My Pink Composting Toilet

I have a pink toilet.

Some of my adult children think it is disgusting.

My grandchildren love it and can't wait to 'use' it when they come to Nanny's.

It isn't the 'normal' toilet. 

It doesn't waste water -it doesn't flush - it has a bucket inside instead of water.

It doesn't smell.

It will make humanure and feed the soil.

It's another win win that sadly today people have chosen to forget about.

Why do people find the thought of returning our waste to the land so vile?

What does it matter if you are poohing into soil instead of water? At least with soil you don't get splashed!

I think we are tarred with a smelly memory of long drops ( or short drops) in our past when you didn't cover what you did, you just sat and added more. I can still remember that stench and would never want to repeat that again!

Honestly - if you cover the layers there is NO smell. 

Ready to use.

Seat up

Lid on for a discreet emptying

I purchased this beauty off trademe for only about $69.

I initially got it as an emergency 2nd toilet as we only have one bathroom - but once used, I realised how valuable and easy it was. And the water it saves .....

I sprinkle a layer of soil or woodchips in the bottom ( or sawdust if you have access to it) and after each use cover completely with another layer of soil so nothing is showing. The complete covering of each layer prevents any smells. 

I keep a container of soil or woodchips in the corner for ease of covering each time I have used the toilet. Once again - this doesn't smell and it is not in the way. 

The bucket capacity of this particular toilet is not big - so perfect for one person. For a family situation it would be really easy to make a permanent composting toilet.  Search on youtube - there is a wealth of knowledge and ideas on making and designing them.

The secret to a no smell system is to completely cover each layer.

When the bucket is full it will need to be put out into a composting pile or receptacle outside for another 6 - 12 months.  Once outside, just add normal green and brown layers as you would a normal compost heap.  When composted it will produce the most rich beautiful humanure ready to spread on your garden.

I am proud of my pink toilet. 

I don't care what reaction I get from others. 

I think of the benefits of it.

I think of the water I am saving.

I think of all the water we would save and the amazing soils we would create if more people had, and used one of these.

Would you like to have one?

Priorities

I think this blog is really about priorities.

If something is important to you - do it. What does it matter if other people may not agree.

When I decided to start this food forest on my small section - I just went for it. 

I didn't tell anyone of my plans - I just did it because I really wanted to do it. I looked at the grass and thought how ridiculous to spend so much time each week mowing when I could be growing food!

In the past when I had wanted to create a food forest - every obstacle came to mind. My lack of knowledge, the lack of manpower, my conceived idea that you had to have acres of land, and the uncertainty of what neighbours and friends would say. 

In permaculture you learn to create a solution out of every problem you come up against - in the garden and life.

So because of my desire and passion to make a success of this venture, I have managed to let go of a lot of old habits, beliefs, routines, and ideas that I once had.

I have loads of seeds germinating in the lounge.

I have mushrooms sprouting on one end of the bench, carrots pickling on the other, free range eggs strategically placed by date in an egg carton near the stove for ease of using, and sourdough bread rising and cooling.

My laptop has taken up residence on one end of the dinning room table with note paper and pen where I am constantly writing down information that I learn online from watching other peoples videos and doing my free permaculture course online. 

My husband has got his model making equipment down the other end of the table, and he can stop and start when he likes which means he doesn't have to pack up and re setup every time he wants to do some work on his models. There is still plenty of room for us to eat our meals at the table, so it is working.

I have books and magazines on the coffee table and couch that I can just pick up and digest bits as, and when I want to.

The garage as well as being set up as a play room for the grand-children, now has a trestle table up and adapted as my seed sowing area. 

Sourdough Bread cooling

Carrots pickling

Mushrooms sprouting - these are so good!!

My husband's CanCar model v8 engine in progress ( check out his website www.sandyscancars.com)

Seeds sown and sprouting 

Potatoes chitting

Lemon slices dehydrating

I think age brings on changes to attitudes and habits. 

I am 60 now. 

Ancient!! - but I always remember my dear late mother saying to me in her late 80's that she still felt the same inside as when she did in her 20's. I can now appreciate so much what she meant. 

In the past I would NEVER let my house look like this. It was kept pretty tidy with things put away 'incase one gets visitors'. 

My attitude now is - So what?  This is my house ( and my husbands ) and if other people don't like what they see - well that is their problem. It is clean and safe. This is what matters to me. 

During lockdown I got 5 cubic meters of wood-chip mulch delivered to start my gardens.

I shovelled this into my wheelbarrow and pushed it to the back of the section. I moved the entire pile on my own and took me the best part of 2 days. The day after I was totally stuffed and I sure felt the muscles I had used! I don't think I did much that day - but got immense pleasure to look out and see the product of my hard work. 

The diminishing pile of mulch

I got another load of mulch delivered a few weeks after the first one and got my kids in to help. It was all done in half a day and I hardly shovelled at all. Thank you daughters and son - in laws!!

Way to go!

I am sure all my neighbours were wondering where all this was going as you can't see our back yard due to 6 foot timber fences all around lol I will be so happy to take them on an escorted tour come spring and summer.

I am learning to go with what I feel is right and true to my heart.

It feels good what I am doing.

I am satisfied. 

I am happy, and will be even happier when I can look out to all my hard work producing wonderful healthy food for us, and our extended families and friend's tables.

I look back on photos from before I began my journey to now and it makes me realise how far I have actually come - and will continue to look back with pleasure and pride that I took the plunge and went with my heart not my head.

So my philosophy on life - if it feels right, and if it feels good, then do it.

'Tis Winter

It only seems like yesterday that we were crying out for rain to nourish and water our parched earth. Now we have rain and it seems like it has rained for weeks! 

When I planted out the majority of my new plants over the last month or so, I was blessed with the rain coming. I have not had to water my plants in once, the rain has taken care of that. 

Mother nature does a way better job than I could ever do with the hose and for that I am truely thankful. 

A little bit about where I live in Coromandel.

-  it is 5m above sea level

-  has a warm and temperate climate with significant rainfall -  1850 mm | 72.8 inch per year, with rain even during the driest months (usually lol) 

- has an average annual temperature of 15.2 °C | 59.4 °F. 

We have a pretty awesome climate here and the food forest should do really well. 

Last week we had our first frost.  Well, we call it a frost, but pretty light compared to most other places south of here. This wee sprinkling of Jack Frost hasn't seemed to damage any of my young plants, and of course my berries and currants will love the cooler temperatures. My avocado tree is only young, and luckily I covered it with some garden mesh I had in the shed and that seems to have done the trick. 

Because I am developing the food forest on our small urban section -  I can look out at the new area from many windows and doors inside our house and I long to see green. 

At the moment it is just predominantly bare branches and sticks poking up out of the ground. I want to look out and see a beautiful lush, green, tropical paradise.  

With these thoughts of wanting more - I went out this morning and started to actually look at what was before me.

I saw buds on some fruit trees swelling and starting to show life - a few wee leaves erupting on my currant bushes, vege plants growing - how did I not see all this?? 

I have been looking but not seeing!

I was determined to get outside, so I took some photos during a drizzly, cold  and bleak day. 

Beautiful Calendula Flowers

My Prolific Parsley

Plum tree buds bursting into life

Alpine Strawberries

Roman Chamomile

Rhubarb

Vietnamese Mint 

Nasturtium

Russian Kale

Asparagus, Lettuce, Spring Onions, Broadbeans

Celery, Beetroot, Chillis

Broccoli, Russian Kale, Beetroot, Garlic

Garlic, Carrots ( the rest of the carrots were dug up by blackbirds!! )

Dwarf Comfrey

Thyme - just coming into flower

Currant leaves emerging

I know I am impatient! I love to daydream about how my plants will look a few years on - mature, producing, feeding us and the birds and bees who choose to visit. 

Gardening is all about watching and learning. It is about gaining knowledge from many sources and to sift out what you want and put it to practice.

I have been in contact with a couple of like minded permaculture people and it is so awesome to be able to discuss what you are doing, and listen to things that have worked for them and not worked.

Life and gardening are about making mistakes - to learn from them, and devise ways to create a solution out of a problem.

I wonder what my next solution will be???