I couldn't disagree more!! Potting soil or soil suited for growing in containers has very different requirements than soil necessary for inground growing conditions. This is primarily because container culture is a closed environment requiring frequent, often daily, watering, offering a limited root run and with a need for exceptional drainage. Too much organic matter (in the form of any kind of compost) will eventually adversely impact drainage, as it continues to decompose and compact, reducing pore space. The best container soils generally contain no real soil and very modest amounts of OM. Peat or coir (cocoa fiber) is a good base (yes, they are OM but very slow to decompose) and you do need the addition of pumice or perlite to facilitate drainage and provide porosity. High fired clay (Turface) is a great substitute for these if available in your area. Bark fines will help with moisture retention plus provide necessary texture and pore space. Check out the Container forum for many excellent DIY potting soil recipes, especially any of the posts by Al (tapla). If you have access to Gardner and Bloome products, look for their Blue Ribbon Potting soil. I've used this product for years and it is an excellent medium for any kind of container growing, especially for long-term containers, which can be a challenge to maintain with quality soil conditions and fast drainage.

Hello Mirendajean - you've said elsewhere that you are a transplanted American gardener and I don't know where you've gardened before so forgive me if you know all this already. But you might find that techniques which work in much of the US will not be too helpful in Ireland. You've said you live on a bog so your ground is likely damp and acidic. The rushes happily growing in your garden show just how wet it is there. Under these conditions heavy mulching is not always helpful, at least not thick layers of leaves. The ones I see in your picture are Sycamore (UK usage of that name ie Acer pseudoplatanus) and they can create a thick mat of impenetrable soggy leaves which can spell death under our climatic conditions. Plus the heap in your photo will quite likely rot the fence in the constant damp. Making a leaf mould bin ie a simple chicken wire ring would produce something usable by next year. It is a useful soil conditioner and mulch once it has broken down. Annpat is right that leafmould is leaves only and not to be confused with compost. If you talk about 'tilling' to your neighbours they will envisage you getting out a machine, if they understand at all. They'll talk about 'digging', and they'll probably use a fork for it. Or maybe a spade - never a shovel. I think it would be well worth talking to the locals because you have a particular set of conditions there which they will understand. The plants which will thrive for you will be things like heathers, rhododendrons, fuchsias and other acid lovers which will enjoy the mild climate. A classic over there is Arbutus unedo - a lovely little tree. Also, as you've noticed, grass grows almost all year round so edging your flowerbeds properly will save you a lot of grief keeping the grass out of the beds. That involves cutting a vertical sided channel around your beds with spade or edging iron.

barb_roselover_in- How much tomato powder did you order? If it's a small amount (8-oz. or less), then store it in the refrigerator. It hardens because there are no fillers (ingredients) to keep it free-flowing. So any time you open it, get in and get out quickly. The moisture in the air can cause it to clump, or even harden. I tuck a few moisture absorbers (leftovers from bottles of supplements we take) in the top of the jar to absorb any moisture from opening the jar. Your frost-free refrigerator is a very dry environment, which is why it works to keep your powder dry, so to speak ;-). If the tomato powder gets hard, you can usually break it up with a spoon or grate it on a fine box grater or microplane back into a powder again. Just don't leave the lid off for any length of time. If you purchased a large amount, like a #10 can, place it in user-friendly amounts - pint or 1/2-pint canning jars - and vacuum-seal them shut with a FoodSaver using the jar attachment. Kept in a dry, dark and cool environment (vacuum-sealed) it has an indefinite shelf-life. I've suffered with arthritis since I was 14-years old, so you have my sympathy.... You may get some relief if you limit foods from nightshade plants, so you might want to research that. I decreased inflammation considerably by eliminating wheat. I have a flaker mill so I can make flakes from a large variety of soft grains - rye, spelt, einkorn, barley, wheat, kamut, quinoa, oat groats, triticale... Check Bob's Red Mill for a variety of flakes. Unfortunately, nothing tastes like oats. Many years ago a local mill made "heavy bran" from hard winter white wheat, which was made like oatmeal, and worked in recipes just like oatmeal - but that wonderful taste was sorely missing. I was part of a small group challenged to use heavy bran in recipes, but the product was too work-intensive to be put into production on a local basis - after I used 25# of it in experimental recipes. Heavy bran is generally used as the base product for making flaked cereals. You may have better luck if you soak your oats, rather than consuming them raw in granola. Or soak and dehydrate them first, if you want to use them in granola-type mixtures. Oats contain more phytates than almost any other grain. I generally soak and dehydrate nuts before I add them to granola so they are easier to digest and have more available nutrition. If you aren't familiar with soaking gains/nuts/seeds, check your library for a copy of "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., and you can find more information on-line. When it comes to chia seeds, I purchase them 5-pounds at a time and have used them for 7-8 years. They are my #1 health food. -Grainlady

Lou - good point about settling on the bottom. I hadn't thought about that. The commercial mixes probably put in a filler so it doesn't do that. rachelellen - Thanks for the recipe and link. I will copy the one and check out the other. I found some receips using fresh ingredients and might give that a try too. SAZON Yield: 6 cups 3 md Onions; chopped 1 ea Pepper, bell, green; seeded, chopped 1 ea Pepper, bell, red; seeded, chopped 4 lg Garlic cloves; peeled, chopped 1 tb Oregano 1 c Scallions; chopped, both 1/2 c Parsley; coarsely chopped 1/2 c Coriander; chopped 1 ts Tabasco sauce 1 tb Paprika, sweet 1 c Tomato paste 1 c Oil, olive 1/2 c Vinegar, white Salt; to taste Combine all ingredients and blend, bit by bit, to a puree in blender. Pour into saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Cool and bottle. Used to flavor stews, beans, rice and vegetables. Easy to make and useful to have on hand. RED CHILI ADOBO SAUCE Makes about 5 cups 1/3 cup vegetable oil 12 medium (about 6 ounces) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican 1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground 1/2 teaspoon cumin, preferably freshly ground 1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground 1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 cups chicken or turkey broth (use the turkey neck and giblets for making broth) Salt 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar 1. The adobo puree. Measure the oil into a large skillet and set over medium heat. When hot, oil-toast the chiles 1 or 2 pieces at a time until very toasty smelling and blistered, only a few seconds per side. Pour off all but a generous film of oil from the skillet and set aside. Transfer the chiles to a large bowl and measure in 4 cups hot tap water; a small plate on top will keep the chiles submerged. Let rehydrate for about 20 minutes. Measure the garlic, oregano, black pepper, cumin, cloves and vinegar into a blender or food processor. Pour in the rehydrated chiles, liquid and all (do this in two batches if necessary). Process the mixture to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl. 2. From puree to finished sauce. Set the chile-frying skillet over medium heat. When quite hot, add the adobo and stir until reduced to the thickness of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broth, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or so. The finished sauce should be quite light in texture-not watery, but just one stage thicker. (A good test is to pour a little on a plate and watch it spread: If it flows evenly, it's right; if it doesn't flow much and water begins separating around the edges, it's too thick.) Season with salt (usually about 1 tablespoon) and sugar -- it should be a little sweet-sour with a hint of saltiness. Serve warm. Working ahead: The finished sauce will keep for days if refrigerated, well covered. Clare