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score: margaret 1, heap 0

HAS YOUR COMPOST HEAP swallowed up any of your tools, jewelry, other personal possessions? A week after my “good pair” of glasses went missing, I found them in the pile the other day, miraculously, just a second before I dumped another load of compost-to-be on top. Ever lost anything in your heap, only to find it a season later (or never)? Tell us. (Well, don’t tell us if it’s your ex or something else you composted but we shouldn’t know about. Tee hee.)

Related posts:

  1. buried treasure: some tips found in the heap
  2. in the garden and etc. with margaret
  3. frogboy mama (aka margaret) on radio
  4. margaret featured on the etsy blog!

Comments

  1. Elaine says:

    Good morning, Margaret. I ‘lost’ my very favorite pruners one year -the ones that my Mom had given me. I looked high and low for those darn pruners and couldn’t find them anywhere. A year later when I was moving my compost heap over to another spot in the yard, I found them partially buried at the very bottom of the compost. Sheesh! I felt so very foolish! Elaine – 0, heap – 1!

  2. denden8148 says:

    very similar situation…about 4 years ago i was clearing some brush on my property line. a day or 2 later i realized misplaced my favorite john lennon framed glasses. forward to spring 2007, clearing the same woodline & there in my rake was a dirty mud-caked eyeglass case, inside…my glasses!
    “instant karma!”

  3. margaret says:

    Dear Denden,
    Welcome to A Way to Garden. And thanks for confirming it’s not just me who leaves bits of herself around the garden. That’s a perfect Lennon lyric that you allude to:
    “Instant karma’s gonna get you
    Gonna knock you right on the head
    You better get yourself together…”
    I had better get myself together (or get one of those eyeglass neck straps).
    Margaret

  4. gardenboy says:

    I think that half of my tool shed is buried in the compost pile. I am hoping that I find my favorite bulb trowel there someday. I’m pretty sure that is where the sheep shears too.

  5. Terri Clark says:

    My compost story is a sadder one but a good cautionary tale none the less. We somehow had left some twine amongst some old tomato plants when they were dumped into the compost. In the sprimg, one of our beloved pugs started nosing around in the compost unbeknownst to us and ate something appealing to him. It unfortunately also contained some of the twine. He became ill and numerous tests did not reveal until a “too late” operation that the twine had caused an obstruction. My compost is our pride and joy but remember to take special precautions when tossing in the remains of the veggie garden if you have foraging pugs!
    I love your blog, Margaret, and keep it up.
    Terri

  6. margaret says:

    Welcome, Terri, to A Way to Garden.
    This is indeed a very good warning, because people too often leave a bit of non-degradable debris in the heap–a plastic plant label, a shred of plastic pot–and all of these things can be harmful to animals, both domesticated and wild. I am sorry for your loss of your dear dog, but do appreciate your reminder to be mindful. So true.
    Margaret

  7. Magdalen says:

    Potato peeler, favourite vegetable knife and a diamond ring that belonged to my mother

  8. margaret says:

    Welcome, Magdalen. Now that’s a trio of disparate items. I remember raking out back one day and my favorite ring, one I have worn on the middle finger of my left hand for more than 25 years, flew off into the leaf litter. I simply could not find it. Once I calmed down, I searched systematically, inch by inch, till I did. Phew. I do hope you will come back again and see us soon.

  9. Caroline says:

    My father was famous in our family for losing his glasses in the compost pile and finding them years later. I have high hopes that the beautiful Japanese garden scissors my sister gave me are somewhere in one of my piles…

  10. margaret says:

    Welcome, Caroline. When I am done sifting the piled-up mass, I suspect I may find many things…maybe even those scissors. Will let you know!

Comment:

The Sister Project

The Confessional

Some stuff really gets A Way to Garden-ers going. Weigh in, or just lurk while everyone else shares about these hot buttons:

Compost, Compost, Compost

I am as proud of my compost heap as I am of any part of my garden. It is the archaeological record of my garden past; it is the stuff from which future gardens will arise. I read a lot about, from sources like these: Garden Organic, a 50-year-old British charity; Journey to Forever (don’t worry, not some into-the-bunker survivalist cult); and the vast Cornell Composting archive. Dig in.

Juicy Bits

375 VISITORS, 1 BIG RHODIE: spring garden open day, in a virtual visit. How it looked, and also what they all asked about

keeping deer out DEER FENCE: I tried every potion and anti-deer trick till I finally got real and fenced. Strategies for every garden situation.

secrets to great tomatoes TOMATO TIPS, seed to harvest: Dozens of tricks for a better crop.

yes, even in dry shade MY 4 TOUGHEST GROUNDCOVERS perform even in the worst spots, like dry shade. Maybe these tough perennials will serve you as well?

5 great small trees GARDEN-SIZED TREES can’t just be the right scale; they need to have multi-season interest, too, to earn a spot here. Maybe you have room for one of my 5 favorites?

10 underplanting do’s and don’ts MAKING MOSAICS—that’s what I call good underplanting of trees and shrubs with a tapestry of plants for many months of enjoyment. Here’s how I do it.

a ribbeting bullfrog whodunit LET BULLFROGS BE BYGONES? No way. Where have all my biggest frogboys gone? The latest frog mystery explained.

stars of the spring shrubbery BEYOND LILACS (and forget forsythia!), a slideshow of some of the finest spring shrubs you may not grow (yet).

speeding up the compost DRIVE BY, HIT-AND-RUN composting is my latest craze, and speeds up the decomposition process while making good mulch quickly. Here’s how.

making a 365-day garden THINK FALL (YES, FALL): Don’t get sucked in by spring-bloomers only when nursery shopping. A great garden happens 365 days a year: Shop smart to make it so.

the facts about bulbs SOMETHING UP with a flower bulb? Paltry bloom, or wondering when to feed or cut off the foliage? It’s all here.

must-read garden poem MY FAVORITE GARDEN POEM celebrates loss, one of gardening (and life’s) realities. It does it with humor: "Why Did My Plant Die?” is a must-read.

12 steps to sanity? HELP FOR GARDENERS: Hi, my name is Margaret, and yes, we operate a 12-Step program here. Welcome.

orchid rebloom made easy I REBLOOMED MY FIRST ORCHID last year (finally!) and it turns out to be pretty easy going. Here’s how.

my seed-starting 101 WHAT ABOUT SEED-STARTING in general? The A Way to Garden method.

crispy refrigerator pickles WHAT IS IT ABOUT refrigerator pickles that makes everybody so happy? Get those cukes growing now. And then some.

hail the stewartia I LIKE PLANTS THAT EARN THEIR KEEP. By that I mean they do more than a week or two of showing off; they look good in more than a single moment, or season. The small-ish to medium trees in the genus Stewartia are a good bet if that’s the kind of multi-season interest you are looking for. Sound good?

can-do pruning REPEAT AFTER ME: I can prune. I can prune. If you follow this simple method for starters, your woody plants will thank you.

the ‘other’ peonies JUNE IS PEONY TIME, the big raucous kind of peony time, but just before that another kind of peony you might want to consider adopting does its subtler, wonderful thing.

which lilac to plant? SO MANY LILACS, so little space. Browse a glossary of some of my favorites before you shop—maybe you’ll like them, too.