Build an inexpensive compost bin for red worms and get started on basic vermicomposting!

 

What is Vermicomposting?

 

"Vermicomposting is the process where red worms and micro organisms break down rotting food such as breads, banana peels, coffee grounds, paper products,  (anything but meat and oil) and transform it into rich, compost soil for your garden!"

 

Do you want to put your leftover food to work and save money on buying compost for your garden?

It's easy and doesn't require a demanding time commitment or a lot of money to get started.

 

How Do Red Worms Create Compost?

 

It's a comlicated process which I will simplify for you:

 

The red worms live in a compost bin where microorganisms are plentiful.

They  dedicate themselves to eating rotting food, multiplying and excreting  "vermicastings."

Watch Video: "How to Make a Vermicomposting Box: Gardens of the Rich and Famous"

 

In this video, "How to Build a Vermicomposting Bin: Gardens of the Rich and Famous,"  I instruct a couple of  new gardeners, Ari and Emma how to create their own vermicomposting bin using paint buckets.

 

NEWS: 

I appear as the garden expert in a new web series called, "Gardens of the Rich and Famous" on the Digs Channel on YouTube.

Although the show is actually a comedy and not a traditional garden show,  you will take away a valuable "garden 101" tip  from me in each video!

Please subscribe to be notified each time a new video is posted!

 

Materials for Building a Compost Box for Worms

These are the materials I used in my video tutorial:

• Two, 5-gallon paint buckets with plastic cover (one bucket will be placed inside the other)
• A powered drill with 1/4" bit
• Shredded newspaper
• Rotting fruit, vegetables, bread, coffee and tea grounds
• Red Wiggler worms (these are the best type of worms to use for vermicomposting)
• Watering can

 

Steps for Building a Compost Box for Worms

Prepare the buckets!

 

1. Drill holes on the bottom of bucket that will be nested inside the other bucket using 1/4 inch drill bit to provide drainage for liquids and water.

When excess water drips out of this bucket, it will be caught in the bottom of second bucket and can be used as "liquid tea" for watering plants.

 

 

Holes should be 1/2 inch apart at bottom of bucket to release excess water.

The worms may crawl out but this is not likely.

Add a fine mesh cloth at bottom of bucket if it is a problem.

 

 

Add more holes below the bucket rim for aeration.

Add holes all the way around.

Your worms need oxygen too!

 

 

2. Nest the bucket that has holes into the second bucket that will act as a resevoir to hold excess liquid.

 

 

3. Add shredded newspaper to the bottom of your compost bucket

The newspaper will function as bedding for your red wigglers and should be fluffy and not compacted down, even after watering.

Many newspaper publishers use soy ink these days which is non toxic, but don't use the glossy paper or colored advertising circulers.

 

 

4. Water the newspaper to a "wet rag" consistency.

The newspaper should not be soaking wet as this causes the paper to compact and reduces air circulation for the worms.

 

 

5. Add rotting pieces of food to bin.

You have a wide assortment of foods that you can add to your worm compost bin but avoid meat, butter, and greasy food at all costs!

Oil and protein do not break down easily and you will attract rats and other vermin to your compost bin.

Yuck!

 

Be a mensch and cut your food into small pieces so that the worms can digest it easiser.

They have tiny mouths, as you can imagine, and a huge appetite.

Red wigglers in captivity will eat double their weight in food.

They channel their energy for eating and reproducing!

 

Get ready for worm population explosion in your compost bin- which is a good thing.

More worms, more poop!!

 

 

6. Add coffee or tea grounds!

Make friends with the local barista and ask for their used coffee grounds.

Coffee grounds contribute a source of nitrogen and acidity to the compost.

Don't worry if you don't remove the paper filter- the worms will eat that too.

 

 

7. Add a final layer of newspaper and water it

As a top layer, I like to hide my food under a final layer of moist newspaper.

This gives my red worms a landing pad when I throw them in and the opportunity to dive and explore their new home.

The newspaper also obscures light coming from the top of the bucket (white lid) and maintains a dark environment which is ideal for the worms.

 

8. Add the worms!

Some people prefer to wait a week or two after preparing the worm compost bucket to give the food an opportunity to rot and time for micro organisms to multiply.

I add them immediately!

No problem so far.

 

You will need approximately one pound of red wiggler worms for each pound of food in your composter.

Great deals can be had online or at your local garden center.

I spent $15 for one pound of worms and I expect them to double in population in 60 to 90 days!

 

 

9. Add your bucket cover and place your new vermicomposting bin in a sheltered area where it doesn't recieve direct sun.

We are not baking our worms!

Ideal temperatures range from 38 degrees to 85 degrees.

If you don't mind, you can place your compost bin indoors in a kitchen cupboard, utility room or garage.

 

10. Keep your worms fed!

The first few weeks of vermicomposting will be your discovery period.

Check your bin every few days to inspect the food consumption and assess how often you will need to feed your worms.

A good idea is to feed weekly and set the food in different places underneath your top layer of newspaper.

You don't want to concentrate the food in one area, let them explore!

If you need more paper, add moistened paper to your bin and fluff it so that worms can move around it.

 

Use Your Worm Castings in the Garden!

Within a few months, your worms will delight you with a supply of fresh compost soil that you can apply to container gardens and landscape plants!

Once you experience the joy of creating your own compost, you will be hooked!

 

 

Tips for Worm Composting

1. Use an opaque colored bucket or bin to keep the inside of your bin dark. Your worms require it!
2. Make sure the compost bin is always moist but never soaking wet.
3. Add a little prepared compost or grit to your food mix for extra roughage. Yes, worms need fiber too!
4. Harvest your worms from the finished compost by luring them to one area of the compost bin with new food. As they gather around the food, they will abandon the clean compost areas so that you can collect it and use in your garden!

 

Shirley with Ari and Emma of the Digs Channel show, "Gardens of the Rich and Famous"- a comedy web series with gardening undertones!

 

Good luck with your worm composting project!

Please leave me your questions and comments below so that I can answer them for you.

 

If this article has been useful to you, please share with a friend on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest!

EdenMakers Blog is your fun source for garden makeovers,  edible garden design, container garden ideas, lawn less landscapes and gardening news!

Subscribe to EdenMakers Blog and my new show, "Gardens of the Rich and Famous" on the Digs Channel on YouTube!

 

See you soon.

Shirley

 

 

 

Tree Box Holiday Planter 

Most people who plant large trees purchase them in wood box containers.

You can find discarded tree boxes in dumpsters sitting in front of newly planted yards or piling up at a contractors yard.

Such a shame!

 

Once a person plants their tree, they look for a way to dispose of the large planters.  

I'll take them, and you should too.

 

Re-purpose wood containers as holiday planters, like this creative design I saw at the Renaissance Esmerelda Hotel in Palm Desert!

This design caught my eye and is easy to duplicate.  

 

Holiday planters can be expensive, especially one this size.

If you notice a neighbor doing a landscape project, ask them if you can have a couple of their tree boxes.  

 

This scrap wood  tree box container takes on a new life as a silver holiday planter.

 

Tree branches are also re-purposed as a sculptural tree.

See what a little  spray paint can do!

 

Tree Boxes as Raised Vegetable Planters!

Another idea for using tree boxes in the garden is to plant them with vegetables.

Tree boxes make fantastic raised garden beds.

Watch what my friend and landscape designer, Marilee Kuhlman did with hers.

 

  

For more ideas about creative garden container designs, subscribe to my blog, Eden Makers!

Would you believe after 4 years of blogging, I have my first guest blogger?

It so happens that I've  been thinking about writing about outdoor wood selection for some time now and then I met Hazel Jennings, writer for the CedarStore.com.

Hazel writes about wood for a living!

 

So Hazel and I agreed to "guest blog" on each other's blog site and I asked her to give us some information about wood quality as it relates to selecting outdoor furniture.

I've been busy working on some exciting garden media projects for all of you, so a big "Thank you" to Hazel for helping me out!

*This is not a "paid advertorial," (though I could use the money big time!), so take advantage of this useful information.

 

Which Wood Would You Choose?

When looking for outdoor furniture, its hard not to just consider aesthetics.

I love half the clothes coming down this seasons hottest runways, but the majority of them wouldn't be a good fit for me or my lifestyle, right?

Though the size, color, and design of your patio sets should reflect your personality, you also want to make sure the material will suit your needs as well.

Whether those needs are related to budget, sustainability, weather conditions, or durability, every material used for outdoor furniture has its ups and downs.

It's  good to know the facts before getting lost in the nearly endless varieties of outdoor furniture!

 

 

Western Red Cedar:

As a writer for Cedarstore.com you can imagine that I know A LOT about cedar!

The two aspects that cedar is most famous for are its aroma and resistance to decay.

The naturally lustrous wood is warm with that rich reddish hue, and the subtly aromatic qualities fill any space it's used in with a rustic and homey feel.

Cedar is also filled with naturally occurring oils that act as preservatives against both decay and insect attack.

Plus, it's environmentally friendly, as for each cedar tree that is used for our outdoor furnishing, five more are planted!

 

I'm trying very hard not to make this sound like a late night info-mercial, though I just can't resist- But Wait! There's  More!

Western Red Cedar is also an incredibly affordable material.

Though it's rich in aroma, color, and natural protective oils you don't have to be rich to enjoy it.

 

But, artists beware, if you're hoping to paint your furniture or structures in anyway, cedar is not a good choice.

It resists paint the same way it resists moisture and becomes incredibly difficult to paint.

 

Southern Yellow Pine

Pine is one of the most affordable woods out there: if budget is your main concern, pine may be the best bet for you!

It's also much easier to paint than Red Cedar, so people looking to add their own color and decorative painting to their furniture would find pine to be a great option.

Unfortunately, it lacks the weather-durability of many other woods.

 

Though structurally incredibly sturdy, it is very susceptible to decay and damage.

However, a pressure treatment process creates Pressure Treated Pine that boasts a 30 year warranty against rot, decay, and insect damage.

 

Grade A Teak

Teak is "grade A"  if the tree has reached full maturity to provide the best quality wood.

This process takes over 30 years, and only a few countries are able to export this fine and rare wood.

Teak, once its achieved Grade A status, is one of the strongest woods available.

 

Teak is absolutely the best hardwood used to manufacture outdoor furniture because it is dense with a tight grain, durable, and has a high content of natural mineral deposits that effectively repel water and moisture.

It will absolutely not warp or decay due to changes in temperatures.

Because this wood takes so long to become so great,  it will cost you.

It is absolutely the best, and it is absolutely the most expensive.

 

Though, like other expensive products, it will last much longer than other materials and would be worth the price of not having to replace it in several years.

But, if you're  designing on a tight budget,  you might want to look elsewhere.

 

Polywood

If you've made the important and honorable commitment to a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, look no further than Polywood outdoor furniture.

Polywood isn't even actually wood! It's engineered from polyresins, recycled plastics, and high density polyethylene, and then crafted to look and feel like real wood.

Made completely of recycled materials, you will absolutely be doing your part to help the earth by using this material.

 

Plus, even though it looks, feels, and acts like real wood, it's not.

It requires barely any maintenance at all and will endure all weather conditions.

It's green and low maintenance, but if you're  someone looking for real, through-and-through wood, don't be fooled by its appearance!

Well, these are the top four competitors for top spot in outdoor furniture materials.

 

There are a lot of other materials out there, but hopefully knowing a little more about four of the most popular will help you make a more informed decision when you're shopping for this spring's  outdoor decor.

 

Just like anything, what type of wood is best for you is completely dependent on your lifestyle, budget, and desired uses,

So, there's no way for me to tell you exactly what to buy (besides, wouldn't that take all of the fun out of it?), but at least now you can go into the decision as an expert!

 

Hazel Jennings is the in-house writer and social media manager for CedarStore.com.

As someone more likely to be caught enjoying the outdoors than anywhere else, she loves working with, learning and talking about, as well as writing on the furniture and structures that pull families away from their televisions and out into nature.

 

 

Hazel has a passion for the environment and thinks all great design should work with and reflect the beautiful outdoors.

CedarStore.com is a family of five websites specializing in outdoor furniture and structures.

Offering a wide variety of top quality and handcrafted pieces, CedarStore.com, GazeboCreations.com, AllPicnicTables.com, TeakDesigns.com and DesignerBridges.com can boast the absolute authority on both their products and their ideal uses.

A team of customer service representatives and professional project advisors are always on hand to help guide you through selections, decisions, and in the case of our structures: design, customization, and installation.

As experts in the field, CedarStore.com writes a well-read blog, AllOutdoorPatioFurniture.com, to help outdoor enthusiasts and gardeners design their gardens, lawns, and patios to suit their needs.

 

With five websites and a blog packed full of useful and applicable information, CedarStore.com is not only passionate about their high grade products, but making sure everyone can get the most out of their outdoor spaces as possible!

To learn more: visit CedarStore.com, AllOutdoorPatioFurniture.com, Follow them on twitter with @CedarStore, or, of course, simply call them up at 1.888.293.2339.

I have to share my latest plant score!

 

I was shopping at a Ralphs Super Market in Southern California and came across a lush display of over-sized Boston Ferns.

I couldn’t believe the price tag when I read it: $9.99

Ten dollars for this massive display of greenery?

 

I asked the greenhouse manager at this particular Ralphs and she said that the fern grower was “blowing them out” because they grew more than the could sell.

She also offered this tidbit of advice:

Look for the “bargain corners” in your supermarkets after a major holiday.

You will find “holiday plants” discounted anywhere from 15 to 25% the next day!

If the clearance supply does not move, plants are reduced to up to 50 or 75% off until they sell.

 

 

(This is not the case in every market but it is worth a look!).

WowOWow.com is a Web site for women  run and written by  a list of “who’s who”  in journalism and media, including Liz Smith, Joni Evans, Mary Wells and Lesley Stahl.

Aimed at women over 40, (I barely qualified), wowOwow features articles of interest to the “well educated and sophisticated woman reader.”

News, culture, politics, entertainment, style, opinion and gardening!

They really have a winning formula.

You can imagine how excited I was  when I was asked to contribute some gardening advice on a special post for  wowOwow titled, “ Gardening Bloggers on Wow.”

“Eden Maker” Shirley Bovshow dishes gardening tips at wowOwow!

I was one of seven, “renowned gardening bloggers  who answered  wowOwow’s most digging questions.”

1. What’s your No. 1 gardening tip?

2. What is the biggest mistake gardeners make (that they don’t know they’re making)?

3. What are recession-friendly ways to enhance your home’s curb appeal?

4. What are your seasonal tips for summer, fall, winter and spring?

5. What is the best way to have a healthy “green” garden?

6. What are some fool-proof flora you can grow — even without a green thumb or time?

7. Does organic gardening have to be expensive?

Who were the other six gardening experts that were polled?

Some of my favorite gardening bloggers!

Susan Harris representing the Washington DC area , blogging at GardenRant and Sustainable Gardening and many other informative sites

Pam Penick, the popular and talented garden designer and blogger  from Texas who blogs at  Digging

Patricia Blais of  Gardensablaze.com from Birmingham, Alabama

Cynthia Thompson from the Pacific Northwest and blogger at Brambleberries in the Rain

Jennifer L.Scott who is new to the garden blogging world, but not to gardening, blogs at Gardening With Miss Daisy.

Jessica Harwood, a biology professor and avid gardener from South Carolina who blogs at thegardenblog/blogspot

Let’s support wowOwow for including gardening in their roster of important and worthwhile topics and for understanding that useful gardening advice is regional.

Visit wowOwow’s Home & Gardening forum and let them know how much you enjoyed hearing from your gardening bloggers!

Utility meters are uninvited guests in a garden.

Many times, these metal monstrosities are installed in front yards in prime locations, creating an eyesore and design challenge for the homeowner.

I came across a fast and inexpensive solution for screening an ugly view such as the above in front of a hotel in Pismo Beach, California.

Constructed with lodgepoles and heavy duty galvanized wire, the humble system serves as an impromptu support for a “living screen” vine.

The beauty of this “instant screen” is that it doesn’t require any construction  and can be put up in 5 minutes!

Lodgepoles are spaced 4-feet apart and eyebolts are inserted to hold the wire taut.

Pressure treated wood lodgepoles are available at your local nursery or landscape center and come in lengths ranging from 5 feet to 12 feet tall. They only cost  a few dollars each making them an affordable alternative to lumber.

My advice is to use tall poles and bury them a few feet deep for more sure support. The poles in the photo have a finished height of 6 feet.

Vines can be planted at the foot of each post or centered in between them. Regular trimming assures that the vine doesn’t outgrow and burden the fence with heavy growth.

The colorful blooms and glossy foliage of the evergreen trumpet vine assures a beautiful screen, year-round.

 

My presentation on the “Beautiful Edible Garden” at  Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival was a hit last week in Florida!

After a detailed 45-minute presentation, my audiences stuck around for another 30 minutes or so to take photos of the  demonstration gardens.

 

 

 

 

What a compliment.

 

Shirley giving away Baker Heirloom Seeds

 

Some of the biggest hits were edible garden containers that we found at the local dollar store and repurposed as planters!

 

Take a look.

 

$1 Garden Containers!

 This is an onion rack repurposed as a hanging herb planter!  $1

 

Another hanging delight, fresh herbs are planted in a  $1 wreath frame.

Packed in moss and lightweight soil, the wreath maintains a neat appearance through occasional herb harvesting.

Make sure you hang this one where the sun DOES shine!

 

Kitchen colander $1 already has drain holes!

 

I’m sure you can find an unused colander in your kitchen cabinet or at the dollar store to transform into a countertop salad garden!

Just add soil and plants.

The drainage is built in!

 

 

 

This “Strawberry Tower” from the Bruce Post Company is one of my favorite finds for the garden!

The Strawberry Tower is made of rot-resistant western red cedar wood, is pyramid shaped with four planting sides, and comes in four and six foot tall models.

I like it because it offers excellent drainage for the berries, makes good use of vertical space and is a gorgeous addition to the garden or patio!

 

 Pre-seeded planting mats by Ambers Garden

 

Do you want a delicious edible garden but hate to dig or are short on time?

Would you believe that within this pre-seeded  mesh is a future salad garden?

 

“Amber’s Garden” is the brainchild of Connie Henderson and is available at your local garden center.

Check out what happens when you put this mesh on prepared soil and add water.

 

 

 

Five weeks later…a delicious and mixed “salad garden!”

I tasted these greens and can attest that Amber’s Garden salad is great-tasting and an option for the harried gardener or anyone with limited physical abilities.

No digging and no kidding!

 

Amber’s also offers a “Salsa Garden,” as well as an herb garden, pumpkin, gourd and other collections.

 

 

Watch the interview with Amber’s Garden creator, Connie Henderson.

I love this product so much, I HAD to present it at Epcot!

 

 

Once I had the audience fired up about creating their own edible edens, I sent them home with a Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company newspaper and free seeds!

Baker Creek graciously supplied enough heirloom seed packets for me to give away to all my attendees.

Thanks Baker Creek!

 

 

 

You should have been there.

Maybe next year!