Western Road Urban Garden is a wonderful place managed by Southall Community Alliance. The site, converted from a derelict allotment and dumping ground into a thriving garden, welcomes children from local schools and helps them learn where food and vegetables come from (spoiler: it's not the supermarket!). It also connects Southall residents through gardening and helps fight inequalities in access to fresh food by donating its crops to the local foodbank.

While our previous visit to the garden had been during the time of extreme heat, the July community day welcomed us with the return of the typical British weather: a downpour! Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, Janpal, the SCA manager, and four GoodGymers still made it to the session!

There was an indoor element to the task, quickly finished by Angela: planting and watering aubergines in the polytunnel. Despite the lower turnout today due to the weather, Janpal was happy about the rain as plants desperately needed it. The ones planted in the polytunnel had very limited access to the rainwater. And here's where Angela came in, fighting this in-aquality with a watering can!

Janpal told us about a better irrigation system he planned to install next year. Watering inside the polytunnel every day to keep the crops alive was quite a commitment! WRUG's resident fox might have also been thinking about the irrigation improvements, as he had recently ripped another hole in the polytunnel and had been seen walking on top of it! We've heard more stories about the fox: Janpal's victory over the troublemaker by beating him to the ripe apricots this year, and fox repellents made of wolves' urine.

Sevan, Steph Ducat and Kash worked outside for most of the time, getting all equally soaked. They've made a big difference, chopping nettles and pulling bindweed to free the native hedging. As a result, a massive heap of weeds grew nearby, which Janpal hoped would be collected by the council.

As we completed clearing one side of the hedge and got thoroughly drenched, the session finished earlier, with the usual refreshments: fruit, tea, coffee and samosas in the polytunnel.

WRUG is taking a break from hosting community days in August, but you can join us at a different urban garden. Come to volunteer in Greenford at the beginning of next month. Sign up here!