Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wheelie bin Compost bins


I just received two Black wheelie bins from Australian Waste Management. They are selling them for about $44 each brand new - you have to add $35 for delivery which I thought was reasonable. If you buy them brand new, you can choose the color and I wanted black. Because Black is Beautiful - and also the right color for compost bins.

Its cheaper if you buy the seconds or the used bins -but you don't get a choice of colors, just what is available on stock.

My local hardware store is selling them for $90 each - not including delivery.

My plan is to use them to make "compost tea", a weed and seed killer. :D

My garden has tons of weeds now. Throwing them into the traditional compost bins helps to kill some of the seeds - but enough of them survive the composting process and will germinate when I use the compost in my garden.

The end result - more weeds.

I really hate weeds. And because of their hardy nature - we end up throwing them away in the council garden trash bins. Which is a pity because we're throwing away a lot of good nutrients and also soil trapped in the weeds. Sometimes we get so many weeds that we run out of space in the compost bins and council bins to dispose of them. The feeling of being overwhelmed by weeds is pretty horrible - probably much the same as that sinking feeling the British colonial troops had when they were being overrun by Zulu imps. haha.

Enter the "compost tea" bin. What you do is to throw the weeds, seeds and all into the bin - then fill it with grey water, rain water etc... After 3 months, everything in the bins rots and turns into putrid waste, hopefully including the blasted clover seeds.

Because of the foul smell, you had better place the bins in a corner of the garden which is secluded. If the smell does really bother you I guess you could gladwrap the opening.

I'm placing them near my traditional compost bins for easy access.

Some people have recommended using a plastic bag to hold the weeds and water - that might be good for small gardens but for bigger gardens like mine I think I'd prefer something more robust.

Size matters!! I chose a smaller size 140litres instead of the 240litres for easy handling. The 240 litre bins once full or even partially full would be very hard to move around. Trying to scoop out the waste of the larger bin would also be problematic; I don't wish to risk falling inside the darn thing!!!

I actually wanted the larger bin because size for size, it was cheaper. But if it may prove to be a hassle to use, what's the point? The tool has to fit the job.

You can use the waste water, diluted of course, and pour it on your garden. Don't use it indoors because of the odor. I think I'll probably just add it to my aerobic bins and open compost bins.

In case you are wondering I have a fairly large garden for a surburan home, roughly about 2,000 sq feet.

I have two council garden waste bins. (330litres),

two aerobic "darlek" type of bins (800litres),

one open compost bins (probably 2000 litres if filled to capacity),

and now two 140litre black wheelie bins which I intend to use as compost tea bins.

Somehow it feels like Christmas!!!

(update1: I removed the dead weeds in the container - and it stank like raw sewage - see explanation in the following post)

update 2
I finally managed to take out the waste from one of the bins - I threw most of it into one of the dalak bins and the rest I diluted and spread it onto my garden. The tomato plant seems to like it. Looks like most of the seeds are dead but its a bit hard to say until after we experience one whole year.

I found that I had to modify the hose section of the Bunnings plastic watering containers- drilling them out to make them bigger, too much crud was getting stuck.

It still stinks alright. But after a couple of days the smell goes away.

I highly recommend using old clothes and full length rubber gloves and a hat when handling the crap.

Postscript - 23 April 2013
Its been over 2 years since I started the project and to that I've added 2 more black bins.

The good news is that it seems most of the weed seeds do get taken out by soaking them in water for over 1 - 2 years. The bad news is that it looks like some of the very small oxalis bulbs are actually surviving the process. I checked on my number 2 bin - emptying out the contents - and to my horror I found small little oxalis bulbs floating on the surface. I'm not sure whether they were introduced earlier in the season - as I have not been very stringent in making sure that no new weeds get reintroduced into the brewing cycle once started.

I think a good solution would be to apply the tea to areas of the garden where it would be easy to control the oxalis should it grow from bulb again.

Other solutions please look here:

http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/goldengategardener/article/Nipping-oxalis-in-the-bulbs-is-key-to-control-2570258.php

The other thing that I should mention is that if too much heavy material - esp. weeded soil - gets added to the bins - this could cause the material to not compact. In other words the tea becomes too dense - more cake than tea. This makes it extremely difficult and dangerous to try and move the bins around - they are simply too heavy and could pose a danger to the gardener.

Another solution to preventing the weed seeds from germinating is to sieve it out. You get a pail - cut a hole - you place an old tee shirt to act as a sieve - and pour the crap from the bins into that pail. The waste water will leak out - just place it in the area of garden that you want to fertilize and leave it there. Dilute the mix with water if you think the brew is too strong.
 

Change of focus

I'm changing the focus of my blog - devoting it to my garden here in Melbourne. Its fairly large - roughly 1800 sq feet.

When we first got here over 20 years ago it had gum trees, ivy, and ferns. We removed the lot.

We have since planted the roses, crocus, bluestone walls and steps, ornamental trees, bulbs like tulips and ranunculus.

Ah yes, my ranunculus flowers. They are a stunning sight.

I plan to grow them back next year in 2012.

Gardening is a love hate relationship with me. There is often so much to do. The combination of sunny winter weather and wet rain cause the weeds to multiply in the millions. Its a hard slog to remove them all.

In my respects, the garden is also a spiritual metaphor. Is it no surprise that God gave Adam a garden as his first care of duty? Gardening was man's first job.

It gives me great pleasure to see the final product but the journey there is hard and arduous.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Change of focus

I'm changing the focus of my blog - devoting it to my garden here in Melbourne. Its fairly large - roughly 1800 sq feet.

When we first got here over 20 years ago it had gum trees, ivy, and ferns. We removed the lot.

We have since planted the roses, crocus, bluestone walls and steps, ornamental trees, bulbs like tulips and ranunculus.

Ah yes, my ranunculus flowers. They are a stunning sight.

I plan to grow them back next year in 2012.

Gardening is a love hate relationship with me. There is often so much to do. The combination of sunny winter weather and wet rain cause the weeds to multiply in the millions. Its a hard slog to remove them all.

In my respects, the garden is also a spiritual metaphor. Is it no surprise that God gave Adam a garden as his first care of duty? Gardening was man's first job.

It gives me great pleasure to see the final product but the journey there is hard and arduous.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Chiam See Tong and 300 Spartans: Some thoughts on the SG Election 2011

Any error found in this essay is unintended and not malicious. Sources have been gleaned from Wikipedia and personal notes. 
The Singapore 2011 General election follows in the shadow of the Opposition's historic win 20 years ago, back in 1991 when 4 Opposition MPs were elected to Parliament. Three of them were from the SDP which was led by Chiam See Tong which enabled CST to actually form a working Parliamentary Opposition for the first time since the 1960s.

Chiam had proposed a non-confrontational style to the Opposition movement. Unlike JB Jeyaretnam, he believed in a thoughtful considerate (gentlemanly) approach to taking on the Ruling Party. It made common sense, most Singaporeans acknowledged the good that the PAP had achieved - public housing/transportation, and social + economic stability. To aggressively hammer and criticize the government at every point and turn would reduce the effectiveness of the tiny minority voice of the Opposition. Eventually, Jeyaretnam paid the price and was ejected from Parliament.

Chiam on the other hand stayed the course and even won the respect of the Old Man himself who on occasion would seek his opinion on policy. Maybe its because he was assured that he would receive an independent rational response. PAP Ministers and MPs were bemused to see LKY summoning CST - only to receive the laconic response that he'll talk to the Founder of Modern Singapore after he got his coffee!!! Chiam's straight talk, coupled with his lack of fear, un-cowed nor overawed by the most august leader - gained CST a level of influence not realized by other Opposition voices or even some PAP MPs.

As it is, Chiam See Tong has lost his place in Parliament, neither was his wife able to retain the Potong Pasir seat. A lot of Singaporeans are upset but I don't see it as a zero-sum game, ie. "PAP won, Chiam See Tong/Lina/ Potong Pasir residents/democracy :) lose".

2480 years ago, when King Leonides and 300 Spartans (+Thespians allies  etc) dared to hold the Thermopylae pass against a million strong Persian Army - it wasn't to "win" - to defeat the entire Persian Army. The point was to hold off the enemy to buy time for the Greeks - Athenians, Spartans etc.. to mobilize their armies. That Leonides' small band of troops could stave off an enemy army vastly stronger in numbers - for even a day, eventually three full days (before being overwhelmed), was a god-like miracle.

The delay was a strategic disaster for the Persians, a shameful humiliation. Xerxes was so furious he had the Greek king's corpse ritually mutilated. Nonetheless, the battle put an awful dread into the Persian heart for if a handful of Spartan soldiers could hold them off for 3 days what more the entire Greek Army?

Today Leonides' and his 300 Spartans are remembered not for being annihilated but for their bravery and for their honorable, incredible fight against overwhelmingly odds. That in itself was the ultimate victory, celebrated to this day, for which they have gained eternal fame and glory.

So what if "Aunty Lina" lost Potong Pasir? That a relatively unknown housewife (an "aunty") could audaciously fight a three time PAP contender- who was promising millions of dollars in incentives - and lose by a mere 114 votes (0.72%) - is victory enough.

We also have to bear in mind the herculean fact that Chiam See Tong held the seat for 27 years against a supremely stronger opponent!!! And the political scene back then was considerably more harsher with situations like "The Marxist Conspiracy", "Operation Cold Storage" slamming into the news headlines. Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, was still under detention without trial under the ISA. That was the political climate back then.

Despite the PAP threats, cojoling, and recriminations, the people of Potong Pasir kept on voting for their "Mr Chiam". Who would have thought that Singaporeans who are said to be materialistic, self-centered etc.. would reject  the promises for HDB property up-grading, better amenities, and other public services in favor for what exactly?

Chiam even fought off Mah Bow Tan's electoral bid which perhaps caused the PAP not a small amount of consternation as they did not field another high flyer candidate in that seat ever again.

When the SDP won 3 seats in the 1991 GE. Chiam See Tong was riding high. For the first time since the 1960s, there could, be a working Parliamentary Opposition - 3 SDP, 1 WP. It was very small but it all looked very promising.

Then came an Ephialtes moment, in 1993 Chiam faced a revolt against his own leadership in the SDP - apparently led by his own protégé. There was even a serious attempt to expel Chiam from the SDP which was confounded due to a legal technicality. If it had succeeded, he would have had to stand down from his seat in Potong Pasir. Since the next election was sometime away (1997) perhaps someone from the SDP hoped to take over Chiam's Parliamentary seat? A terrible thought indeed.

Its one thing to be thrown out of your seat by the PAP, its quite another to be thrown out by members of your own political party. Imagine the horror if the PAP expelled Lee Kuan Yew from the PAP (and Parliament) because of remarks he had made. !!! This bitter infighting certainly did not reflect well on the Opposition movement; its no wonder the PAP has dominated Singapore's political battleground for 50 years.

Eventually in the next election, Chiam had to join another party, the SPP, and fight the very party he founded (as well as the PAP). Amazingly, he still managed to win. Not many Singaporeans remember this or perhaps they do since the SDP has not won a single seat ever since that incident.

In this General Election, its noteworthy to remember that Chiam in the Bishan GRC managed to score a decent innings against the PAP. A spectacular result considering the odds. Who would have thought that a 74 year old opposition politician stricken with stroke together with a couple of unknowns could achieve a 43% result against the PAP team led by a Deputy Prime Minister in the Heartland?

Its highly admirable that Chiam chose to step outside his comfort zone, despite his immense frailties, and take on this almost impossible challenge. Would you? A lesser man would have given up ages ago. But like King Leonidas, Chiam See Tong has remained steadfast despite the odds.

The Ruling Party, like the Persian Military Behemoth, won in the end but certainly not convincingly. Like the 300 Spartans, the people of Potong Pasir defied the odds. For 27 years, the people of Potong Pasir made its point: "Don't tread on us." You can expect that the PAP will be making good on its promises on the upgrading. You can also expect Potong Pasir to be merged with another constituency before the next election. But if promises are reneged - Potong Pasir will be like a porcupine fish swallowed by the shark.

As for the magnificent win by the Worker's Party in Aljuneid and the overall drop in the popular vote for the Ruling Party I'll talk about that some other time.

In the meanwhile, I'd like to end with a poem by Robert Graves - its a satrical poem awash in irony. Purporting to tell the Persian version of history, the parochial speaker casually and condescendingly dismisses the Greek victory (the earlier one at Marathon) to focus on the "bigger picture", avoiding any serious reflection on their defeat. I certainly hope the sentiments are not shared by the PAP... for Singapore's sake.

Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece - they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together. -- Robert Graves

Bibliography, Notes, Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chee_Soon_Juan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiam_See_Tong
http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2000/08/persian-version-robert-graves.html

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Party for kids




Photos taken at Euen's party

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Centurion Tank outing




I took my niece and nephew to Carribean Gardens, an ex-Army base turned into a park. The Army left behind two of their Centurion tanks.