At the smallholding we never needed to pay for a garden waste bin as we made loads of lovely compost with the chickens and the goats and the garden and had plenty of space too.
With this small garden and the nuisance of rats, I'm having to pay for a garden waste bin collection so when I found the District Council were giving away 2 x 25 litre bags of their compost (made from our garden waste) - to anyone who wanted some - as long as their stock lasted - at 4 places in Mid Suffolk and Babergh areas I thought I'd better get some. The two sites in Mid Suffolk were not far from home.
For the first one I drove up the road to a Community centre car park well before the 8am start, arriving to find a queue of about 20 cars waiting. I didn't realise compost was so popular!
The second giveaway was at the Saturday Car-boot Sale site at Needham Market. So on Sunday I joined a queue of about 30 cars zig zagging the way round the field- very well choreographed to slow everyone down and to avoid causing a traffic jam out on the road - and got my two bags chucked in the boot of the car. By the time I was loaded up and out there were around 50 cars behind!
Compost giveaways have been happening for several years I believe, although it's the first time since I've been back in Mid Suffolk that I've been at home with nothing happening on the right days to be able to fetch some.
4 bags out the front of the bungalow and then thankfully BiL brought my repaired wheelbarrow back to get the bags around to the greenhouse. We opened a bag as both of us were interested to see what it was like and it seems to be quite decent compost, no big lumps.
Later yesterday, after the greenhouse had cooled down I got my pepper plants into their bigger final pots and the two cucumber plants that I had to buy into a grow bag. Just two aubergines left to sort out.
Back Soon
Sue
What a great initiative! And the compost looks really good. X
ReplyDeleteThe test will be if things grow well or not!
DeleteFree compost not to be sneezed at. Carms. Council SELL theirs of course.
ReplyDeleteI had to get more compost this week (because of all those planters I bought!!) Buying 3 was cheaper than 2, so I am well-stocked for a bit. My pepper plants have only just germinated! Will have to buy some I think.
I'm surprised anything is free - although we have to pay over £60 a year to "rent" the garden waste.
DeleteI think somewhere else in Suffolk has a 'dig your own' day when a load is tipped and everyone has to fill their own bags
I got a second compost bin last year, and I have been very grateful for it. I wish our councils gave free bags of the stuff
ReplyDeleteAfter a rat chewed the bottom of a compost 'dalek' to get into it I've given up composting anything
DeleteOur local council charges you to empty your garden waste and then sells you the compost, I got a hotbin composter, it's a sealed bin, we have loads of rats from next door, it has never been breached, no flies or smells and makes compost quicker. The down side is it is not cheap to purchase, I got mine rather than enter into the council scheme and now it has paid for itself.
ReplyDeleteThat was a good buy - I might have to consider that
DeleteThe scheme is clearly popular, glad you were able to get some free bags and it looks to be decent stuff.
ReplyDeletePenny
I'm pleased - it looks better than some of the stuff I've bought recently
DeleteDeeply envious that your council does this.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky to live here
DeleteDeeply envious also. At least I have a pile of fym.
ReplyDeleteGoats and chickens used to make excellent compost
DeleteOur compost bin is sealed as there are rats around, there's a stream an wild area behind us. The only problem is emptying it through the little hatch at the bottom!
ReplyDeleteMy dalek bins were stood on slabs yet the rats still chewed their way in
DeleteLucky you to get free compost! It looks decent stuff too. Good compost is so expensive to buy now. We make our own at the allotment but there is never enough to bring any home for the garden.
ReplyDeleteAngie
Some bought stuff is rubbish. I know why we had to stop using peat but it made for better growing.
DeleteWhere we used to live in Surrey they had a similar scheme and it was good compost. Here in East Sussex they don't have a scheme. Your compost looks decent, worth getting. Just wish we could get some nice steady rain fall to top up the water butts a d of course for the farmers, it is so dry. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteNo rain forecast here for another week - it's getting worrying, the fields are just dust.
DeleteIt's a great idea isn't very it? A way of getting something back for our recycling efforts.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
We don't compost either. There are already enough rats in the vicinity.
ReplyDeleteI will head out today to get some flowers to plant around my house. It has finally warmed up here but we can use some rain, too!
ReplyDeleteCompost for free is great and the perfect recycle to help people grow flowers/veggies in their own gardens.
ReplyDeleteI purchased a few bags of compost at a garden center, and it was terrible. This year, I ordered 6 yards of a mix of compost, loam and peatmoss. It seems to make the plants happy, and things are growing well.
That is a brilliant scheme. Luckily up to now with careful management and a small metal compost bin we are managing without having to pay the £84 a year fee for a 'green bin'. I'm surprised we have never seen any rats living so close to the canal though. Mind you having a cat roaming around might help a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe council here makes compost too but they sell it so not free. Its not cheap either. Now I only have a patio, I don't need much. Well done on getting four bags.
ReplyDeleteWe have a composter but I don't have a sieve to sort out the big stuff. I have to do that by hand. Corn cobs are the biggest offenders.
ReplyDeleteThe compost looks very good. Free is always excellent.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
What a great program! I need to find a way to give some of ours away. We make a lot of it but have a very small yard.
ReplyDeleteWhere to order your space club lemon haze online?
ReplyDeleteSpace club wholesale near me.
Are you looking space club carts in USA?
Meo DMT for anxiety.
Blackout dulce strain..
Wow who knew it would be so popular! Glad you managed to get some
ReplyDelete