humus

hu·mus (n) In soil science, humus refers to any organic matter that has reached a point of stability, where it will break down no further. In agriculture, humus is the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant and vegetable material by soil microorganisms.

We are a veritable worm factory these days! As Travis and I worked the compost pile, we found a stash of old straw from the chicken coop that was a mad house of red wiggler worms. I squatted low for a moment, and observed the silent, pervasive movement in every direction.

Apartment living was tough right after moving out of my parent's house, we have been composting for so long, it feel downright wrong to throw vegetable scraps into the garbage. I hear rumblings of testing compost collection in the city, hopefully that becomes available for people who don't have the space for a big pile of dirt.

Portland also provides many community gardens for apartment dwellers to get out and garden in the city. I recently read about some studies confirming the endorhpin boosting chemicals in dirt. Pretty much exactly what my mother has been saying for years... The article on Huffington Post puts it perfectly: "Have you ever seen an unhappy earthworm?"



We have found many a gigantic grandaddy worm,  which we should probably leave in the yard to propagate. But with the plethora of wormy friends, we can't help but indulge our hungry hens.



With all this dirt piling up, we decided to dig in and turn a couple mud pits into garden beds. The apple tree provides alot of shade in the backyard, which is perfect for an herb garden.


Planted: oregano, thyme, cilantro, dill, basil, wildflowers, cuban oregano, nasturtium. After the wildflowers come up I plant to transplant them into blank spots in the yard, and plant more herbs! Any favorites??