Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The Bohemian Strikes Gold & It's Green!

Two summers ago I built my very own composter. I have used a spinner one, plastic tower and a nice 3 bin wood unit at Higher Ground, the co-housing community in Oregon where I used to live. They were all nice, but I was after the lowest maintenance composter that I could build with my bare hands. No tools and no money down. I found a model on line that used pallets and bailing wire. Pallets are never a problem to rustle up and I got some wire from my friend Penny. I had seen a really neat bin while out walking the alleys (a Midwest event for exercise, but primarily to check out peoples gardens!) that had encased the inside with black liner material. That seemed like a neat idea to keep things hot inside so I lined mine with used garbage bags. The back pallet was higher than the others so it looks like a throne. One of the goals was that a person didn't have to turn it much, you could just pick it up and move it over after a while. Well, try telling that to the backyard BBQ gang. They could not get there was no bottom to the bin! I couldn't do it myself, but finally with a couple of extra hands, move it over we did! Was it ever the Midas touch: that throne served me well, Black Gold! Which is of course true and honest 'green'. Sustainable practices having always been used at The Bohemian. This first batch of composting will go in the shade garden as I transplant the hostas and native grasses away from the house in anticipating of painting!

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