What a lovely evening for a GoodGym session as the team gathered in the peaceful surroundings of the Tranquil Garden to lend a hand to the Friends of Mostyn Gardens.

There was no shortage of jobs to get stuck into, and once the runners arrived to join the pack, we got straight to work armed with tools, gloves, and plenty of energy to tackle a bit of everything, including:

🌿 Clearing runaway vines and keeping unruly growth in check

🌾 Weeding beds and paths, and clearing dead plants to tidy up the space

🚰 Watering to keep everything thriving on a warm summer evening

By the time we were finished, the plant beds, wood chip area, gravel paths, and fencing were looking thoroughly transformed and suitably GoodGymed! As a lovely bonus to wrap up our hard work, we even had time to harvest a bunch of fresh sage to take home.

Before heading to the pub for our monthly social, there were some incredible milestones to cheer, with Ralph hitting 10 and Steve (back in action) hitting 25 good deeds!

An extra special, monumental congratulations goes to Caroline, who hit an amazing 100 good deeds! This also marks the very first 100-milestone reached for a GoodGym Merton team member since we launched in 2024. Showcasing how far we have come!

Well done to the whole team for another fantastic, high-impact evening 💪 - red shirt power at its finest!

Tonight, the team headed to the Tranquil Garden at Mostyn Gardens for a group session that was anything but sleepy! After a little reshuffling of the job list, we split into teams to tackle a trio of tasks: painting planters, digging to plant new trees, and getting stuck into some serious weeding.

Of course, in true GoodGym style, we got it all done and there was even time to catch up with some regulars that we haven't seen for a while. We also had the pleasure of meeting Brenda, who earned the very important t.shirt, by completing her very first session.

Well done everyone! Next week we are at Raynes Park station and need an idea of numbers in advance (to arrange the soil bags) so sign up if you can make it: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/help-friends-of-raynes-park-station-with-moving-compost-ee5e966b-365c-4536-8ff4-eaffd3e5d078

What a great example of adaptability from the team tonight! We headed to the Tranquil garden at Mostyn gardens, originally tasked with painting the remaining planters. However, thanks to the day's heavy rain, we had to quickly switch gears and embrace some other jobs.

Fortunately, the rain stopped just as we arrived, leaving us with a clear (if very dark!) sky. So we got stuck in: - Digging a new bed and preparing for future bulb planting. - Clearing vines that has overgrown along the fence. - Weeding the woodchipped area, relying on torchlight to scan the space.

It was a productive and unique session that proved GoodGym can shine even in the darkest corners.

A huge well done to everyone for making the most of the unexpected change of plans and leaving Mostyn Gardens a little neater.

The tranquil garden is looking lovely and we were able to see how the log work we did last time has been transformed into seating. Tonight we were tasked with painting the wooden planters green and gold, as well as moving logs and clearing some brambles. It was great to see Georgina, who popped by while doing a litter pick. With her arm on the mend, hopefully she will be back at sessions soon. The nights are drawing in, so we were working in darkness by the end of the task but hopefully the results will be brush-taking! Thanks to Maggie, who lives nearby, for kindly donating some post-session chocolate, meaning that team green and team gold were transformed into team mint and team orange.

Tonight, we returned to Mostyn Gardens in Merton Park to create a new border for the external bed (an area we previously helped clear of weeds).

Some of us were tasked with digging a trench. Thankfully (or maybe not, given the resulting mud! 😉), the weather had softened the ground (improved further by the downpour while we were mid-task!) making it fairly soft and easy for our spades to make an impression.

With wheelbarrows at the ready, a couple of the team log-ged some serious miles collecting the wood for the border, piling it up ready to be staked into the ground.

For those seeking a slightly lighter task, there was also some pruning of the plum trees to be done - perfect for branching out from the rain! Handy that we came prepared with our secateurs.

Once the trenches were dug, it was all hands needed to fill them with logs and replace the (by now) mud.

It was good to welcome a couple of GoodGymers from out of the area and also Mik to his first task - not the easiest or the driest, but hopefully enjoyable nonetheless.

We got even more done than anticipated and are certainly helping this garden grow into something very special! 

Tonight, the team showed that even with a few regulars missing, a dozen hands can make a huge impact! We arrived to find Neaz and the team of Friends of Mostyn Gardens, ready to tackle an overgrown flower bed. Hacking back elderflower, pulling out stubborn ivy, and getting our hands dirty digging out weeds and turning the soil - it was a satisfying session.

Having cleared the way for the planting, we look forward to returning at the end of July to help with more jobs. Well done team!