated his muscle.

And me? I 'managed the project'... ha!... not! The compost bin will have two sections.

For Your Garden and Compost Bin,
Remember to Do This:

Turn One Side Over to the Other Side

As one side fills up, it gets turned over into the other bin. This way, it keeps the pile aerated and happy. So until John returns, I have a one-sided bin... and he said he'd be most surprised if I had one side filled before he returns in six months!

The compost bin is close to where the garden will be for ease of use, and far enough away from the house so we can't smell it!

Here are some composting tips and tricks from Planet Natural Research Center.

Be a Composting Boss in Your Backyard
with Backyard Boss

Ditch expensive garden fertilizers… make your own black gold and here’s a great place to learn more about compost over at Backyard Boss. They go over different types of compost and which suits your needs best.

Sweet Potatoes

I have made a tiny start to getting the garden going—here's a photo of two sweet potatoes which are producing vines already, and a white potato on the left.

My gardener friend, John, says after blooming, wait a month, and dig 'em up!

Handy
Herb Garden

Here's my little handy herb garden, right outside the front door!

I have Rosemary, Basil, and Italian Parsley. I use fresh herbs in our recipes!

Pineapples Too!

It's very simple to grow pineapples too—after slicing off the top, plant it in a shallow hole and cover with soil, leaving the neck visible.

Two years later—voila—your very own pineapple! So sweet and juicy too!

How to Compost at Home

Photo: John Quinn, Germantown TN

I was recently contact by John Quinn, a Remax Realtor from Germantown, TN—he loves all things gardening.

John posted this:

"As much as 30 percent of residential waste can be turned into compost. This effort could dramatically cut back on an individual's waste production. If they compost in the house or yard (make sure to check that it is allowed in your community), homeowners who are worried that the items they recycle will end up in a landfill can look for replacements they can decompose instead.

People may be surprised with just how much they can toss into a compost pile. Composting can also save money by reducing the need to purchase expensive potting soil or fertilizers to promote healthy plant growth. It may also reduce irrigation needs, cutting down on water usage and utility bills."

Here's the link to John's How To Compost At Home where you'll learn about what to PUT IN and what NOT to put in your compost pile!

Greenhouse from Recycled Windows!

Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010. Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."

She is featured on Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It (SBI) who host this site. Read her first SBI interview, and her second SBI interview.

Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create a "review site" of products related to the publishing industry. Visit ePubTechReviews today, also hosted by Solo Build It. Susan also runs her namesake site SusanGast.com on Solo Build It that showcases the books she has written since 2010.

Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!

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