It was my first time joining the volunteers and seeing Charlton House & Gardens, everyone was very welcoming and asked what task I'd prefer to do.

We split into two groups with Aidyn joining the bulb team and me and few others cutting back ready for the next lot of bulbs to go in on the other side.

Time went very fast and it was already 11am tea break, we had already got quite alot of work done "Many hands make light work as they say" We was joined for our tea break by the resident cat Casper. We returned to finish tidying up for the last half hour, it was a really good session.

One volunteer, who volunteers at the house, and I were collecting and piling up dry wood and branches for a wood chipper which is expected to be at the house in November this year. While collecting them we managed to make a lot of mess on the pavement leading up to the piling ground. I then had to clean it all up giving it a fabulous touch with the broom that lives at the house. I then got carried away and cleaned the entrance to the garden as well (there might have been some polite nudging from another volunteer - Sharon).

Ciedie was doing some mindful work in someone else’s flower bed helping them out with rather fluffy plants 🌱. She took a good care of them and none of the plants got hurt.

Cedie and I then took some slow motion videos and selfies 🤳

The day was beautiful and the local volunteers were treating us to some rather refreshing tea ☕️ ☺️

Another regular Thursday morning saw us back in the garden at the back of Charlton House, helping Head Gardener Jason and the other amazing volunteers keep things growing and looking their best.

Two GoodGymers -myself and Aidyn came along to lend a helping hand and it was Aidyn's second session here. It was especially lovely to hear some great feedback from Sharon, who said Aidyn had been really helpful. Great stuff — and that’s exactly what we’re here for! 💪🌱

We soon got stuck into a few different jobs. My tasks include digging up young fleabane and other plants so they could be potted up ready for future sales; tackling some climbing ivy that had made itself rather too comfortable on the wall; some clearing in the plant bed - removing old, dead iris leaves to make everything look a little tidier.

Meanwhile, Aidyn continued cutting back some tree branches, sorting them ready for shredding and preparing the wood for future use. Plenty of branches to deal with, but we were certainly branching out into all sorts of jobs!

Before long, it was time for a well-earned tea break. We joined the other volunteers for tea and biscuits, along with a quick group photo. It was lovely to sit together for a while and enjoy the company of everyone who regularly gives their time to keep the garden looking so wonderful.

I’m also one of the regulars here, and it’s been great being part of the journey with Jason and the CEO towards the London in Bloom awards. There’s always plenty happening behind the scenes — quite literally in this case!

The morning had flown by, as it always seems to, but we left knowing we’d done something worthwhile and given the garden another little helping hand.

Until next time. - Cecilia D.

Two GoodGymers signed up and turned up for a gardening session at Charlton House Garden. We were assigned to tidy up branches and dry plants, preparing them to become useful compost—so we were quite literally branching out! 🌱

Working along the pathway, our mission was to make the garden surroundings look neat, tidy and welcoming. We also worked near the gate, sweeping up dry leaves and tidying the edges leading into the garden. Everything was completed nicely, and the area was looking much better.

We left the watering to the others while we focused on our own little corner of the garden. After an hour of good, productive work, it was time for a well-earned cup of tea and some biscuits.

Another job completed, another garden made greener!

See you next time. ☺️

Thursday morning started an hour earlier than usual at Charlton House Garden, with the gardening session moved forward in anticipation of the hottest day, with temperatures expected to reach a scorching 36°C!

The main task was watering, making sure the plants had some much-needed hydration before the heat really kicked in.

I had the pleasure of doing a bit of teasel sculpting — carefully removing the thorny leaves while keeping the teasels standing tall and proud in the garden. With so few plants flowering in this intense heat, the teasels were definitely allowed to Teasel the Day and take centre stage!

It was a shorter session than usual, but certainly a sweaty one! Between the watering, gardening and the rising temperature, I definitely worked up a sweat.

Phew! A little TLC for the garden, a bit of teasel sculpting, and plenty of sunshine — another GoodGym session done! 💪

Whoever’s joining this Tuesday’s session, please sign up and see you there! 😊 Cecilia D🍀

Two GoodGymers attended our very first weekday gardening session in the gardens of Charlton House. Despite the hot weather, we rolled up our sleeves and got stuck into helping the Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society (CABAHS) maintain the beautiful gardens.

Our main task was cutting back the dried summer plants to prepare the beds for the next season’s planting, helping to make way for fresh new growth. We also tackled a variety of general gardening jobs, including watering the plants to keep everything thriving during the warm spell.

The heat certainly made itself known, but we braved the temperatures and kept going. Of course, no GoodGym task is complete without a chance to catch up, so we enjoyed a well-earned 30-minute break, chatting together and making the most of the social side of volunteering.

This was the first time this task has been listed on a weekday, and it’s the start of what we hope will be many more opportunities to support the fantastic CABAHS community.

Watch this space—there will be plenty more tasks coming up to help this great community. Until next time! 👋🏼😎 Cecilia D🍀 / Cedie/ Cici