Creating an edible garden in a small suburban space

It might seem like I've been in hiding this week and in truth I have. In fact, I've been busy focusing on the garden, trying to make the most of our space to grow a plethora of vegetables this year.

I know it doesn't look much like a vegetable garden and indeed until now, our little piece of land has operated as a simple "snacking garden" with some rhubarb, blackberries, redcurrants, a pot of potatoes and a couple of pots of tomatoes as well as a few herb plants that have matured into shrubs, such as rosemary, lavender and sage.

But behind the scenes - or should I say behind the bushes - the Almost Average household has been busy greening up our green fingers.

Here's a brief tour revealing how we've managed to fit some growing space into our already-established and multi-functional back yard and to set the scene, here's another photo taken from the back of the garden towards the house.



Bet you can't see much action eh! But trust me, there's a lot happening compared to this time last year. So come and see.

Behind the children's play den, we've reinstated a small veg-patch.


As well as celery, spring cabbage and carrot seedlings taking root under the home-made polytunnel, we've also planted some runner beans and peas, plus a couple of potato and tomato plants growing in pots. It's also encouraging to see the raspberry canes starting to grow. Hopefully soon they will cover the side of the playden. They should have a great start as they've been planted in soil that includes home-made compost from all of our kitchen and bokashi'd waste that was created last year.




Against the wall of the house, we are gradually adding a range of wall hanging containers for cherry tomatoes plus a window box for herbs including marjoram, basil, coriander and oregano.



And on the other side of the kitchen door is our little growhouse, which is currently protecting more tomato seedlings and peppers. It's wonderful to see that the watering trays are now made from recycled plastic, as Mr A announced one day on his return from a visit to Wyevale.




If you look carefully in the border that runs alongside our pergola, you'll see three potato sacks, planted up with a few second-early spuds as well as some main-crop, using most of the smelly old compost handed out by the council last weekend.



As well as planting up the garden, we've also been putting some old things to good use. Here are some runner beans planted up in one of our old tub trugs, seen resting on an old tyre (formerly used as a sandpit when the boys were small). The tub is camouflaged by geraniums which have been planted in the tyre.



And here we have a tray of lettuce and rocket as well as some scattered "cut-and-come again" seeds, planted in an old nectarine box, which I picked up whilst shopping in the market last winter. There are also some annual flower seeds planted alongside the edge of the outer tray, which I can't wait to see blossom and surround the greens with pretty blooms.



All we have to ensure now is that we keep our plants safe from the likes of this little lady, one of our three chickens who are intent on scratching at surfaces, whether planted up or not.



We're so excited with our progress that we've decided to extend further and have also given up some of our front garden to even more fruit and vegetables.


Just behind our fence we've tucked in some more beans, peas, carrots, spring cabbage and broccoli. By now, we'd run out of our own compost so used a bag full of New Horizon, which is made from composted garden waste.




We've also got some blueberries hiding in pots behind the bushes...



....as well as some strawberries and swiss chard tucked into the border.


And there's some delicious Pak Choi and more rocket, growing under our front window.


And I mustn't forget that we've got even more potatoes - some Anyas - planted in an old spare recycling tub, which we brought with us from Hemel Hempstead when we moved about 6 years ago (shhh, don't tell 'em will you, but it's made a fantastic container for growing spuds these last few years).




It's amazing what you can grow in a small space but there's still lots more to do. I'd like some more hanging baskets on the pergola and make even better use of the border alongside it.

We did have an initial outlay, including the new greenhouse cover, but at least we reused the old one as a polytunnel. We'd also run out of old toilet rolls inners for seedlings (a top tip from Mrs G) so we needed to get some more seeding pots, all of which worked a treat to create most of what you've seen in the photos. And although we've spent a fair few pounds on the fruit-bearing plants, the broccoli, some herbs and beans and peas, most of the plants have been grown from seed or seedlings passed on from friends or through my LETS group, which is always a great source for such things. I'd especially like to thank blog reader Mel for kindly sending in some of her spare seeds, which we have already used and have more plans for them over the next couple of months.

Of course with such a lot of plants in containers, I must now ensure they are watered carefully and are nurtured into full production. And with that in mind, we've decided to buy a second water butt, which will be conveniently placed in the front garden.




It's just a shame it arrived with so much plastic wrap, which made me blush like a strawberry and which will probably undo all that plastic we will have saved by growing our own. Aaaarrrgh! But eh ho! I suppose we live and learn and at least we won't have to suffer the same next year. And of course I can take it along with the compost bags to the local recycling centre and then drop off the plastic pots at Wyevale when I'm next passing.

Right, so no rest for the wicked. I'm off to put the kettle on so I can enjoy a cup of tea while watering the plants and planting up more seeds.

And while I'm busy beavering in the garden, don't forget it's still Compost Awareness Week, so if you are inspired to join in the gardening fever and start making your own compost, there's lots of advice over at CompostWoman's Compost Bin blog as well as a whole range of tips and problem-solving ideas at Mrs Green's MyZeroWaste.
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Compost 'n' Toilet Seats

"Just so you know, I've bunged the old toilet seat in the bin."




Bloody hell, you'd think he'd have learned by now wouldn't you! It's been sixteen months since Mr A's bin-filling activities have been under close surveillance. However the King of Declutter has been let off for good behaviour in recent months thanks to a reduced propensity for landfilling all and sundry. Things are normally so good these days that Bin-watch Status in the Almost Average household has been reduced from Severe to Low.

Well it looks like I've got to be on my guard again.

You see Mr A took the trouble to replace our broken wooden loo seat last week and as he said - only in passing - that he'd bunged the old one in the rubbish bin.

At least he had the decency to warn me even if I don't take things lightly when it comes to landfilling our rubbish. He hadn't checked the recycling options so I thought I should and consequently researched the council's website. I couldn't find any information so I decided to call the Waste Department, a far cry from when we last changed our loo seats four years ago when I wouldn't have given it a second thought.

A lady answered.

"Can you recycle wooden loo seats?" I asked.

"Yes you can at the HWRC" she replied. "Just put it in the wood skip."

"Even if it's got metal fittings still attached?" I probed a little further, hardly believing my luck.

"Hang on - I'll just put you through to Dan. He'll confirm matters."

A brief moment of silence filled the phone line as I was put on hold to talk to the Strategy and Policy Manager, the man in charge of last year's zero waste week and with whom I have since given a joint presentation and enjoyed several meetings about waste reducing initiatives.

You get the picture! I wasn't sure whether I should be talking toilet seat strategy with the man in charge, especially when risking my professional dignity!

Why do I always ask more questions? Why didn't I just accept "Yes" as the answer. How embarrassing was this conversation going to be? Feeling a bit of a prude, I wondered whether I should hang up.

But it was too late, Dan quickly answered and confirmed the positive news before I rapidly changed the subject to a less personal and more tasteful matter, hoping that this conversation would never ever come back to bite me on the bum, so to speak.

And on the topic of changing the subject....(notice how I swiftly did that)....I have some great news.

While I was conducting my intensive research, not only did I find out that we can recycle our old wooden loo seats in Bury St Edmunds' recycling centre (even with their metal fittings), but I also discovered the recycling centre was giving away free soil improver.

So with offers of free compost on the agenda, we quickly headed off to the recycling centre with our toilet seat and took a couple of garden tubs to fill up with some of the advertised soil improver.

And who better to fill 'em up than Mr A. Yes the perfect opportunity to dig himself out of the hole he'd created with his rubbish antics, especially as we've used up all the compost that we've made in our own bins at home.




Ah revenge is so sweet....and definitely far sweeter than the smell of that compost.

How it ponged!

Yet despite its smell it will be good for the rest of the veggies that I'm planning on planting this week.

Meanwhile, it's back to Severe Bin-watch status. And if he's not careful, that Mr A will be getting more than a compost digging session at the recycling centre. I might have to go as far as threaten him with his very own compost loo in the garden. Never mind recycling the toilet seat!

With measures like that I'm sure he won't be automatically feeding the bin with any more loo seats or much else for that matter.

But we'll just have to wait and see.... because Mr A I'm now watching your every move - well almost!

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The free soil improver offer is to promote Compost Awareness Week, which is jointly organised by WRAP and Organics Recycling (formerly known as The Compost Association) to encourage the use of compost for growing fruit and vegetables at home. Over the next seven days a whole host of events are taking place across the UK, including opportunities to purchase a low-cost compost bin.

If you live in the St Edmundsbury area, the soil improver will also be available at the HWRC at Rougham Hill on 9th and 10th May. Please remember to take along your own bags and containers.

However as I've aready discovered, composting at home is remarkably easy. We've had a compost bin for over ten years and have been amazed by the results that even novices like us can achieve.

So the good news is as part of Compost Awareness Week, Suffolk residents have the opportunity to buy Compost Converters for just £12 (+£5 delivery) available from Recycle Now. (Just remember to quote the reference SHOE9 when ordering). If you live outside Suffolk, please check with your own council for details of local offers, as you too might be in luck. Further advice can be found at Recycle Now's Home Composting website.

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Obsessions and Guilty Pleasures

The thrifty and nifty Nixdminx has tagged me for a meme. The great thing about these tags is they offer an opportunity to stop for a while, take a breather and share some of the otherwise ignored details of your life that simply pass by unrecognised. Even better you get a chance to find out about other folks too.

The rules of the meme. Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Then tag 8 people. So here goes.

1.What are your current obsessions?
Collecting vintage jewellery and wondering how to inspire other Suffolk residents to go Zero Waste. That's what I call sparkling ambition!

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
A black and white print dress that I bought from Phase Eight about four years ago. It's still going strong but is in strict competition with a beautiful blue peacock feather print skirt that I bought three weeks ago at a charity shop for just £4.50.

3. What’s for dinner?
Chicken stir fry, with fresh chillis and cous-cous cooked by Mr A, followed by delicious strawberry ice-cream from a local farm.

4. Last thing you bought?
Three gorgeous ReSACKel bags made from beautifully printed rice bags, only available from www.myzerowaste.com. Worth a look!

5. What are you listening to?
A copy of a compilation CD that I made for Mr A for Christmas, with downloaded music from Napster. Includes Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys, the Nolans' I'm in the mood for dancing and Abba's Dancing Queen. I think you get the picture. Eclectic, nostalgic and fun.

6. Do you have a pet and if not, why not?
Two white cats with black splodges and three chickens.

7. Favourite holiday spots?
St Ives, Cornwall. It's romantic, an artist's paradise and is a key contender as one of the best UK seaside destinations. Also, Leysin in the Swiss Alps, utterly breathtaking.

8. Reading right now?
Just finished Remembrance by Theresa Breslin, a most wonderful book that brings the first world war to life, following the lives of 5 young people, highlighting their courage and ambitions. It's the best book I've read in a long time. I am now ready to pass it on, so if you would like it let me know in the comments. First person to ask gets it. But beware it's a real tearjerker.

9. 4 words to describe yourself.
Optimistic, cheeky, happy and a dreamer.

10. Guilty pleasure?
Watching Kirstie's Homemade Home.

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?
The panel on Have I got News for You. Such a fabulous tonic to a serious world.

12. First spring thing?
Daffodils and narcissi.

13. Planning to travel to next?
Off to York to see Ruby hopefully in June, (shh, I haven't told Mr A yet) followed by a family holiday to Switzerland in the summer.

14. Best thing you ate or drank lately?
A glass of Chablis with dinner just now. OMG....and the chocolate cake I made last Monday. Geez, I made chocolate cake. I couldn't believe it. It's only taken me 40 years!

15. When did you last get tipsy?
At the MediaGuardian Innovation Awards celebrations in March. The champagne was flowing. I was with great friends and I just couldn't help it.

16. Favourite ever film?
Hard to choose: Goodbye Mr Chips - happy, sad and poignant or the Ladykillers, a very funny Ealing Comedy that just makes you laugh all the way to the bank. Damn it....the Ladykillers wins hands down. Who needs new movies when you can just recycle the old ones eh!

17. Care to share some wisdom?
It's no good recycling if you don't buy products made from recycled materials. Switch to recycled products where possible, close the loop and drive the demand for a greener economy.

18. Favourite song?
Porcelain by Moby. Makes me tingle every time.

19. What's your favourite meal you make without sticking to a recipe?
It's got to be Sweet and Sour Balti Chicken, which I picked up from a Balti recipe book. The book has since been lost after is was loaned to a friend. Good job the memory cells work because here it is. Combine two tablespoons each of greek yoghurt, tomato puree and mango chutney in a bowl, with a teaspoon of garam masala and add to a wok of hot corn oil. Bring to a high temperature and mix well before adding strips of chicken. Throw in some freshly-chopped chillis and cook for five minutes before adding water to dilute. Leave the chicken to simmer for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Stir in a tablespoon of cream and a handful of chopped coriander. Serve with rice that has been boiled with cardamom pods

20. Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Please let it be Dawn French, she'd eat The Rubbish Diet alive and despite the serious nature, it really has been a bag of laughs.

21. Facebook or Twitter? Other or Neither?
Twitter! I think it's great for finding out new information and sharing brief snippets of news.

So which bloggers shall I pick for a game of tag? Erm let's see.....who haven't I visited for a while who I'd love to catch up with and might be up for a round of tag?

I think it just has to be Jo Beaufoix, Fiona over at A pot, a thought and a smidgeon of dirt, Sam at Feel the rhythm inside, Layla at Layla's Experiments, Katy at Aiming Low, my long-lost evil twin Katyboo, Grumpy old woman, and Picklesmum.

Yes ladies....you're it and I'm coming to get you!
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Wales to become a Zero Waste nation

It is a very exciting day indeed because today the Welsh Assembly Government has declared a new 70% recycling target to be in place by 2025, including households, businesses and the construction sector.

The Assembly has also announced that it will become a "Zero Waste" nation by 2050.

This announcement is part of the Welsh Assembly's new draft waste strategy which sets out how Wales proposes to tackle the issue over the next four decades. It includes plans to encourage a more integrated recycling infrastructure across Wales and capitalise on new green jobs and business opportunities as recycling services expand.

My own visits to the green green grass of home have already indicated a dynamic and proactive approach to waste management solutions. St Arvans in Monmouthshire is now well established as a zero waste village and can be hailed as a role model for many areas in Wales and indeed the rest of the UK.

Throughout the rest of Wales, local authorities have also been busy implementing food waste collections, including Merthyr Tydfil, my home borough. My mother gave me a demonstration when I visited last October and remains pleased with the facilities the council is providing.

Jane Davidson Minister for Environment, Sustainability & Housing said on the matter.

"Research shows that recycling is often the thing people most recognise as being their main contribution towards improving the environment. We need to create a truly comprehensive recycling society, where everyone can recycle where ever they are – at home, whilst out relaxing or at work. But this isn’t just about recycling. It is about getting people to rethink why they are producing so much waste in the first place."

So being a supporter of Zero Waste as well as being Welsh, I'd like to say "diolch yn fawr" to Ms Davidson and the Welsh Assembly for its forward-thinking plans. Yes thank you! And who knows, I may even be able to persuade my English husband to move over the border. Today he asked me to reorder a new wooden toothbrush on his behalf, so dragging an Englishman from his home country could now be a possibility.

More information can be found at the Welsh Assembly Government's website.

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Wenhaston Green: Greening up a village community in Suffolk

Today I'd like to highlight the achievements of Suffolk based energy support group Wenhaston Green whose amazing work is helping its village community to cut carbon emissions. From organising insulation projects for households and community buildings to setting up car-sharing schemes and implementing alternative energy solutions, including solar-powered water heaters, this group is making it easier for residents to make choices that are more environmentally friendly.


Reducing Waste

With the support of environmental social enterprise Bright Green (the organisation behind the National Materials Exchange - Eastex), Wenhaston Green has embarked on its latest project, helping the village community to reduce household waste.

Their very own Zero Waste Week was launched at the weekend, kicked off by the best idea I've seen in a long time...A Give or Take Day!



Hosted at the village hall, residents were invited to bring along items that they no longer wanted and take away anything they wished. It was a great event, with a whole range of items exchanging hands including heavy furniture, clothing, crockery, toys, video, books and bric-a-brac. All for free.




I was also allowed to take part, even though I'd arrived from the other side of Suffolk. So I emptied my wardrobe of all the clothes I no longer wear and came away with some gorgeous Readers' Digest books and a glamorous pair of shoes.

During the event residents also had the opportunity to find out about ways to reduce their carbon footprint thanks to representatives from Suffolk County County recycling services and the Energy Saving Trust. There was even a master composter available, demonstrating the benefits of home composting, including the use of Bokashi facilities.


The Zero Waste Challenge

Eleven households have signed up for the Zero Waste Week challenge, where they will attempt to minimise their waste over the course of the next week. With a weekly rubbish collection, the results will be measured next Monday.

Before the start of the challenge representatives from Bright Green conducted an audit of residents' bins to determine the amount of rubbish that each household throws away and how much of their rubbish could be recycled or composted.

The results of the audit were presented to the volunteers at a meeting following the Give or Take event. It was no surprise that the starting points were varied, giving the nature of the mixed household sizes.



However, what was surprising is that Wenhaston does not have a kerbside recycling collection, which means that residents do not have an easy solution to recycling plastics.

The village community has recycling facilities for metal, glass and paper, but household collection facilities will not be in place until March next year. This could be a major challenge for participants of the Zero Waste exercise.

On the plus side, residents can recycle food waste through their fortnightly brown bin collection which also includes garden waste.



Managing Plastic

With a long wait for plastic recycling facilities, there is an opportunity for the participants to analyze their dependency on plastic packaging and reduce what they can. Reusable bags and use of containers when shopping will provide some relief. The group also discussed making muslin\cotton weigh bags, which they can sell to other residents to avoid the plastic variety normally found in shops.

There may also be opportunities to recycle other plastics that come their way, through combining efforts. Unfortunately the nearest recycling facilities are an estimated 15 mile drive away and for individuals to travel there in the name of slimming their bins would be simply increasing the carbon footprint that they are working hard to reduce. However, if one resident could take the materials when they are next passing, this would help this challenge immensely and maybe it could lead to an interim solution for enthusiastic recyclers while they are waiting for a permanent recycling collection.



Community solutions

What I experienced at the weeked was inspirational community action. As individuals attempting to reduce our carbon footprint, it is often difficult to know where to start and options can appear to be confusing. However community groups that serve to help the local area seem a natural step forward, combining the knowledge and enthusiasm needed to move communities forward.

I believe there is much to be learned from proactive communities such as Wenhaston Green and organisations like Bright Green, also based in the East of England and who are able to empower and transform companies and communities by raising environmental awareness and helping to implement change.

The Wenhaston Green energy support group was formed just two years ago in March 2007. Originally created by Parish Councillors who were keen to have carbon reducing ideas as part of its parish plan, the group is now independent of but still supported by the Parish Council. In its short existence, the energy group has already been awarded funding by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) to refurbish the village hall with insulation and photovoltaic panels and in 2008 won the Community Energy Award from Suffolk Strategic Partnership's "Creating the Greenest County"

It just makes you think doesn't it? There is much that an enthusiastic individual can do on their own, but combine that with the knowledge, support and enthusiasm of others and the opportunities can be amazing.

If you are based in the UK and are inspired to find out what can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of your own community, more information can be found at Transition Towns. Local advice is also available from www.cred-uk.org and it is also worth contacting your local regional development agency for details of which projects are supported. Funding opportunities can also be sourced through the Energy Saving Trust.

And if you are lucky enough to be based in the East of England, why not put a call into Bright Green.


Huge thanks to Sue from Bright Green for inviting me to the Give or Take Day and for the members of Wenhaston Green for making me feel very welcome. And most of all, good luck to all the residents who are busy with their Zero Waste Week challenge. I can't wait to hear the results and find out what happened to all the usual plastic.

If you're already involved with a local community group that can help inspire others, please share your good news and if you have a website, I will be happy to include a link on the blog.


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Beth Terry's Letter to Oprah

Plastic is all around us. We take it for granted along with its convenience, versatility and its ability to protect and preserve. But has this convenience become so ubiquitous it's emerged as one inconvenience too far? I'd like to introduce a video by one lady who is making us think again about our responsibilities as consumers. Spurred on by the environmental cost of plastic, she has taken major steps to reduce her own dependency and has inspired individuals and companies to reduce their reliance on it too. Most people know her as Fake Plastic Fish, creator of the blog that shares the same name.

In the last couple of years Beth has inspired many people to change their habits of a lifetime but for such change to have the impact required, her work needs to be shared with a much wider audience. So this weekend she wrote a letter to Oprah and recorded a video that highlights her passion. Here is the video revealing the inspiration behind Beth's work, her personal commitment and her achievements so far. If you know other people who could be inspired by her message, let's not just leave it to Oprah. The Internet is a powerful thing so it would be great if you could share Beth's message too. And yes, after watching the video, there will be a few changes that I can make too.




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Celebrating Earth Day

Regular readers will know how I love crisps, especially Walkers Quavers, but will also know that the packaging can't be recycled or composted easily. So in honour of Earth Day, I'm giving them up for a whole week, while I share some great news about the future of crisp packaging, or chip packaging, as they say in the US.

The following video reveals what FritoLay, an American crisp company, has promised for next year's Earth Day for their Sunchips brand. Interestingly, FritoLay has some connection with the UK Walkers company through the Pepsi empire.

I can't help wondering whether I will soon be able to eat Quavers and still keep my rubbish nice and slim. If so, my only worry will be my own diet rather than that of my bin. Now that's reminded me, my other Earth Day promise is to get on my bike....that'll certainly help!



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