Tonight a good-sized group of GoodGymers headed to the Yurt Cafe at the Royal Foundation of Saint Katharine in Limehouse to help in the exciting last few weeks of this new community garden.

The garden is taking shape nicely, with a new pathway along the side, the monastic garden now housing benches and fruit bushes, and the sides of the garden clear and ready for more planting.

Having started work on this garden at the start of the year, it's been great to see it take shape as the months have gone by: from demolishing sheds and old planters on cold January nights to laying the final barrows on gravel on a balmy July evening, visits to the project in Limehouse, overseen by brilliant task owner Larry, have been a 2024 staple here in Tower Hamlets.

Tonight three teams worked on shovelling gravel, spreading gravel and weeding in-and-around the monastic garden.

By the end of the evening, we weren't sure which was the best workout.

Having assumed weeding would be the gentler task, we realised very early on that tough, well established weeds combined with dry soil meant a claw hammer came in very handy. But then a sidelong glance at wheelbarrows of stones being upended wasn't such an easy gig either.

It was certainly a physical evening, and a fun one too. Welcoming John​ to his first session, it was a splendidly sociable start to the week as usual.

A great effort, team, and I look forward to the next time.

Until then.

What a beautiful evening for tonight’s activity!

We started out as a small group working out on the planters in busy Ravenscroft Park, but slowly grew, until there were a good number enjoying the final stretches shortly before 7.

Making our way around the corner to meet Ed, our task owner this evening, we decided tonight might be a hayfever special, thankful we’d come armed with tissues and antihistamines.

This evening we were working around the pretty race track garden (so-called due to its winding gravel path) and the grass-filled garden at the front of Sivill House, helping to clear some of the many weeds.

A third team were dispatched to the Orchard area, to complete an extensive watering operation.

The Columbia TRA are the tenants & residents association for the Newling, Dorset, Virginia and Gascoigne Estates in Tower Hamlets. These estates sit on-and-around the Columbia Road area, and are home to some much-loved green areas.

Our team continued to grow as we plucked weeds and hydrated trees, and we made a good dent in the garden tasks.

At shortly before 8, we started to think about wrapping-up, tipping one last bucket into the weed pile and winding the hose away for the night.

Posing for that all-important final pic (thanks for your patience as always) we wheeled barrows back to the lock-up, said our cheerios and wandered off into the beautiful evening sun.

A fantastic start to the week.

Shout-outs

Thanks to our brilliant task owner, Ed for this evening’s great activity and for tonight's pun, and to Lucinda for another splendid pun, Green Green Dry Grass of Home.

Until next time.

A gorgeous Monday night saw 12 GoodGymers heading to the lovely GET OUT Food Forest Community Garden in Bow.

Following a short fitness in Harley Grove, we proceeded to make our way to the large garden gate to meet Frankie, our task owner for the night...

What is GET OUT?

"GET OUT has created a community garden and food forest project in the heart of Bow. The charity's converted an overgrown area of around half an acre into a productive food forest that acts as a hub for both education, and connecting to nature.

The garden is home to an outdoor classroom, and grows seasonal veg, fruit trees and perennials for the school and local community. It's also helped to create a refuge for wildlife, which includes the garden's very own pond - a useful tool for local ecology education!"

Gathered by the well-stocked shed at the bottom of the garden, Frankie proceeded to run through the details of the first tasks of the night: sawing logs from long branches and pruning bushes.

Working industriously in small teams, GoodGymers wasted no time in cracking on with the job in hand, piling logs and bags full of foliage.

With over half an hour left and branches no more, Frankie dispatched us to new corners of the garden to shift gravel, chop more branches and turn compost.

It was a physical evening, and one which we thoroughly enjoyed.

It was gone 8 before we were posing for the final photo, sampling the garden's cherry tomatoes, and accepting Frankie's lovely gift to green-fingered GoodGymers of his own brand fertilizer.

What a night!

A big shout-out to the whole team, especially to David and Neena who joined us for their first Monday night Tower Hamlets task! Look forward to seeing you again soon.

Next week

...we return to the Priory Park, to see Larry for another big garden clearance.

Until then.