Continuing on from the earlier mission at GG Richmond’s sponsored ‘Three Pigeon’s Plot’ in Buccleuch Gardens, Richmond, Steph and Anita continued to weed out grass from the plot before digging in another two ‘triffid’ plant supports and sowing dark blue sweet peas and luscious poppy ‘peony double black’ at the base .

Fennel, Honesty and Bupleurum were also sown where grass had just been weeded out and also around the recently pruned pampas

After tidying up and composting all the green waste, Steph sowed Night Scented Stock in ‘The Buccleuch Bed’ at the Arcade and Anita watered the plants in the Arcade.

Very best of luck to Steph in Sunday’s London Marathon.

Look out for another Buccleuch Garden’s planting mission next week to complete the ‘Sow Good, Sow Fine, Plant Time’ pun and ensure our sponsored riverside gardens remain blooming and beautiful this summer.

Longer days, rising temperatures and April showers are an ideal time for sowing seeds and Cathy and Anita laid the groundwork for some fantastic summer flowers at GG Richmond’s ‘Three Pigeons Plot’ in Buccleuch Gardens, Richmond.

Cathy and Anita hit the ground running by picking and bagging litter, before starting on the task in hand: weeding out grass and sowing summer annual seeds at The Three Pigeons Plot.

After weeding out grass ( self-seeded from the adjacent lawn and frustratingly prolific ) they dug-in the first of our withy and wood ‘triffid’ plant supports and then planted sweet pea seeds around the base.

There was just enough time sow 2000 poppy seeds before finishing.

Extra GoodGym help was provided by GG Red Robin (who hangs around our compost heap), Steph (arriving early for the next session) , Sal ( strewing poppy seeds, re-seeding the ground) and Ken ( passing by on the way back from work and stopping to weed out pesky sycamore seedlings)

Wednesday lunchtime gardening session in GoodGym’s sponsored ‘Arcade Rockery’ plot in Buccleuch Gardens, Richmond.

Sowing of the seed scattering variety rather than porcine or needlework.

Wednesday’s child Anita (born on a Wednesday a long time ago) weeded, levelled and seeded the far end of the lawn.

In the Arcade there was more tieing and taping to further secure the ‘triffid’ plant supports as well as the watering of plants, ready for more planting and seed sowing at tomorrow evening’s mission.

Whether it was April showers, the solar eclipse or the dark clouds of Storm Katherine , it was a very dark and wet 'Second Monday of the month Group Run' session in April to Buccleuch Gardens in Richmond. A lively 2km there before the skies broke and a more direct route back when we were soggy!

Steph's celebratory 250 good deeds cape (achieved in under a year!), doubled as a poncho as he headed out into the rain and battled through the dense shrubbery at the back of the Gardens to collect litter. In the gloomy light, black clad and caped, our CCL superhero looked like he might have stepped from a Batman film or a Gothic novel. Except for the big smile, the running socks and the sod-the-rain attitude, which were pure GoodGym. Congratulations on an amazing achievement.

More brave souls (including Vix,on her first mission, showing she’s got the same chutzpah and can-do attitude) braved the rain to help with litter picking, bagging huge quantities of green waste, relocating daffodils and building a second (and brilliantly constructed) twig and branch barricade.

Others worked in the Arcade to strengthen the legs of our willow-withy plant supports, making them ready to support our summer annuals.

Because of the weird gloom, the rain and the time running 🏃🏽‍♂️ away, we didn’t manage to do any planting or seed-sewing before heading back to the Tap Tavern for our monthly social and a chance to dry off!

If you like gardening or want to help out, look out for some extra GG Richmond Buccleuch Gardens Community Missions over next couple of weeks or sign up for our next second Monday Group Run on 13 May.

Preparatory session for GoodGym Richmond’s ‘second Monday of the Month’ Group Run session at our sponsored plots in Buccleuch Gardens Richmond.

Early April, weather sunny and mild so effort now will pay huge dividends later in the year.

1. Indoor sowing of Foxglove Alba, Night Scented Stock and Phacilia.

2. Bagging up of Pampas grass cuttings from 11 March 2024 Richmond GG Buccleuch Gardens Group Run ( the cuttings had unfortunately shown themselves to be tough and not amenable to composting without chipping ).

3. Removing other unsuitable material from the compost area.

4. Digging out the most obvious weeds and dead plant material from the Arcade Rockery.

5. Digging out all identified dandelions, nettles and hog weed at The Three Pigeons Plot.

6. Digging out some of the invasive lawn grass at The Three Pigeons Plot.

7. Further cutting back of dead stems and leaves of the pampas grass at The Three Pigeons Plot.

8. Litter picking

9. Watering plants in the Arcade.

10. Putting together a task list for the Monday evening Group Run.

11. Spot weeding dandelions by the Benches.

Hard work was rewarded by the wonderful Thames-side location, interest and ‘Thank Yous’ from passers-by, an inquisitive robin at the compost heap, an unusual massing of spider’s at the Three Pigeon’s and a warm and sunny early April day.

Thanks to Richmond Council and Peter Peter Mountford of Continental Landscapes ( the contractors who manage the Borough’s Parks), Anita from GoodGym Richmond enjoyed a ‘trolley dash’ around Bridge Farm Nurseries, Hospital Bridge Road, Twickenham selecting plants for our sponsored plots in Buccleuch Gardens, Richmond.

3 Sarcococca, 8 heuchera, 8 vinca, 6 hebe and 8 ajuga are now safely stowed in the Arcade, along with 4 choisya and 4 Photinia ‘Little Red Robin’ donated by GoodGym Richmond, all ready to make their garden debut on Monday during our ‘second Monday’ group run and Buccleuch Gardens mission.