Cyn's Nature Notes: Black Gold

Friday 14 January 2011

Black Gold

Today I walked round the garden, and was pleased to find one of the compost bins full of the richest black earth. It always makes me smile to see this and remember a relatively short time ago, this bin was full of vegetable peelings, torn newspaper and cardboard. Many years ago I didn't put cardboard in, then I read that the worms like it to breed in, so I started using it, since then I have seen the evidence of this with my own eyes and now use cardboard regularly.

The pleasure of turning a soggy piece of decomposing cardboard and finding a tangle of tiny early stage worms, ready to venture forth and spend the whole of their life happily eating, while at the same time being so productive for me and my garden, is pure joy.

The worms I use are called brandlings and are readily available from stores selling fishing tackle. A fisherman friend bought me my first and only tub in either 1987 or 1988, and these are their descendants. Each time the bins are emptied the worms go onto the garden to carry on their good work, when I start a new bin I take a spadeful of rotting compost from another bin to kick start the process as there are always worms in every bin.

I call my compost my black gold! It always feels like treasure.

Remember never to put any cooked food in to compost as it will attract rats.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.