Superhuman? Maybe not

Lee and I collected a lot of leaves from our neighbours (with permission) on the day before the city's designated leaf and yard waste collection at the beginning of November. I never did count how many bags, but I'm guessing it was well over sixty.

The next day, I took the dog for a big morning walk, and went out after lunch to put the garden to bed. It seemed a daunting task -- moving those bags of leaves around, loosening up soil in our garden boxes, and then covering the boxes. 

Bare soil is dying soil, or so say many soil scientists -- beneficial microbes, worms, and insects that help rejuvenate dirt and create compost need protection through our harshest seasons -- and the rest of the year, too. That's why my yard has leaf litter covering the soil all year long. It can look a bit messy, especially in the spring before the plants fill out, but it's better for them overall and I don't have to water as much when it's hot.

Here's the yard after two hours of work. See the beds against the back fences covered in leaves? 

It's kinda hard to tell, 
but that's probably 250 sq feet of soil work and coverage.

I used some leaf bags to fill our leaf corral to the brim, 

and stored a dozen others for next year's composting.
Two hours and another 250 sq feet later, it looked like this:

I ran out of steam when it came to packing leaves around my front yard rose bushes, but figured it was okay to leave that job for the next day. When Lee got home from work that evening, he was surprised at how much I'd accomplished, and I teased him that he has a superhuman wife. 

Of course, that evening I had to take ibuprofen. Somehow I don't think superhumans have such sore muscles after an afternoon of heavy yard work, but I'm not as young as I used to be. 

When it snowed three days later (more snow than what you see below as I took this picture after it started melting on Saturday), I was happy that the garden was tucked in for the season. We'll start all over again in the spring, hopefully with happy, healthy, and moist soil. Time to enjoy more indoor pursuits in place of gardening!

Bees and coffee grounds

Don't throw away those coffee grounds! They compost easily... and bees like them too (apparently, caffeine affects bees like it affects humans, giving a bit more edgy energy).

My compost pile is buzzing with happy little bees today! Has anyone else had this experience?

Get ready for carts!

I've been falling down on the job when it comes to sharing news about those three important Rs and waste reduction lately... my Master Composter/Recycler hat got put on a shelf for a lot of this past pandemic year as it's hard to get out and volunteer when we're not supposed to be meeting in person... and I haven't been a very motivated moodler, either...

But lately, there's lots happening for Edmontonians when it comes to how we deal with the garbage that our living produces. I'd like to note that even, maybe especially with the changes that are coming, it's still incredibly important that we reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we can, with an emphasis on reducing. 

The pandemic has helped us reduce our waste in many ways because it's more challenging to safely go shopping, and many of us are learning that we can live just as well with less. I'd like to think that once COVID passes us by, we won't be off on a consumerism binge, but will continue to swap, share and keep our waste to a dull roar. Maybe we can go back to refilling our containers, carrying our travel mugs, and using our reusable everything (I've been trying to do those things as much as possible anyway, but it's definitely been more of a challenge thanks to the corona virus).

I'm excited to share a couple of videos today about Edmonton's new Waste Strategy, which is beginning its roll out this month. Our city rested on its laurels a bit too long while some of the municipalities around us already adopted garbage and green carts, but we're finally catching up, and it's a good thing! It means that our waste collectors will be able to use automated trucks rather than having to lift thousands of bags of garbage each day, saving their sore muscles. 

It also means thousands of tons of organic waste can be diverted from the landfill and turned into compost, and I hope it also means that more people will Go Bagless, that is, stop collecting grass clippings and choose to mulch for the sake of healthier lawns. And hey, if home owners are sorting things into their green carts anyway, it only takes a phone call or text for a Master Composter/Recycler volunteer like me to pay a socially-distanced visit and help set up a compost bin with the contents of a green cart. That compost will do wonders for your lawn or garden patches!

It's all good, really, it will just take a bit of getting used to. So if you haven't heard much about the new carts, and would like to learn more, consider attending an online cart rollout session so you know what's up. Have a peek at the short videos below. And if you want some hands-on help or you have questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment in the box below -- I'd be happy to help. That's what Master Composter/Recyclers are for!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVIZNF4WT_4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLmzMNuvF24

Come to a smashing event

Last year, the folks at Compost 'S cool were brainstorming about events to involve Edmontonians in more composting. One brilliant member of the team thought it would be fun to invite people to come out after Hallowe'en and to bring their jack o'lanterns to Compost 'S cool for a Pumpkin Smash and composting event. They thought if a dozen people showed up with their pumpkins, they could call it a success.

They were pretty modest in their expectations... and 300 people brought 500 pumpkins to that first event, and had a wonderful time demolishing their jack o'lanterns and turning them into compost. The pile of composting pumpkins was almost five feet high (you see it in the picture above). Below, there's a little video of my friend Markster Composter turning it about 5 months later...

https://www.facebook.com/CompostScool/videos/638309043278045/?t=41

I always turn my pumpkins into pumpkin soup, muffins, and peanut butter pumpkin dog biscuits that Shadow-pup absolutely loves... but if you aren't inclined to use yours for cooking or baking, I think a pumpkin smash sounds like a lot of fun (and it keeps pumpkins out of the landfill while making great compost for enriching soil)! It's a free event, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and all are welcome. If you go, say hi to Markster for me!

It's Compost Awareness Week!

It's that time of year once again...  Compost Awareness Week, which falls right at the time when people who compost get on with waking up their compost piles after a winter of collecting compostable kitchen scraps.

Some of my winter scraps feed my basement vermi-composting condo, but we produce so much more than the red wigglers can handle that most end up outside during the winter, sitting on top of my compost heap in the snow, waiting to be mixed in with last fall's yard waste. Unfortunately, kitchen scraps don't compost a lot in our chilly winters. The bin pictured above was mostly thawed stuff from the tops of our 3-bin system, mixed with water and more leaves so that the pile would be aerated enough for the bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms to start cooking the pile. It's already starting to work, as you can see from the picture below, taken 24 hours later...

In two months or so, this will all be glorious black stuff. Maybe even sooner if I keep stirring every two weeks and keep it nice and wet.

Composting really isn't all that difficult if you remember the four necessary ingredients of greens, browns, water, and air. Collect your kitchen scraps (greens), mix them with leaves from last fall (browns -- I have enough to share if you need some), wet everything down (water), and don't forget to "fluff" the pile now and then so that all the living things that do the composting can breathe (air). Keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge (things rot better when they're wet), and you're away.

The City of Edmonton has a wonderful webpage with plenty of information about composting, plus there's Compost 'S cool at the John Janzen Nature Centre, where you can learn from  the expert seen in this cool video (if you click here). Or, if you like, you can contact me. I'm thinking about setting up a Wine, Cheese and Composting party for my neighbourhood over the next couple of weeks. I've done it once before, and it was lots of fun.

The best thing about composting is the black gold that it creates. There's nothing like compost for enriching soil -- it's so much better than chemical fertilizers because it is naturally occurring. If you garden like God does and let leaves accumulate around your plants, you'll notice an improvement in your soil where the leaves begin to self-compost. And if you make and spread compost on your lawn, you'll notice an improvement in just a few days. The picture below is from last year -- the right side of the lawn is where we raked in compost.

Composting is a great way to give back to our planet, which gives us so much. I like the idea of feeding our soil by "recycling" the nutrients we don't absorb as human beings. If you've never tried composting, there's no better time to start than these early days of May!

A critical time for reducing waste

Waste reduction week 2017 (October 16-22) was just a few weeks ago, and since then, city managers have discovered that part of our  Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence is having some structural problems. The snowfall on the aging roof of the Composting Facility's 18-year-old aeration hall, a building large enough to hold 2.3 CFL-sized football fields, has rendered the building unsafe.

This means that all of the city's waste, including our organic compostable kitchen scraps, now must be trucked 85 km down the road to the landfill at Ryley, AB, until a solution can be found. In the meantime, Edmontonians need to do everything we can to reduce our waste. Recyclable materials will still be recycled -- it's the things that can't be recycled that we should give more consideration.

Do you know where your garbage goes? How many fossil fuel emissions are involved in getting it to its destination? If you've never given the idea of composting a thought, now's the time to do it. If there's a corner of your yard where you can put a compost bin that you can fill with organic kitchen waste (plant matter, vegetable peelings, fruit cores, coffee grounds, tea leaves, etc.) over the winter, now's the time to do it. If you'd rather start composting in the spring, compostable waste can be frozen in an outdoor plastic garbage can until things warm up. The Compost' S cool website has different ideas to help homeowners reduce the compostable part of their garbage, and our libraries have many resources about composting and recycling ideas.

As for the non-compostable stuff, in Edmonton we need to make sure that we're making full use of our blue bags for recycling, Eco-Stations for electronics, chemical waste and large items, the Reuse Directory -- which lists charity organizations that accept reusable items -- and Edmonton's own ReUse Centre. Other cities and towns have their own ways of reducing the tonnage that goes to landfill -- for many Canadians it's just a matter of doing a little research and jumping on board with the good planning that's already in place.

But probably the most important thing we can do is question ourselves every time we are about to dispose of something. We need to ask ourselves: Is this really garbage? Is it still usable in any way? Can it be repaired? Would someone else be able to use it? Should I throw it away or find a different way to get rid of it?

And we need to question ourselves every time we go shopping, whether it be for groceries or other household needs. Again we can ask ourselves: Do I really need this right now? Can I wait a little longer for it? Is there a way to buy it without so much packaging? and other questions, depending on the item...

Now is a critical time for reducing waste in our city, but really every day should be. It's simply good practice to keep waste reduction in mind at all times because all of the "leftovers" in our lives will have to go somewhere else eventually, even once this problem with the Compost Facility is fixed. It's always better if our things can be passed on, composted, or recycled rather than ending up in a landfill 85 km away!

45 bags of leaves... and then some

All that's left in the garden is carrots... and leaves!

One evening last week, I was the only witness to a clandestine transaction in a dark parking lot. T. brought a trunkful of (once) green stuff and transferred it to E.'s vehicle. Sworn to secrecy, my lips are sealed as to identities and the whereabouts of this occurrence.

Of course it's all a joke, though it's a true story. A friend of mine who has more leaves than she knows what to do with shared some with another friend who composts. We Master Composter/Recyclers often laugh about MCRs' strange autumn hoarding habits!

For example, in the last two weeks of September, my engineer hubby designed and constructed a leaf stockade (or corral, if you prefer) and we raked up what I would guess to be about 20 bags of leaves from under our oak/elm trees and stockaded them (to reduce our use of plastic bags). Later, Mom and I raked up six more bags at my parents' home that were dumped into my corral so that we could reuse the emptied bags for the next raking. The corral was almost overflowing. And the leaves just keep on falling.

The leaf stockade/corral

Since then, several neighbours have generously contributed to my hoarding habit. Brian was out raking and gave me a dozen bags one Sunday morning, and on my trip home with our car stuffed full of leaf bags, I noticed that Dan, our local retired pastor, had another huge pile just waiting for the garbage guys. Five minutes later I drove back to see if Dan would mind me taking them. I rang the doorbell, but I suspect he and his wife were at church. Not wanting to see all that good stuff get trucked out of the city creating more fossil fuel emissions when I could make perfectly good use of it here, I loaded my car again (twice) -- another 23 bags, and phoned Dan later that day to make a confession. He laughed and said, "I wondered where they went! Go in leafs and sin no more."

Since then, I've collected another 10 bags from my dad. And there are probably another ten out in my front yard again that I'll try to fit into the corral now that the original leaves have settled somewhat. Will it ever end?

Yes, it will, and that's the whole point. I'm "gathering carbons while I may." Composting through spring and summer requires a lot of carbons/browns (leaves, dead stalks, wood shavings, ashes, or newspaper) to be mixed with nitrogens/greens (vegetable peelings, fruit remnants, grass clippings (if you don't grasscycle, but most people I know do!), green stalks, vines and other garden leftovers) as well as water and air to produce the rich dark organic soil amendment we call humus or compost. And in order to compost most of my garden waste through the seasons, it takes a LOT of carbon that can be easily collected in the fall, but is hard to come by in other seasons. To make compost the ratio of carbon/browns to nitrogen/greens is 20:1. In the past year, I composted 55 bags of leaves, and now it looks like I have enough to start all over again.

Composting is as easy as making a layer of leaves, adding some garden leavings or kitchen scraps (no meat, other proteins, or bones, though, as they get smelly), repeating the process until you have a good pile (1 m or 3 ft cubed is optimal in my books), watering it well, and stirring it every two weeks or so. Having walls or fencing around the pile helps to keep it tidy. I like to add our composting worms -- Red Wigglers -- in the summer (they live in an indoor bin in the winter) because they speed up the composting process by eating their weight in waste every day. In the cold months, when I take my extra kitchen scraps (that don't fit in the worm bin) out to the compost pile, I always fill the bucket with warm water so that it can help to kickstart the aerobes and other life in the pile for at least a little while. Frozen stuff piles up outside, but come spring, when everything melts, it's just a matter of stirring it up and reducing odors by adding more leaves -- of which we now have plenty!

45 bags and then some should last me until next September, I hope! In fact, I might even have a few extra to share...

If you want to learn more about composting, check out Compost 'S cool here in the City of Edmonton. Elsewhere, check your local library for helpful information!

Simple Suggestion #127 revisited... Fertilize your lawn with compost

On the May long weekend, when Lee and I installed two new raised bed boxes in our front yard, we got more compost than we needed to fill them. We didn't want to leave a pile of it sitting on our front boulevard, so Lee spread it on the grass around our yard, and two weeks later, we are definitely noticing the difference.

This picture gives you an idea of the difference compost has made in ten days. This piece of lawn is on the south side of our house, and the way the sun beats down between our house and the neighbours' has meant that our neighbours' lawn (which is shaded by their house) is always greener while ours fries in the sun. But with compost added, our side is greener than theirs this spring -- first time ever.

Above is a shadier spot where our neighbours' lawn meets ours. I can't get over the colour difference in the two lawns. The story is the same on the sunny city boulevard below... where the compost landed (clearly not spread in the straightest line) the difference is very noticeable!

no compost over here                                              compost sprinkled on this side

I know a lot of people who like to spread those tiny fertilizer pellets on their lawns just before a rainstorm, but compost is a much greener alternative, both literally and figuratively. There are no chemicals involved -- compost is composed of well-rotted plant matter that is safe to use for a light top-dressing anytime, whether it rains or not. Good compost offers a slow release of nutrients every time it rains. We spread ours and then it didn't rain for four days, but the rich, dark, crumbly humus was working its way down to the rhizomes as we walked around on it. And when it did rain... what a difference!

If you know me, you know I'm not a lawn fanatic -- I much prefer to see interesting flowers and shrubs rather than boring green monocultures that don't feed bees and butterflies or offer any kind of habitat for birds. In fact, I could be accused of grass neglect because I have never made the effort to fertilize a lawn in my life. But this year's extra compost turned our neglected lawn a rich and healthy green (and the dandelions are happier, too, of course). I've known about the benefits of using compost with my perennial and vegetable beds for a long time, but having some to spare for grassy places, I have been floored by how green our grass has become in just ten days and one good soaking rain!

The moral of the story? If you're someone who appreciates a great lawn, get rid of the chemical fertilizers and invest in a load of compost, or make your own from your plant-based kitchen scraps. Compost is better for our environment because it recycles plant matter to enrich our soil -- which is good for everything we grow!

More Spring thinking

It's a gorgeous day. 

I should probably plant my sweet peas, 

but I went out and shovelled over my compost pile instead. 

Earliest I've ever been able to do that!

And while I was shovelling,

 I was joined by two lovely little dancers,

 also known as Fire-rim Tortoise Shell butterflies. 

They are among the earliest to appear in Alberta's spring, 

and it seems to be mating season for them.

My camera and I found many things in which I take delight -- 

among them the return of garlic chives,

the survival of the strawberry patch 

in spite of rather poor snow cover this winter,

and my own gardening fingers...

(one of these years I'll figure out a way

to keep the dirt out of my garden gloves!)

But what I'm anticipating most 

are some new residents in my bird house.

They even have their own bath.

Can you tell how much I love spring?

Simple Suggestion #256... Give back to the Earth

Our planet provides us with everything we need to live... but how often do we think about helping it out? We have the ability to return the favour, maybe not on a grand scale, but there are definitely things we can do...

Last week I spent several hours at my composter, good tunes playing through my headphones as I turned over unfinished compost and sifted out a full cubic metre of gorgeous black humus. It will be turned back into our garden this autumn to replenish the soil's nutrients for next year's plants. It's not that difficult, really -- and it's the least I can do to replenish the fine layer of soil that supports life on our planet, if only in my own back yard.

Composting requires a bit of space, plant-based kitchen and garden scraps for a nitrogen source, brown materials like leaves or wood chips to provide carbon, and air and water. Basically, I throw down a half bag of leaves, spread a bucket of kitchen/garden scraps on top, and cover with more leaves, repeating the cycle until a fair pile accumulates. I try to "stir" or "fluff" the pile every two weeks or so to give it enough air so that anaerobic bacteria can't make it too smelly, and keep it damp enough that everything will rot. I'm helping the earth by reusing the nutrients in plant leftovers to enrich the soil, and turning 55 bags of last fall's leaves into soil amendment right here instead of having it trucked away. Here's my stack of last year's garbage bags... with fall garden cleanup beginning, they'll soon be piled with organic garden waste in the other two bins of my three-bin composter, and I'll have more compost in the spring!

I realize that many people don't have the ability to make compost because of their living situations, but really, we give back to the Earth every time we make an effort to reduce our impact on its ecosystems. Edmonton's recycling and composting facilities ensure that the waste of those who can't compost at home goes to a process to either recycle glass, plastics, cardboard and metal from our blue bags, or to turn any compostable items that end up in the trash can into compost that is used by the City or sold to gardeners. So everyone is actually giving something back to our planet every time the City uses compost in our parks and gardens, or around road construction areas and boulevards.

Some other simple things we can do to help the Earth rejuvenate its life systems include grasscycling -- leaving our clippings on the lawn when we mow (the nitrogen from the clippings feeds and protects the roots of the grass), leaving our autumn cleanup until spring (so trees and plants can drop green nutrients into the soil), and avoiding the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides so that toxic chemicals and salts aren't being absorbed into our food chain.

Everything we do to contribute to the organic health and wealth of our planet's soil is something we ultimately do for ourselves. So giving back to the earth only makes sense. Especially when I eat an heirloom tomato and cucumber sandwich!

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

Simple Suggestion #250... Wake up your compost!

Did you know that May is a good time to wake up your compost? Are you saying to yourself, what's that supposed to mean?

Hopefully, the title of this suggestion elicits a few different responses in readers:

1) I don't have compost. Fact is, everyone has material that works for making compost, and it's easy to go from there. If you eat, you create food waste -- kitchen scraps (greens) like fruit and vegetable peels, stalks and leaves, eggshells, apple cores -- anything except bones, meat or greasy stuff (I also avoid large fruit pits/stones just because it takes them so long to break down). If you live in a single family dwelling, you likely also have some yard waste -- grass clippings (though those are better left on the lawn to protect its roots and give it natural nitrogen), plant prunings (skip the weeds and woody branches), and the all important autumn leaves (browns) which provide necessary carbon for breaking everything down and preventing odors.

We human beings all create compostable materials simply because we don't often eat entire plants, and about 29% of Edmonton families use kitchen scraps and the other compostables mentioned above to create black gold for their gardens and lawns. Composting is pretty easy, and here in Edmonton, although most of our organic waste is eventually composted by the City's amazing Waste Management system, it saves a lot of greenhouse gases, energy and money if we do it ourselves. Plus, you'll never find anything better for topdressing your lawn or feeding your plants and soil!

2) I've always wanted to compost. Well, I have great news for you! All you need is an inexpensive compost bin (or you can make your own pile or pit with a bit of chicken wire if you have an out of the way spot for one) and a quick lesson on how to do it. I'll bet there are books in your local library with all sorts of information, or if you live here in Edmonton, you can attend excellent workshops offered by the John Janzen Centre's Compost'S Cool workshops to learn all about composting with some hands-on experience. You might also consider applying for next year's Master Composter/Recycler Program, which I highly recommend! (Applications are accepted year round.) There is also a lot of info on the City of Edmonton's webpage, which you can access by clicking here. Contrary to what you may have heard about composting, if the basic rules are followed, it does not create odors or attract varmints...

3) I have to wake up my compost?? I know, it seems like a weird idea, but if left alone for long periods (like over winter) compost piles become rather dormant and their processes slow to less than a crawl -- because the bacteria and microbes that work in a loose, damp and healthy pile run out of the air they need in order to function properly. Now that we're into Spring, it's time to get those processes revved up again.

I've actually been wanting to write this moodling for weeks already, because I woke up my compost on May 7th. That was the day that I revisited the compost bins that I filled last fall and over winter. I had so much garden waste to compost last October that I filled all three bins almost to the top with layers of green garden waste (chopped stalks, vines and plants), browns (autumn leaves and broken up soils from planter pots) and plenty of water. Over winter, I added my kitchen scraps and more leaves (I keep a few bags close by, as you can see in the first picture).


On May 7th, those three full bins had shrunk to only half full, so I "fluffed" them up by combining them into two full bins, one with the older, more finished materials, and one with the fresher stuff that didn't compost much in winter's cold. I was delighted to see that some of my vermicomposting pets, the red wiggler worms that I also keep in my indoor compost bins, had survived the winter -- that means my compost piles were still warm and working in the coldest months.

As I moved everything around, I added water because compost piles need good moisture in order to function well. Since then, I've used my compost stick (basically a long skinny stick with a bit of a blade at the bottom) to stir up the piles every two weeks or so, just to add some air.

If this sounds like too much work, it's also possible to compost without shovelling, stirring or watering -- basically, you just make a pile with layers of greens and browns and keep adding to it, allowing it all to rot without any interference. Unfortunately, it will take a lot more time and space, and it might attract unwanted critters. I frequently poke around in my compost bins because I want to produce the maximum amount of compost in a season. It's better than the bagged stuff money can buy, maybe because of those red wigglers.

If you have any questions about waking up your compost -- or even starting the composting process, feel free to leave comments and I'll be happy to share more details. As a Master Composter/Recycler volunteer for my city, I love to help people learn how to give back to our earth by feeding the fine layer of soil that supports us all.

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

A fine crop... of compost

Yesterday was compost day. I spent about three hours sifting and turning the organic material that's been sitting in my three-bin composter for the past month, and I must say it made me pretty happy to see all that good stuff that's going back into my gardens...

It's better than gold (or fertilizer), this stuff, because it's full of nutrients that have been recycled from kitchen scraps and yard waste, and it's the best way to enrich the soil that will grow next year's food. It smells like good dirt, and it holds moisture better than topsoil. I found a few happy little tomato plants growing in the bin before I sifted, so I've transplanted them into pots so they can grow well into the fall.

I've been composting for more years than I can remember -- probably about twenty, but it's only the last eight years or so that I've been doing it more actively. Before I took a Master Composter/Recycler Program offered by the city, I dumped things into my little black stack composter and just expected that it would do its thing -- which it did, but very slowly. Now I know that composting works better when I layer my greens (kitchen scraps and yard waste) with browns (carbon rich materials like autumn leaves, sawdust, dry plant waste) and keep it aerated (I stir it every ten days or so) and moist at all times (it's important to water your compost pile when it's dry, did you know?) I've had even more success since I started vermicomposting using red wiggler worms, because each spring, I turn a few bins of the critters loose in my outdoor composter and their participation seems to make the compost even better.

In my books, the process of making good dirt amendment is quite enjoyable, and I've done a few little experiments with the way I add things to the pile to see how quickly I can get the pile "cooking" (a well-made compost pile actually heats up inside) or to determine how quickly some things will actually compost. 

At the moment, I'm experimenting with a supposedly biodegradable doggie doo bag (filled with compost, not doggie doo). I added the bag two summers ago because I was curious how long it will take to disappear, and I'm always a bit disappointed when it resurfaces. Here's how it looked yesterday, maybe a little less shiny and with a few more holes. I refilled it with partly finished compost and set it in the middle of the pile where it gets the hottest. We'll see how it looks when I turn the pile again in September. Honestly, I'm not expecting much of a change... I'm not sure this plastic is any more biodegradable than any other -- all plastic will biodegrade eventually, but most of it takes a long long time, which is why we should find smarter ways to store stuff. There should be earth friendlier ways of dealing with doggie doo. If you know of any, let me know.

Here are my bins after three hours of work... with lots more space to make more compost.

Helping with nature's recycling program is definitely worth the effort. The three sisters (corn, squash and beans growing in compost-enriched soil) are proof! Taller than me!

Simple Suggestion # 219... Let sleeping plants lie

Every fall I see them, neighbours out hacking down their perennials before the snow flies, stuffing the dead leaves and stalks into garbage bags for the city to haul to its composting facilities. Those same neighbours probably look at my messy, un-hacked yard and think, what a lazy gardener she is!

Well, yes and no. Yes, in that I refuse to cut my plants down to the ground in the autumn -- but that's because I know that perennials fare better through the year's cold seasons if they are protected by last summer's decomposing growth. No, in that it all gets cleaned up in the spring when it's not so necessary for protecting my bushes and bulbs through the winter.

Raking autumn leaves out of my flower beds is also something I won't do because they are free, natural mulch. The layer of detritus that so many people pack up and toss makes a good winter home for numerous beneficial insects like ground beetles and the cheery little lady bugs that get rid of nasty, plant eating aphids and others of their ilk. Until heavy snow cover arrives, birds are always poking around in the mulch looking for a bite, and our local jack rabbits often nibble their way through. The chickadees, grosbeaks and nuthatches pick grains from the seed heads that they like, and play hide and seek in the stuff that's still standing. Of course, if you don't like nature paying you visits, it's best to get rid of all those plant leftovers. (Don't forget the benefits of winter composting, though!)

I know, leaving those plants sticking up all over the place makes a yard look messy -- but once there's a snowfall, the bumps and branches are a lot more interesting to look at than flat snowdrifts. And who really cares what the neighbours think? Once spring rolls around, cabin fever and the excess energy all gardeners get from garden hibernation will make it easy to get out and clear space for new growth. Plus, fall's already full compost bins will have shrunk through the winter to make space for a few more stalks and leaves that can later find their composted way into the summer garden, or be made into compost tea-fertilizer. The yard will look happier than ever come summer, and if the neighbours happen to wonder why, well, that's a perfect chance to educate them!

So if you didn't get your yard cleaned up before the first snowfall, fret not. You're only gardening like God does (going back to #3 of these Simple Suggestions), and actually doing your garden and its creatures a favour!

Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

Gifts from the compost heap

Besides giving me lots of great additive for our heavy clay-based soil, our compost pile gave me four other wonderful gifts this fall...

There were probably a dozen tomato seedlings growing on the top of my half-finished compost bin, so I dug four up and brought them into the greenhouse at the beginning of September (just before that first frosty snowfall on September 8th). Here's what they look like today...

A bit sparse and spindly, but there's fruit on those vines. As the sun is getting weaker by the day, this experiment might only give us a few tomatoes, as there will come a point when heating the greenhouse might seem a bit silly, and I'm not sure bringing these plants into the house will help much as our triple-paned energy efficient windows block out valuable rays. I think most of these are heirloom cherry tomatoes, so it's not like we'll get a big feed regardless, but it's fun to try. 

In the meantime, I'm plugging the benefits of composting to anyone who will listen, and borrowing leaves from family, friends and neighbours for next year's composting (we go through at least 20 big bags of leaves per year, if not more -- I always forget to count!) This year's compost is pretty much used up -- I dug a lot into the garden boxes on Tuesday, and yesterday and today I planted compost with my 113 tulip bulbs. It's nice to know that they have a good start in their compost/soil mix. I can't explain how good it feels to remediate my soil with the good black stuff I worked on making most of the summer. Way better than any chemical fertilizer money can buy!

If you like the idea of composting, but aren't sure how, there are likely books at your public library, or courses in your community. Failing that, feel free to leave a message below and I'll get back to you!

90 Ways to 90%

http://www.90waysto90.com

The City of Edmonton has this really cool thing going on. Besides already having an amazing rate of 60% waste diversion from residential sources through recycling and composting at its state-of-the-art Waste Management facilities, it's started a new program to encourage all Edmontonians to get our residential waste diversion up to 90% through simple, personal initiatives.

It's called 90 Ways to 90% Less Waste, and there's a website with 90 possibilities that individuals can adopt in their daily lives -- sort of like some of my more environmentally aware 200+ Simple Suggestions, but even cooler, because of the snazzy website, AND there's a contest! People are invited to choose from the 90 Ways and send 30 second videos illustrating how they've incorporated those ways to reduce waste into their lives. And there are great ideas among them -- like grasscycling (11 ways), composting (14 ways), using ecostations (12 ways), reducing consumption (13 ways), reusing (24 ways), and recycling (16 ways). I'm not much of a videographer, but I couldn't resist making a little reuse video and sending it in. #9, in case you're curious.

So if you're interested in some Simple Suggestions for reducing waste where you live, take a peek at 90waysto90.com by clicking here. It's got great interactive possibilities if you're creative, and even if you're not, the 90 ways are worth reading -- and adopting. Waste is a justice issue on our planet, whether we realize it or not. Carelessly using things up, tossing them and making a mess of creation isn't good for our earth, ourselves, or the interconnected web of life within which we live. But if each of the seven billion folks on this planet tries to reduce our waste of resources as much as possible, hopefully, the ecosystem's health will improve.

I'm with Margaret Mead when she says: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Let's all be thoughtful and committed when it comes to reducing our waste. 100% less waste would be even better, but I'd take 90% quite happily! So, after reading the City's Ways, I have some work to do...

Simple Suggestion #203... Share your knowledge

Sometimes I think it would be neat if we all walked around with intangible, transparent bubbles (or something) floating around us that let others know about interesting things that we know. Sort of like this:

Since that stick person represents me, I could add more bubbles, like, mother of adolescent/adult daughters, administrative assistant for L'Arche, composer, photographer, volunteer, Voluntary Simplicity practitioner, etc. If everyone had bubbles like this it would be easy for us to find people who know things that we would like to learn, or for other people to ask us about our knowledge.

I'm moodling about this today because I spent Tuesday evening with an inspiring group of people who are most anxious to share their new area of expertise, the City of Edmonton's newest crop of Master Composter/Recyclers. They've been through an intensive course and have knowledge to share about our city's incredible waste reduction efforts as well as being able to help with questions about composting and recycling in our region. And they're most willing to help their neighbours and friends by offering what they know, encouraging others in their efforts to reduce the load that our planet bears because of human consumption.

My MCR class of 2014 colleagues and I (class of 2007) took the course so that we can help others learn about the benefits of composting (turning kitchen scraps into black gold to enrich the earth's soil) and vermi-composting (the same thing using red wiggler worms). We can assist people to understand the benefits of grass-cycling (leaving grass clippings on your lawn as a wonderful natural fertilizer and mulch rather than creating more fossil fuel emissions when they're hauled to the dump), and we can teach them what to do with other household waste, directing them to ecostations for hazardous materials that don't belong in the landfill, or larger appliances that can be dismantled and recycled, or to the Reuse & Recycle Directory to aid charities in need of gently used housewares and furniture. And we can tell folks about the City's wonderful Reuse Centre, a place where we can take various household items for reuse, and can purchase items as well. Have any wicker baskets languishing around your place? Buttons? Bubblewrap? Bookmarks? Unused craft supplies? Take my word for it --it's a crafter's paradise!

There are now over 700 of us MCRs who have made reducing waste one of our areas of expertise. Just the other day, my friend from university days and Edmonton's King of Compost, Markster Composter (a clever combo of his first name and his work) was on Tuesday morning's Breakfast Television explaining how to "wake up" a compost pile. It was a great little clip (no longer available, sorry) and I'm so glad the Breakfast TV people are sharing Mark's expertise with their viewers, because the more compost we make, the better our soil and the less we send to the dump.

But sharing knowledge can be done a lot more simply than going to a TV studio and shooting a segment like Mark's... a five minute conversation during coffee break, a chat with a neighbour over a fence, or a question answered in the course of another activity or event. I suspect my new MCR friends will use Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media methods I barely know to share their knowledge! And it's all good.

So... my thanks to the Class of 2014 Master Composter/Recyclers for inspiring today's moodling, and today's challenge: Consider your areas of knowledge/expertise... And how can you share them with others?

Simple Suggestion #190... Turn over a new leaf (and/or some old ones)

The words "New Year's Resolution" haven't quite faded from people's conversations or the media this year, not yet. So here are a couple of ideas along that line.

#1. In 2014, why not learn more about composting, recycling, and generally keeping waste to a minimum? The City of Edmonton is now taking applications for its Master Composter/Recycler Program, an excellent course that teaches citizens composting basics and almost everything you'd ever want to know about reducing, reusing, recycling, recovering, and refusing to mess up our planet any further. It also offers all sorts of ideas/contacts/connections/volunteer opportunities to be explored for years to come. I took the course in 2007, and it dovetailed so well with my efforts toward Voluntary Simplicity that I'm always recommending it in my Simplicity Study Circles. Deadline for applications is February 20th. Click here for the application and more information.

#2. In 2014, why not Simplify? There are so many aspects of our lives that are over-complicated by the consumption-based society in which we live -- food, clothing, employment, entertainment, cooking and housekeeping, self care, transportation, banking -- you name it, the marketers have stolen many simple ways of living in the name of profit. Half the battle is awareness, and that's why I'm inviting anyone interested to join me and a group of other simplicity seekers at 7 p.m. on Monday evening, January 13th, at Abby Road Coop (10950 82 Avenue) for conversation about ways to

If you don't live near enough to enjoy the latest incarnation of Simplicity Study Circles, there are all sorts of Simple Suggestions in these moodlings, and hopefully all sorts of books in the library nearest you about composting, recycling, and living more simply.

So there are two great ways to turn over a new leaf and show concern for our environment by our actions, and, perhaps, to turn over many old ones in a compost pile!

P.S. For more Simple Suggestions, click here.

Simple Suggestion #163... Spread a little compost

It's Compost Awareness Week! Which, of course, is a happy time of year for Master Composter/Recyclers like me. What's better than taking our vegetable scraps and other plant-based items and turning them back into food for the soil? Wayyy better than throwing those nutrients in the garbage. Composting allows human beings to reduce our waste AND feed the earth that feeds us!

And it's actually pretty easy. All you need are your vegetable waste, some carbon materials like autumn leaves, sawdust, and last season's garden leftovers (I have lots of them, being a gardener who believes in leaving things as natural as possible), water, and air. Mix all those ingredients together in a pile (you don't actually need a bin, though it keeps things tidier), and an amazing thing happens -- everything heats up (because of microorganisms in the pile) and starts to rot. If you keep the pile as wet as a damp sponge and stir it frequently to give it some air, it won't smell like rotting vegetables, and it will soon look and smell like delicious, nutrient rich dirt that's better than any fertilizer money can buy.

Because we used up most of last fall's compost in various other places in the yard, yesterday, we had 2 yards of the stuff delivered, and my hard-working farm-boy hubby spread it all over our vegetable plot. I have a bit more spreading to do today.

So, in keeping with the week's theme of Compost Awareness, today's suggestion is to spread a little compost around. This time of year, there's lots of compost for sale -- here in Edmonton, groups sell compost for fundraisers, and I know that the Edmonton Horticultural Society will be selling 40 lb bags of the stuff this Saturday, May 11th, from 9 a.m. til 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the old Prince Rupert Community League, 11303 113 St. Get it while the getting's good! And make your soil happy!

My "compost-y" garden -- soon to be dug and planted!

P.S. For more Simple Suggestions, click here.

Simple Suggestion #111 revisited... Become a Master Composter/Recycler

It's that time again -- time to sing praises of a wonderful City of Edmonton program that turns ordinary, earth-conscious Edmontonians into uber-cool volunteers who know almost everything there is to know about composting and recycling in our city. I'm speaking of the City of Edmonton's Master Composter/Recycler Program. I took the course in 2007, and continue to be inspired and encouraged in my efforts to live with a smaller ecological footprint by a wonderful community of like-minded folks who have also participated. I can't speak highly enough of the program and the people involved in it.

I can also honestly say that the 35 hours I spent at the course itself were some of the best I've spent in class ever. I learned a lot about reducing waste and replenishing soil, met some amazing people, and brought home all sorts of great ideas for my home, yard, and garden -- ideas that have improved my life, and the health of our planet. I feel confident in my composting efforts, my garden has thrived, and I've had a lot of fun helping others to learn about composting and recycling in my own back yard and as a volunteer at different city events. Not only that, but our Master Composter/Recycler community shares a lot of interesting info on Facebook, and has some pretty great socials now and then!

If joining the ranks of a pretty great squad of Master Composter/Recyclers sounds appealing to you, please consider taking Edmonton's New and Improved Master Composter/Recycler course. Tell them Maria K. sent you!

Here's the link to the application page: www.edmonton.ca/mcrp. NOTE: The deadline for applications is February 7, 2013.

And if you don't live in the Edmonton area, there are Master Composter/Recycler programs popping up in other places, too -- like Vancouver, Spokane and Seattle WA, The University of Rhode Island, Hennepin County, Minnesota, Schenectady and Westchester Counties in NY, the University of Idaho, and the list goes on. It's great to see other MCR courses coming online -- makes me feel like there's increasing hope for our planet's good health. Why not join the movement if you can? Or start your own...

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.

Re-moodling: Simple Suggestion #112... Try winter composting

I've never been a huge fan of re-runs, and I promise I won't be recycling my ideas very often in this space. But now that winter has definitely arrived where I live, I'm thinking it's probably a good idea to re-moodle about winter composting, seeing as I sort of missed the boat last year by posting Simple Suggestion #112 in mid-February, when winter was on the decline. Winter composting isn't any more work than composting the rest of the year, really. In fact, it's probably less work, because if you can put your organic waste outside in a cold climate, you don't really have to do the work until spring! What follows is a re-run, but one worth considering:

Simple Suggestion #112... Try winter composting 
(Thursday, February 16, 2012)

I really should have moodled about this back in October, but didn't think of it until a few weeks ago, because of a conversation with my neighbour. He was cutting my hair, and he mentioned that he had saved a few bags of autumn leaves for me and my composting efforts. We got into a discussion about how I planned to add them to my compost pile because composting actually requires five to twenty times more "browns" (carbon material like dry leaves) than "greens" (higher nitrogen kitchen peelings, etc.), and he said, "but you won't be composting until spring, will you?"

He was very surprised when I started talking about winter composting, because he didn't realize it could be done. I explained that in our cold climate it's just fine to toss our kitchen scraps out on the compost pile because they usually just freeze solid until spring.

If the pile starts to get a bit smelly as it melts, I just add leaves on top as a bit of a "fragrance filter," but it's not usually an issue before it really warms up and I have a chance to get out and start stirring more leaves into the mess.

I also told my neighbour about folks I know who keep a plastic-lined garbage can near their back doors for fruit and veggie scraps.

They just keep piling the scraps in there through the winter, and in the spring they have a soupy mess to pour into their compost bin with leaves and other fall yard waste. The freezing and thawing actually makes the kitchen waste break down more quickly, and they get compost a lot sooner. My neighbour sounded interested in trying his own winter composting, so I might not get my bags of leaves from him in the spring. But that's okay. I'm a leaf thief, and I have lots stored up already...

For unsqueamish people, there's also another way to winter compost, involving a few friends imported from the Carolinas. In our basement, we have a condominium for red wiggler worms, all very neat and well contained.

Most of the time, we forget they're there, but every couple of weeks, they're happy to receive our kitchen waste, and they turn it into the best compost you can imagine. They don't require a lot of effort, and they're not even that gross!

I spent a little time with them this afternoon, giving them carrot peel and kiwi skin snacks to keep them happy. I line the bins up in a row, make a little space for the kitchen scraps, and cover them over with compost again. Voila, waste taken care of in a couple of weeks by hungry red wigglers.

Before I put the lids back on the worm bins, I always tuck them in with a sheet of newspaper. That way, if there are any fruit flies among my banana peels, their life cycle is cut short because they can't get past the newspaper. Works like magic! The far bin is already tucked in, as you can see.

Those are my two ways to compost during the winter. In the spring, my garden benefits from all the work my composter and red wigglers have done over the winter... and during the winter, my houseplants are happy when I put a bit of vermicompost into their drinking water (1 tbsp/litre). It's like a vitamin booster for plants.

Soil gives us so much fantastic food... and composting, winter and summer, is my way to give something back so good things can keep growing.

Any questions? Just ask.

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.