AKA The Eggshell Lady??

Well, a little background here -- I have four outdoor compost bins.  I have two in the backyard, and two over at my community garden plots. I have been working very diligently to produce the fastest and most nutritious compost that I can to use in my garden this spring and summer.  This has involved runs to various Starbucks to get LOTS of coffee grounds (high nitrogen which heats up the pile, and the worms love them), shredding tons of bags of leaves from my neighbors, and last week - a trip to our local microbrewery to get spent grains (again, high nitrogen which heats up the pile).  This has also brought me a great deal of teasing by my family!

Yes, that is STEAM that you see in my compost.  And, yes, it was only 18 degrees out today when I took the picture. 

So, I was thinking last week about how much wasted food, etc., goes so unnecessarily into our landfills.  My girlfriends and I often have breakfast at a local deli.  So, last night when they did their weekend prep for omelettes, pancakes, and waffles, they saved their eggshells for my compost bins (they go through about 30 cases of eggs per week).  Eggshells are an excellent source of calcium for compost (which then feeds my plants).  And, worms love them!

 After I brought the eggshells home (and closed up the bag after taking this picture), I stepped all over the bag to crush them really well.  They are now distributed throughout my two backyard composts bins. 

When I picked up the eggshells this morning, the owner acknowledged me as I was speaking to an employee, lifting his hand, and saying, "Ah, the eggshell lady"!  Hmm, it makes me wonder what other names I may have been given by employees of those other businesses!

I LOVE MY WORMS!!

My latest endeavor this week -- starting a vermicompost bin (in simple terms -- indoor worm compost bin).  I am very fortunate to have a wonderful friend that I can talk into doing pretty much any of these crazy things with me!  We started talking about it last Friday -- read, researched on-line, met with the wormlady (an experienced worm composter), and shopped for our supplies.

Our red wigglers arrived on Thursday afternoon.  Laurie and I set about making their new homes.  After much contemplation (most commercial worm bins run $60+ - we wanted to keep the costs to a bare minimum to start), we decided on 5-gallon Rubbermaid containers (on sale at Walmart for $1) and drilled holes in the side  and top for air circulation.  We used plastic 1 1/2" "washers" covered with pantyhose nylon (to keep fruit flies out) on the sides, and I used an upside-down canning ring covered with pantyhose nylon on the top.  We layered pieces of cardboard and shredded newspapers for the bedding, along with shredded leaves and a bit of garden soil.

Then came time to add the worms.  We ordered them on-line from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm for $20/lb.  We ordered 2,000 worms (2 lbs.)  - 1 lb. for each of us.  He was supposed to send them in two separate bags so that we would not have to divide them.  Well, he must have forgotten . . .

 Next, we dumped the worms in.  We then added about a pound of food to each bin, i.e., coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed egg shells, veggie and fruit trimmings (lettuce, tomatoes, banana peels, blueberries, etc.)  We then covered them with torn, moist newspaper, and popped the lids on. 

Red wigglers will consume their weight in food each day (i.e., 1 lb. of worms will eat about 1 lb. of food each day).  They will also reproduce and double their population in about 90 days. The worm castings/fertilizer/compost that they produce is one of the best fertilizers you can use on your plants.  It will take several months to produce the first amount which I will be saving to use in the planting holes when I put my tomato transplants in this spring.

I have checked on my worms several times each day and they look to be very happy and thriving in their new home!  By the way (I know what you are thinking), they will NOT even try to get out of the bin.  They love to burrow down in the moist bedding with their food.  As long as the environment and temperature are right, they won't want to go anywhere!  My friend Leah who lives out in Kingston, Washington, told me in a recent e-mail that she loves her worms.  Now I know what she meant!

STARTING MY GARDENING BLOG

Well, I finally did it.  Several people have told me this past year that I should start a gardening blog.   Of course, I will be learning as I go because I have NO IDEA whatsoever what I am doing -- only that I have a passion for gardening that I love to share. 


Don't expect anything fancy, but I can probably guarantee that the undertakings that I tell you about will bring you some good entertainment and maybe some belly laughs.  As my brother Joe called and told me earlier this week, everything that I do here is worth it for the entertainment that it brings my family.  He said (while laughing hysterically) that he has to give it to me, that whatever I do, I really do it right.  I have been told this before by many people.  I guess it's just my personality -- nothing in moderation!  We say it's  "the Kostial way" -- we all have it to some degree or another -- okay, maybe me more than most of the family -- I can't just do things in a small way!  My mom insists that they aren't laughing at me, only wondering just what I will come up with next. 

When I decided to start this blog, I tried to rally support for name ideas from my kids (okay - teenagers are NOT interested in this -- it's just weird to them).  I finally decided on my first choice, "Beyond Basil".  I finally made my decision (these don't come easily or quickly) and sat down all ready to get started, only to find out that the name was already taken.  I solicited the help of my creative quilt group to help me decide on a name.  So, I must credit my clever friend Kathy Fraeman with this name -- "Till It Like It Is".  I have to say, I do like it!