Building Compost Bins – out of bits and bobs

Compost Pile – in the beginning, it was a heap.

When we first moved to our new home* in France, there were a few obvious projects that attracted out attention – the vegetable garden (maximising its space and putting in a mini-vineyard) and the compost heap. Literally. It was a heap.

Chickens in the Vineyard

We have a little vineyard of 90 Chardonnay vines in the midst of our vegetable garden. They are in their second year, which means next year we should get grapes and make some wine. It takes 3 to 5 years for vines to mature enough to be able to start making wine.  In a very productive year you can get up to 2 bottles of wine out of a vine, but generally it’s 1 and a little more.

I was weeding and tucking in the vines the other day and the chickens, along with Maggie Duckling, decided they needed to help me. I can’t say they managed that much weeding, although Maggie ate quite a few of them, but they did enjoy following after me and finding the bugs unveiled as I removed the weeds.

The Cockerel amongst the berries

The chickens help in the vines

Pumpjack surveying his domain

Gertie finds some great bugs

Maggie weeding the vines. Read more about Maggie

Pumpjack and PIddlewick look after the vines