My first blog!

Hello Ruralbliss.....nice to have you back. Your garden sounds to be coming along fabulously. I'll have to go and have a look at the pics you've posted.
Glad to hear your roses are doing well. The one that isn't looking enthusiastic is probably fine, especially if it is producing strong new shoots.
With my compost bins, I've found that they seem to work better if I keep mixing everything together. I tried the layering method and wasn't thrilled with the results...I think that works better for a compost pile not a bin. I just toss in what I have and then get the garden fork and give it a good mix and leave it until I add something else. Be careful when adding grass clippings as if you do layer them they can just sit there and go slimey. They are much quicker to break down if you mix them in a bit at a time. You can also add lint from the clothes dryer, contents of the vacuum cleaner bag, hairs from hairbrushes or dogs and cats, coffee grounds, shredded newspaper, torn up cardboard, feathers, spider webs, dry stale bread, fireplace ashes, cotton threads or fabric, cotton or jute string, paper towels and paper hankies.

Oh thanks for that Gilli thats helped me too!! didn't think about lint from the tumble drier i have a tin full at the mo, so it'll go in the bin now, thanks

Great advice there Gilli....so much of the stuff that usually just gets slung in the bin !

Thanks Gilli, that's really useful. I'll give it a good mix and add loads of other things from your list. I'd never have thought of the vacuum cleaner contents or the pet hair, they'll be going in there from now on.

Glad to be of some help everyone. With my soil being such heavy clay, I try to make as much compost as possible as fast as I can.
Lately I've been chucking all the kitchen waste into the blender with leftover coffee or tea and whizzing it around to chop it fine. Then I add it that way.....seems to get things heated up very quickly.

Gilli, you are a font of great advice and tips, you should write a book! I've no idea what my soil type is, but the soil that came out for putting the wall foundations in was fine and crumbly and has been put to good use to level off all the dips in my garden, after raking out most of the stones. Now I need it, I no longer have my old heavy garden roller. Are the water filled ones any good, or would a load of kids in wellies stamping and jumping on the soil work just as well?

I'm making more and more visits each day to my compost bin now, even the kids are getting into the habit of putting compost friendly rubbish to one side, thanks for all the tips Gilli.

LOL.....I'll write a book and become rich and famous and then I can spend all my time in the garden......wouldn't it be great?
Water filled rollers are good. They are really heavy when full. I believe 1 gallon of water weighs about 10 lbs. At that rate a 20 gallon capacity one will weigh at least 200 lbs when filled. And then you can dump the water to make it more portable.
I wish I could get my kids to be more compost friendly.....my two aren't bad as they have grown up with compost buckets, but my two stepkids are hopeless. They couldn't care less.....mind you, that might be because it's me that's asking them. You know, the Evil Stepmother......LOL.