If you go down to the worms today…

The worm bucket’s been sitting at the bottom of the garden for nearly four months now. I’ve been visiting it on a regular basis, opening the lid away from me to stop getting a mouthful of fruit flies (thanks for the tip, Scarlett!) and putting in my kitchen waste as and when. There’s slugs and mouldy bread on the top but at the bottom is the beginnings of some nice old rich worm compost and more worm liquid in the bucket below. That’s great you know, as all you have to do is pop down once a week and wait, no money’s involved, how good is that?

The rest of the garden is starting to perk up now. The weather has been a bit of a pain of late with only the odd dry hour here and there you can work in. The other week I was fed up as a mate at Tai Chi had been telling us how well his garden was doing (a lot better then mine was!) so I went out and got a bottle of Miracle-Gro in despair (as the worm and the comfrey liquid still need a bit more time) and an evening it weren’t raining I gave the garden a good feed. Now there’s flowers on the the Tomatoes where there weren’t (see “where’s the buds bud?”), there’s even a couple of Courgettes forming, and the third attempt of the heap is looking a bit colourful too. I’m sure If I’d waited, it all would have happened naturally but sometimes I get very impatient! What difference a week makes eh?

Everyone loves the sunshine…

It’s been a terrible start to June, the bank holiday was a right wash-out and on the way home from work last week getting soaked in the rain I passed an upside down plastic “darlek” type compost bin outside a house with a note saying “please take me”. Have you ever tried carrying one of those things? When we got ours delivered (free from the council) I had to roll mine down to the back garden so carting one a few streets away would have been murder. I had to pass on it and I’m not usually one to turn down free stuff!

Talking of something for free, I discovered the first bit of liquid that seeped out of my hi-tech “I didn’t buy it” wormery this morning. Total cost so far is a grand nowt as the top area (where the worms do their work) was a bucket I found outside a shop and the smaller bucket underneath (which collects any liquid deposits) once kept tile grout. The worms I got from my compost bin and I feed them kitchen waste about once a week. It’s looking horrible in there at the moment with mould and fruit flies but I think that’s a good sign.

The liquid that drains out of the wormery is an excellent plant feed when diluted. The little I got today I slung into a small bucket of water and did some pots and me sweet peas. Last year I was paying about a fiver for a bottle of liquid feed in the shops so a big cheers to Scarlett for getting me onto this worm composting lark.

Also the water lily we bought three years ago for a fiver from Lewisham’s “premier” pet shop is starting to get a flower bud. I think the guy felt sorry for us when we said we couldn’t afford the £20 for a big one so he done us a deal. I have no idea if this is normal to wait three years for one to flower or is that what happens when you buy one for a fiver! Most of the other plants around the pond I got for just the cost of postage and packing a few years ago from an offer in The Guardian and the Iris’s were given to us by a good mate. Who needs expense in this day and age?

There is such a thing as a free lunch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAApOeMxMD8

Yesterday I attended the “worm composting in the city” course at Walworth garden farm in SE17 as part of their introduction to gardening classes. They are free but if you have attended one before in the same year you have to pay a small charge. It was a tenner for this one, a small price to pay for a great day.

In the morning we went through making garden compost something that has been occupying me for the last few weeks, looking at how the process works and the best ways to do it and a visit to a couple of heaps they have on site (one which was “how not to do a heap” which reminded me of my first attempt!) After lunch we looked more into worm composting, something I hadn’t a clue about before going on the course. You can buy a wormery on the internet for about £65 but we looked at ways you could do it for much much cheaper! At the end of the process you get excellent worm compost and a liquid you can feed to your plants, brilliant! Give it a few weeks and I’ll be making one.

Like the last one I attended, it was very friendly, fun, informative to say the least and well enjoyable. We all should make more of what’s on offer at places like the Walworth garden farm. Tap in “free gardening courses” into google and see if there’s a course near you.

Thanks to Scarlett for the great day!

For more info about the courses on offer at Walworth garden farm: http://www.walworthgardenfarm.org.uk/projects