That little bit Greener

I have joined Rachel and Emma in a new blog adventure... They have joined together and have started "That little bit greener" every other Wednesday I will do a post to share something I have hopefully done that makes me a little greener or share a tip or fact that will help us all live on this planet in a simpler friendlier way...

Today's post is to lay the foundation stone of how we try to live greener at the moment...
We do all the usual things we just bought a trailer and we do a monthly run to the recycling center with paper, card, plastics, garden waste, wood and appliances etc we usually call around to my parents and mums friends and collect any large items or recycling that they may have about the place at the time... which is no mean feat as they live in Yeovil and the speed bumps and road system is not the easiest with a trailer... the previous owners had a key meter and we never had it removed, we use about £30 of electric a month and have energy saving bulbs everywhere... I know we pay a premium for a key meter but EDF are quite good, plus as there is no gas in the village we use electric for everything...

Tins and bottles are collected from the curb, I have to admit I have not been to good at recycling food wastes... but I have just cleared a corner of my kitchen to accommodate a food waste bin so I will endeavour to retrain the family to scrape wastes into the food waste bin...

Our village is not large enough to warrant green garden waste bins so we bag up our grass and hedge cuttings and take them to the recycling center... I do have a compost heap but the grass cuttings have been over running the heap a little...

A local villager had a trailer and put a flyer through doors offering a recycling pick up for locals for 50p to a £1 per load and we have a lot of elderly people who just can't get travel the 5 and a half miles to the recycling center in Yeovil, unfortunately a neighbour has reported him for it and he has been given a fine of £152 for not having a waste carriers license..

So my first tip is if you do collect waste for friends, family and neighbours don't charge them for it.... get them to buy you a gift or do something for you that you will find useful, barter a service for a service... you take their waste they give you some home grown veg or fruit etc

I have 2 young apple trees and a Victoria plum tree and to be honest I am usually at a loss for what to do with them... My neighbours either side have plum and apple trees and I watch the fruit rot on the branches... its such a shame... mind you we have very happy birds and wasps in this neck of the woods! ;D

We are in the process of removing an old asbestos garage and taking up the previous owners tons of concrete that he poured all over the top end of our garden, the lower end of our garden that is suppose to be lawn is full predominantly with buttercups, moss and Mares tail... which I have read is practically impossible to get rid of as the roots go many feet down... so I am now wondering whether to start my veg patch nearer the house on the soon to be reclaimed land...

I also have to get through the mental barrier of the picking fruit and veg and preparing it and eating it... it seems very strange to grow food and eat rather than pick it up of a shelf and bring it home... I am getting there but it has been a very weird experience so far...

I think it would be good for my children to see fruit and veg being grown and I am looking forward to the challenge of adding another job to my busy schedule... but if I can go out and pick some salad and beans and have a meal from my garden that has to be worth the effort... surely!

I would love some recipes though and techniques on how to pickle and bottle fruit and veg so that we can still enjoy them during the winter, I am also putting a freezer on my wish list ( we still haven't bought one since we moved in 3 years ago..!) so that I can blanch and freeze veg for later use...

I look forward to reading any hints and tips you might have

Take care
Alex
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