Everything you need to know about Composting and always wanted to ask @ Wells Branch Garden Guild

We will meet at 9:30 am September 10th at the Wells Branch MUD rec center for a discussion and demonstrations on Composting.  We'll have our local experts walk everybody through the best ways to make compost, discuss it's uses and how important it is, especially in this time of exceptional drought.  This will be a roll up your sleeves and do it kind of meeting, as well as a time to ask questions and discuss. The food scraps off you tables, grass cuttings and leaves out of your yard can make some of the best fertilizer you can use, and you don't have to buy it. 1. What is compost - commercial, homemade - chemical composition, nitrogen, etc. - how does it work?  Benefits to plants and the environment. - George 2. What are the ways that it is made - commercial, homemade: Ingredients: Leaves (leaves to avoid), grass, weeds (?), food waste  (what to choose), additives: molasses, manure, worms (vermiculture) - moisture and heat needed.  Slow and quick composting. - Dianne (this could be a key demo) 3. Equipment- in the ground, bins, tumblers (where and how to construct in ground, where to buy bins or tumblers, where to place in the yard) - plus and minuses of each - controlling pests and insects - Kathleen 4. Effects on plants, types of compost for plants needing low nitrogen or high nitrogen. - Yvette 5. Ways to apply and best times to apply. - Yvette 6. Seed bombs - Tara I'll have a number of books from the library for adults and families with kids to view on this topic too.  Backyard composting: your complete guide to recycling yard clippings The complete compost gardening guide: banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money,and producing the most flavorful, nutritious vegetables ever Composting Let it rot: the gardener's guide to composting The vegetable gardener's book of building projects: raised beds, cold frames,compost bins, planters, plant supports, trellises, harvesting and storage aids Compost stew: an A to Z recipe for the earth Compost critters Garbage helps our garden grow: a compost story OverDrive eBook: The Complete Compost Gardening Guide OverDrive eBook: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening

Sunflowers are living birdfeeders

Little did I know when I planted a few sunflowers for the bees and butterflies that I'd be attracting a whole flock of tiny birds too. I have been told this is a house wren munching on the seeds. I have sighted several differnt birds about the same size but distinctly different. The great thing is the branches of the sunflowers won't support the weight of the larger birds so these little guys get something to eat. I have set up a bird bath of sorts under the tree which is a work in progress. 
I tried something new with the bees and they seem to like it. I added a large piece of the landscape mulch to the tray so they could land on it. It gives them a place that is wet without falling in as this one had vertical sides unlike the other saucer. They still prefer wet leaves but sure cluster on the wood every morning and evening.  My guess is that we have a couple dozen around the garden at any time. Some of the lantana is blooming, in addition to the salvia, vincas, and the ruellia. Seeing the bees wiggle down into the ruellia blooms was funny to watch. The bumble bees don't fit but sure tried. 

A walk through our summer garden in July

Our garden out in the front has been a great experiment and a joy to sit in the chairs and enjoy it. I am not missing the grass and looking forward to taking out another large swath of it this fall/winter. The soaker hoses are really helping to keep the water in the plants root area and not just evaporating.

cabbages and bee baths

The cabbage continue to get bigger even with the temperatures over 101 every day. They are making little cabbages at the leaf junctions so I cut the top head and some of the huge leaves. I want to make more cabbage rolls and slaw but found some of the bottom leaves have created little water wells--bee baths to be precise. Coming into the garden around 6pm there were dozens of bees under and around the cabbages landing on the leaves and taking a sip from the water that accumulated in the leaves. If I had laid soakers, I never would have created these havens for the bees.

The  purple basil is going to see and blooming like crazy right next to the cabbage providing lots of spots for the bees in addition to the cosmos on the other side. Here's hoping they keep coming.