Well! I checked out the Plant World website (took about half a day! What a range!), then I checked out the Aussie import/customs laws, and I *think* I can have flower seeds by cultivar sent to Australia without paying an inspection fee. I will have to contact our customs people to confirm, as the website is irritatingly vague. If so.. I'm in heaven! Thank you so much Camps! I can finally have a humble geranium! Hahaha. I am deliriously happy about this. Some (non-garden-y types) may say disproportionately so. I bite my thumb at those people! I have not been to the southwest of England since I was 4, visiting grandparents in Devon. That was Christmas time, and I remember a lot of snow and wearing mittens. Mostly I was concerned that Father Christmas wouldn't know where to bring my presents. So I couldn't really comment on the climatic similarities, but I will take your word for it. I don't know what my soil pH is, but I know it's acidic because the hydrangeas are all blue. I will do a soil test one day soon, my blueberries are outgrowing their pots and I suspect I will have to fiddle with pH when I get around to planting them in a hedge-y type configuration. I'm having a crack at this winter sowing caper this year, so yes, it's about time I got my act together. This post was edited by muscovyduckling on Fri, May 30, 14 at 9:10

I think you are on the wrong track in wanting to add things to compost that pile faster. You have some great stuff ... almost too nice. You need a bunch more. We can never have enough. Just spreading it on the ground will kick things into gear. What I did was drive around to local stores collecting cardboard. I laid cardboard down and then poured the wood chips to it heavy. More than a foot deep and over time it settled and broke down. I hope to get many more loads. It produces and fungal compost over time which is fabulous stuff and this is the easiest way to do it. For years I did the back breaking work of shredding everything, watering, and turning the piles. After all that work I would till it into the soil for my veggie garden and had great results but the soil digested it all each year and I had to start over each season. I still have my chipper shredder and use it often but I simply spread the results where I meed it instead of composting it in a barrel or a pile. Since I changed over to sheet mulching the soil is even better and I even have worms under the mulch! Trust me on this. It's the best way to go. If you must, get more mulch and compost and till it in some spots and just mulch the others and let nature show you whether or not the extra work was worth it.

Rats certainly climb. In California, where I have friends and family, rats are a real problem because of all the fruit trees everywhere. Oranges etc. dropping everywhere for a rats' feast. They call them fruit rats but they are just plain old disgusting rats. They are also called roof rats because they climb and then move into your attic crawl space. When you live in California, you have to have an "exclusion specialist" who comes and seals up every tiny hole and crack into your house. It's a standard part of life out there. Otherwise, the rats move right in with you. GROSS!! I have to say that's why I never put kitchen scraps in my compost--just leaves, grass clippings, weeds and so on. I think (hope) it is too countrified here for rats but we have many other animals I don't want to encourage by feeding. I don't even feed the birds anymore. Seed and suet attract too many uninvited guests.

I have seen it called Wild Lettuce and it does resemble lettuce. It is a goner if it has an almost nondescriptive bloom. I am almost recalling something as small as Indian Paintbrush type flower and not worthy of my garden. If it is what I think it is, it will produce thousands of floaty seeds not unlike dandelion. I think I will risk a few more days to see.....