Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A Question and a Poet's Garden


Okay. So I'm having fun with this composting thing and I even feel noble no longer just throwing vegetable skins, coffee filters and egg shells into the trash.

But I have a question for you composting experts. I keep reading that you can toss weeds into your compost pile, yet doesn't that mean that --when you go to use the soil next year--you'll have weed seeds galore?

I'd appreciate an answer from those-in-the-know.

And here is a garden for you. I watched the coolest PBS show on Sunday about the poet, Anne Spencer, and was inspired out of my mind. She worked in her garden for more than 70 years(!) and when she passed away, it went to seed for a few years. But then it was recreated closely to the way she had it, it's still cared for, and you can even take a tour (it's in Lynchburg, Virginia). I'm planning to copy the light aqua color of her trellis fences and use it in mine. I love that aqua against the pink roses.

Again, here are her garden pictures. Others are here. And to see inside the writing cabin her husband built for her out in her garden, go here

Oh, to have a writing cabin of my own!


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Speaking of gardens, that's my vegetable garden at the top of this post.

6 comments:

Andylynne said...

Wow,sort of new to your blog. But so glad I stopped by. I love your links to the photos of her garden and I can see why you fell in love with the color of the fence. Thank you so much for sharing.
As for composting weeds you have to make sure that all the seeds have been composted away or you will have the "added" weeds in your garden. The term well rotted means just that:) Compost is wonderful stuff. And it really cuts down on the trash. you can compost your hair, the leather parts of shoes or boots, and of course all plant materiel. I know folks who just sift out the parts of the shoes that don't compost down and throw them away.

MEME16 said...

hugs- not sure if the weeds would be a good thing- mama used to separate as much as one can and burn those annoying weeds- this was in the old days when you could do such things- she made smudge pots to keep the mosquitoes at bay while she was weeding :-)

daisymarie said...

Her garden was lovely...and that writing cottage...yes, that could inspire.

Charity Grace said...

The heat from the compost pile kills the weed seeds. Theoretically. I haven't composted in a long time.

Hazel said...

If you really let your compost pile "cook" (like you are supposed to do)you will have lovely rich soil with not a weed seed in it.

...you must be patient ☺

Anonymous said...

If the weeds haven't gone to seed yet, they won't create more weeds next year. The only exception might be purslane, which is contrary enough to create seeds even after you pull it completely out of the soil and leave it lying there. It uses its stored water and energy to create some seed before it finally dies. Purslane is edible, so you can get your revenge by eating it. ;-)

But if you make your compost pile big enough (the compost frame is the right size) and turn it or "fluff" it occasionally to make sure oxygen can get in (and keep it moist), it will heat up nicely and kill any seeds.