spring!

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So, my mood has increased exponentially in the last few days because it is actually, finally, spring around here! Warm wind, sunshine and the earthy smell of nature waking up.
All the better because I had a day off today and spent a wonderfully relaxing morning on the balcony, soaking up sunshine and the “Call the midwife” series by Jennifer Worth (SO good). I literally feel like a new person, and this even though I spent all day Sunday scratching old wallpaper off the walls of a friend’s new house and should logically feel tired and sore today.
spring. tidytipsy
spring. tidytipsy
spring. tidytipsy
The balcony is coming to life with a few flowers I picked up at the nursery and the sight of them cheers me up no end. Some tomato and pepper seedlings are thriving indoors in my trusty light box. I can’t wait for nature to really take off this year!
spring. tidytipsy
Ok, here’s something I meant to blog about last year but never got around to: Ever since coming across vermicomposting on a stay in Canada four years ago I had been meaning to try it. So well over a year ago, despite all funny looks of our friends and relatives (vermicomposting is virtually unknown here) we set up a worm bin and bought a few small red worms at a nearby fishing shop, crossing our fingers they’d be the right type of worm.
worm bin. tidytipsy
worm bin. tidytipsy
I started off well, feeding them reguarly with heaps of kitchen scraps and wet newspaper. And then…I kind of forgot about them. I guess there is no excuse for neglecting animals in your care, even if they are only worms but there you go. The bin was in a hard to reach area and out of sight and the worms didn’t exactly complain about being hungry. The box never started to smell and it just sat there, through summer and fall and winter until I mustered up the courage to open it this weekend and take a peek.
Well, you can all breathe a sigh of relief if you were feeling sorry for the worms because I am happy to report they are alive and well and in the course of a year have reduced a full box of kitchen scraps to this:
worm bin. tidytipsy
Wonderful, rich compost which my tomatoes and peppers will love (and they’re still working on the egg shells apparently)! Awesome job, wormies, and I promise to feed you again and not forget you for another year!

15 thoughts on “spring!”

  1. Camberwell Gal

    Fascinating to hear about your wormery. We’ve just moved from an averagely green borough to one that can’t be bothered and I’m missing being able to compost our food waste. It would be a third less for landfill, which is such a waste of lovely potential compost that I could definitely use! I’m wondering whether worms would be the answer in our flat too.

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  2. laricci smunch

    I’m glad you’re feeling better! My tomato seedlings are about the same size as yours! What kind are they? Mine are Roma because I just want to make sauce all the time and a few Sungold cherry tomatoes.

    I did worm composting for two years, and just started up again – I love it! I keep mine outside but had them inside initially. If you get fruit flies, I learned that laying a piece of plastic (I cut out a piece of shower curtain) on top of them helps a lot.

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    1. Kristina

      Thanks for the tipp 🙂 Thankfully we didn’t get any fruit flies or anything in it yet. This year I have some small cherry tomatoes, Green Zebra and Black Pear. I like to mix and match types and colors on the balcony 🙂 I’m also doing peppers again. Do post some photos of your seedlings, I’d love to see them!

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    1. Kristina

      Yay, it’s so exciting every spring! Keeping my fingers crossed for some healthy little plants for you! What did you seed?

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      1. Basmati

        Lots of different herbs, aubergine, Black Russian tomatoes, marrow, radishes and salad leaves. Only the radish and salad leaves have come up so far, not sure if the rest are going to work! Also some sweetpeas and dahlias.

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  5. Amber

    Oh hooray to all the happy plants, and especially to the worms! I wanted to try that, but I just do not have a spare spot in my ridiculous kitchen where they wouldn’t be terrorized. Now you have me rethinking things though… 🙂

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    1. Kristina

      Thanks Amber, it’s definitely worth a try even if a box takes away a bit of space. I’ve read it’s the best compost you can possibly get for your plants and it’s so easy!

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  6. Lindsay

    I’ve heard lots of wonderful things about these red worms lately, so I’m planning to get some for our outdoor compost bin. I guess you only have to bring them in once, and they’ll stay for good.

    So glad you finally get to experience a little spring! Your photos are beautiful, and you’re making me want to set up a little light box or green house to start seeds indoors next year. I’ve tried it in the past, but we couldn’t set it up near a window in my last apartment, so our plants never thrived. It’d be worth a shot now though.

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    1. Kristina

      Lindsay, even if you start plants directly at the window the early spring sun might not be strong enough. I’ve had great success with the light box and seeing what you’ve built at home you will have no trouble making one. It’s just LED light strips (warm white) glued onto wood really. A colleague of my boyfriend soldered the ends together but I bet you could just use a continous strip as well and curve it slightly.
      Have fun with the composting, yep you only need to add the worms once, they multiply by themselves when there’s enough food!

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