Every day my boys and I take notice of the trees and flowers blooming in our yard. This season, we are also watching vegetables bloom and grow in our backyard. The reasons for adding a vegetable garden seemed only natural, and exciting, to us.

Chad and I are avid gardeners. We truly enjoy planting perennials, shrubs […]

Two weeks ago, I went out with the boys to turn the compost pile we started last fall. As soon as I flipped the first forkful, a haze wafted into the air. At first I thought it was bugs, but then I realized what was going on: we had steam!
This is good news, and means […]

I’ve been slowly raking the live oak leaves as they fall, because I know my compost pile won’t see a bounty of browns like this until later this year. Having Spring-molting trees like live oaks gives Lowcountry composters like us a definite advantage, making it easier to maintain the proper chemical balance while our garden […]

I’ve blogged about Whole Foods serving most of its goodies in containers made from plastic #5, which is not recyclable locally. Finally, our local outlet has an alternative: biodegradable food containers. (and my compost pile couldn’t be happier…hopefully!)
So, Jen has come home a few times with the brown EATware containers, and they actually seem OK […]

In my composting update last week, I mentioned that Jen has been bringing home bags of used coffee grounds from our local Starbucks. On Friday, five more bags arrived. Heavy moist bags of expired grounds might gross some people out, but the inner-composter in me knew this would be a windfall to the pile.
Coffee grounds […]

We’re now into February, and the compost pile I started last fall is really coming into it’s own. Here’s a quick update.

The pile is about 2-feet deep now. And except for the edges, it has an even consistency throughout.
Jen has started bringing home used Starbucks coffee grounds from the Longpoint Road location. They sit […]

OK, I know I’ve been writing a lot about composting lately…but this post isn’t like all that. I really just wanted to write about how all of our green actions influence those around us, and how that helps the green movement spread.
In the short time since I’ve started my compost pile: My neighbor has begun […]

Well, things have been going according to plan over at the Norman Family Compost Pile. It’s been a great experiment, and I’ve been getting advice from all over the place. And since sharing is what this blog is all about, here are some juicy tidbits:

I need to water the pile more. It’s so dry […]

Jen was about to pitch the pumpkins when I yelled, “Wait! We’ve got a compost pile now.” I really had no idea if you could add pumpkins to compost, but I had sent them to the landfill every year in the past…enough was enough.
A quick Google search shows tons of pages urging readers […]

I procrastinated all Summer and never started a compost pile, so I was pleased to read that Fall is the best season to get one going. That was enough. I was on my way to Lowe’s for chicken wire and fence posts, and had one up in no time.
Composting yard waste and kitchen scraps is […]