If you are interested in the environment, gardening and wildlife then you will more than likely want to start your own compost if you haven’t done so already. For those who have no experience in composting you might think that it’s going to be very difficult. The good news is that it’s pretty easy as long as you do your research beforehand.
Types Of Compost
As with most things, there are a number of different types of compost you can create in your garden. If you want something very simple and easy then you can buy plastic compost bins. Basically they have an open bottom which is placed on the ground and then there’s a lid on the top that allows you to add the composting ingredients.
The problem with the type of compost bin described above is that only worms can get into the compost. Worms are fantastic and are very much encouraged, however if you want to be truly wildlife-friendly you will want to attract other creatures. For those in the UK, this means you’ll want to attract hedgehogs and toads plus other creatures.
This means you will need to build a compost heap which is easily accessible for these animals. The simplest form of compost is literally just a heap of organic matter covered up with an old carpet. Unfortunately these compost heaps don’t look particularly attractive. However if you create a screen made from a trellis or bamboo then you can hide it pretty well.
What To Add To Your Compost?
There are two main ingredients of a compost and these are dry items and wet items. Dry items include paper, cardboard, wood chippings, sawdust and leaves. Wet items include fruit, vegetables, lawn clippings, seaweed, tea bags and coffee grounds.
It’s imperative that you aim to add equal amounts of dry and wet items to your compost. If your compost is too dry then you will have problems with it smelling badly and it will also attract flies. If it’s too dry then the compost won’t break down.
There are some things you shouldn’t add to the compost either. Don’t add in cooked food, meat and fish because this will attract vermin. Don’t use perennial weeds because this will cause them to spread to your compost. Also be careful about adding roses with thorns on the stems because they are slow to break down. When you go to use the compost you might accidentally cut yourself on the thorns.
Where To Place Your Compost?
First of all it’s a good idea for it to be fairly near to your kitchen so that you don’t have to walk too far to add kitchen scraps. Otherwise, it doesn’t really matter where you locate it. However it must be on bare earth to allow worms into the compost. The worms are very important in processing the organic materials into a useable form.
Slugs and snails will also find their way into the compost to help the decomposing process. You might not like the idea of encouraging slugs and snails into your garden however think about it this way: if they’re happily munching away on the food in your compost, they won’t have any reason to leave and start munching your prized plants!
How To Get Oxygen Into The Compost?
The reason why composts are so beneficial the environment is because they don’t create methane gas the way that organic materials in landfill does. Why is this? Well, it’s simply because of the oxygen in the compost. Landfill is so compressed there is no way for oxygen to get in.
There are different methods of getting oxygen into your compost and some of them involve quite a lot of work whilst others are pretty simple and straightforward. The most tricky method involves turning the compost over. So basically you take the top layers off the compost and put them somewhere else so that eventually the bottom layer of compost is now sitting on the top. The involves a lot of work and also space in your garden which you might not have.
The simpler way to oxygenate your compost is to use a garden fork or compost turner/aerator to mix the contents of the compost. Please note that you might have a hedgehog or toad living in your compost so be careful you don’t use the fork too violently.
Another way of keeping oxygen in the compost is too add items such as egg boxes, twigs and cardboard toilet rolls in along with all of the other ingredients. Simply by doing this you will create air pockets in the compost.
Although all of the above information might seem like quite a lot if you have no previous experience in composting, the truth is that it’s really simple. You don’t have to have “green fingers” in order to start a compost and it should be able to fit into any garden - big or small.
Growing herbs is a popular form of gardening as herbs have a pleasant aroma and have practical uses in cooking and for some medicinal purposes.
Some Popular Herbs to Grow
Chives are also easy to grow and are tough and sturdy and can stand up to periods of drought. They are used in sauces, salads and other dishes.
Mint is an ever popular herb, so easy to grow that it needs to be curbed or it will take over the garden! It is used in mint jellies and sauces, accompanying lamb dishes as well as in soups and sausages. A similar herb is sage which is a lovely herb with spiked, blue flowers.
Lavender is well known for its lovely smell. Crushed lavender can be used in sachets in clothes drawers and is also a good remedy for insomnia. If you can't sleep try placing a sachet of lavender under your pillow. Lavender is also used in candles an as a perfume.
Basil leaves can be used as a flavoring for tomato pastes and juices and is easy to grow. Dark Opal is a beautiful plant with dark reddish colored leaves and pink flowers and can be grown as a decorative item in addition to its use as a flavoring herb.
Some other herbs that are easy to grow include dill for flavoring meat, sweet marjoram, useful for flavoring lamb dishes, salads and soups and sesame which can be used to flavor bread and crackers.
Drying Herbs
If you will be using the herbs for cooking you will need to preserve them by drying carefully so that they can be used throughout the year. To do this you first need to allow water to evaporate from leafy herbs by cutting the tops, washing and then hanging. Once the excess water has evaporated tie them together by the stems, place in a paper bag and hang up to completely. After two or three weeks, when the herbs are completely dry, they can be taken down, crumbled and stored in glass jars.
Herbs grown in your own garden are fresh and wonderful for cooking and cheap and easy to grow. A herb garden will give you much pleasure, both in growing and using the herbs, and you will have a continuing source of fresh herbs to use in your cooking. Dried carefully you will have herbs available throughout the year.
If you are a kid wanting to earn a few extra bucks then you will want to find out about the different things you can do. By working as a kid you will learn some really important skills which will set you up for your adult life. It’s also very rewarding to know that you have earnt your money rather than simply been given it by your parents as a birthday or Christmas present. If you have some of your own money coming in then you can spend it on pretty much whatever you like, whether it’s clothing, gadgets or posters for your bedroom wall.
Washing Cars - Most people these days have at least one car but hardly any of them have the time or inclination to wash them. This is where you can step in. With a few friends you could put up a simple notice saying that you offer a hand car wash for a certain amount of money. All you need are the basic items for cleaning cars such as a sponge, hot water and car wash liquid.
Baby Sitting - For many people, the first job they ever got was to be a baby sitter. Of course, there are plenty of horror films about baby sitters being in a big old house on their own but don’t let that scare you! Baby sitting can be pretty easy if you are good with younger kids. Of course, you will still need to be good at discipline because many youngsters will try to take advantage of you in terms of them misbehaving. You should also know what the house rules are, such as when they go to bed and how much TV they are allowed to watch.
Gardening - Obviously, you won’t be able to do all types of garden work; however a kid is more than capable of removing a few weeds from the driveway, watering the plants or mowing the lawn. When Fall arrives, many people hate having to clear up all the fallen leaves, so getting a good rake and a brush will make it easy to pick them all up. In the winter when there is a lot of snow on the ground you can also offer to clear people’s driveway.
House Sitters - Many people go away for more than just a week or two and feel very uncomfortable about leaving their house unattended. If you are a responsible kid, you can work as a house sitter by taking in the mail, watering the plants and also looking after any pets.
Old Fashioned Lemonade Stand - Naturally, this is quite a seasonal business and it also depends on where you live if you are going to make money selling lemonade.
Online Surveys - If you are 13 or over you can sign up with some online survey companies such as Cash Crate which pays you to fill in surveys. There are some offers that need you to have a credit card. For instance you might get paid $20 to complete an offer but you need to pay a small amount on your credit card to pay for the item to be sent to you. However there are other offers that don’t require you to spend anything on your credit card at all. Also, if you refer your friends you can also make money if they sign up and take surveys too.
Hopefully this list will give you some ideas on how you can make some extra money if you are a kid. Of course, it’s a good idea if you have an adult around who is there to support you if needed.
