The Compost Bin: wild gardening

Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.

To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!

Showing posts with label wild gardening. Show all posts

Friday, 9 August 2013

Bumblebee sex? The Echinops and Sunflower bed in daylight.

This is the flower bed I was talking about last night

In daylight it is even more smothered in bumblebees and butterflies than at dusk.

I spend ages watching what is going on and find the variety of different bumblebees incredible and I always see something new.

After I watched the bees and the butterfly for a bit, I then saw a most unusual sight - I am not sure what was going on here, whether it was a pair of Bumblebees fighting, or mating.

but a very large bumblebee had a smaller bumblebee on its back and the smaller one on top did not want to get off! Another bee was hanging around them as well. Probably mating related I think.

The pair went round and round this flower head several times in a cinch, until eventually the smaller bee unclasped itself and flew off.

The larger bee stayed on the flower for a few more moments then flew off as well.

Fascinating :)

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Huge numbers of Bumblebees.

Tonight, as I was heading back to the house after hen shutting up and polytunnel watering duties, I stopped to admire the sheer number of bees on the perennial Sunflowers and Globe thistle.

We have a huge bed of them by the garage and the Thistle in particular is simply smothered in Bumblebees.

I must take some photos in daylight!

Monday, 24 June 2013

Wilderness

A few photos of the wilderness which is our garden :)

Uncut grass and wildflowers on the lawn

There are three main patches of wildflower meadow in the garden area - we will scythe these when the flowers have set seed and then I will mow them again as normal lawn, but for now they are wild and wonderful :)

lots of wildflowers in the flower beds

Moving out into the woodland area the Elderflower is in full bloom now - I need to get on and make cordial!

Walking up the mown path in the pool wildflower meadow

One of the many nettle beds - nettles are very valuable to insect life as well s being a great compost fertility booster

At the back of the polytunnel is a comfrey bed, mixed with a very rambling rose it is smothered in bumblebees and other insects.

And the bumblebee nest on the garage wall is getting buzzier and buzzier (!)

I am making a new bee attracting flower bed and also sowing lots more wild flower seed everywhere - I aim to make Compost Mansion and the garden and grounds as wildlife friendly as I possibly can.

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