Turning Your Neighborhood into a Pumpkinhood

Pile on the Pounds! Start a Pumpkin Compost Collection in Your Neighborhood

Memories Run Deep!

  I have a confession, for the past 57 years I have an unwavering love affair with members of the Gourd Clan. Not one family member in particular rather the whole tribe: miniature fellows, tuba sized guys, cast iron griddle shaped grannies, round, oblong, bumpy, gnarly pepons! Pepon, or large melons is the Greek word for what we affectionately refer to as pumpkins. 
  

Pumpkin Recycling

Why Bother Composting Pumpkins?

Pumpkin Recycling 2013

  For the past three years I have posted a Recycle Pumpkins sign on our front lawn, at first my neighbors were a bit puzzled. Why would she want our old pumpkins? They now have a better understanding what all the fuss is about. 

   To say that I am passionate about collecting one of  North America's native squashes is an understatement. I do however have several good reasons to do so. The first: Potassium, Phosphorous and Nitrogen. When pumpkins are no longer illuminated by lively little candles they begin to decay and wither away; that is when the "dance" begins"! Microorganisms transform our Halloween delights into useable nutrients for our soil then ultimately our plants. 

Will a Pint Sized Hugelkultur Bed Get the Job Done?

Creating Better Soil - Experimenting with a Miniature Hugelkultur

 

Starting small with a new concept

I garden pretty much the same way that I bake; a little of this a little of that. My family knows better than to ask me for a recipe, their chances of getting something specific are slim to none. Ask any of them about the Green Pepper Pancakes experiment. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I decided to build my first hugelkultur bed in the same fashion in which I bake.

It was Resourceful Before Recycling

       Old Traditions  New Technology

Roger's Adventures - 1948

 

Don't worry about it there is plenty: plenty of gas, plenty of fresh water, plenty of time, trees, paper. We realize all too well that this is no longer the case. As consumers/citizens we are aware of the fact that our resources are not endless, there is indeed a finite supply to all that we treasure.

Although it has been too many years to recall his name or any distinguishable features, I do remember with great clarity comments my Environmental Science professor made back in 1979. "There is not enough for everyone." Meaning our natural resources, he was also implying that there was not enough for the world's population to experience the same level of existence that we were enjoying. As young college students we weren't living an especially lavish lifestyle; I felt fortunate to have food, shelter and great trails to explore.

Coffee or Alpaca Beans

 Composting 

Last January I had the opportunity to attend, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens Sustainability Symposium, it was day well spent listening to speakers suggesting ways we can improve our health, lives, soil and communities. I always come away from programs like these contemplating how can I put this "classroom" knowledge into practice.

One of the comments that was made by the guest speaker was, we should drink 6 cups of coffee a day. Wow that is a lot of coffee. If he had realized that I was in the audience he would have pointed his finger at "the old lady in the funky pink running shoes" and mentioned that more is not always better.


The only thing that crossed my mind is how beneficial those grounds would be, to both my compost pile and the soil in my market plants. I could drink more coffee, but that didn't seem wise. So the question was how to obtain more grounds?