Ilana, Ciaran, Kevin and Kareem turned up for the continuing gardening task. When we first started here, the space was so overgrown that you could barely walk through it, let alone see what was hiding at the far end.

Now after many sessions of clearing, digging and hauling we are nearly there!

As it happens when clearing a garden that’s been left wild for a while, a few unexpected treasures appeared along the way. Among the discoveries were a Lego figure, some unsettling large bones and other random things like lighters. It kept things interesting.

Kevin took the initiative and planted cherry and apple plants, which will hopefully become a a nice feature of the garden in time. He also spent time fixing and tying up sections of the fence.

Kareem took on what seemed like a manageable root… which quickly turned into a battle. After 15 minutes of determined digging, the root held its ground and he eventually had to concede defeat (for now)

Ilana tackled a stubborn patch of weeds and overgrown plants and helped with the cleanup. She also lent Kareem a hand afterwards to fill in the impressive (but totally unnecessary) hole left behind.

Ciaran cracked on with tackling stumps and helping clear out the huge bags of garden waste that had built up. As if the earlier bone discoveries weren’t unsettling enough, he topped that by uncovering a mysterious vertebra!! (ranks alongside the dead bird found during a previous session)

Finally, Ms A is really happy to see the progress. She thanked us and said how much she appreciates the time and effort we have been putting in to bring the garden back to life. It’s been great for her to see the transformation taking shape bit by bit and she is really looking forward to enjoying the space once everything is finished :)

We will be having one more final session to do a sweep up of the garden and tie up any loose ends - please join us if you can!

You might know how it feels to shuffle and squeeze along Columbia Road, trying to tease out a deal on a bulk buy of bouquets on market day. You might think that it’s the Sunday fix of floral carnival that draws in the crowds and buoys the Tower Hamlets spirit. You might imagine that the Flower Market is a hard act to follow.

Well, here's news: the help from Goodgym Tower Hamlets supports the lesser-known and under-appreciated nature that really steals the show in this neighbourhood...

For this first Monday FUN-day in March, a troupe of Goodgymers took to the horticultural stage, stepping into the street lamp spotlight to tender the community gardens sprinkled about the local housing estates, managed by the Columbia Road Tenants and Residents Association (TRA). The task: mulching (more on that later) and weeding, ahead of the imminent surge in new growth on the way. Yes, Spring blossoms are coming!

In the lead-in to this community mission, @Darren set-up the option of some pre-task group exercise, inviting any cyclists from the south of the borough to ride up together from Limehouse Marina. @Sooz followed Darren's lead, cycling the same route, with @Ilana, @Lucinda (more on them later) and @Dan each separately trundling their way to task, overcoming bike maintenance and docking station challenges that came their way. So, at least five cyclists amongst our number, rolling (sort of) smoothly onto site.

With the arrival of twelve more Goodgym walkers and runners, a mission team numbering seventeen assembled near the foot of Sivill House. But, before getting green fingers stuck-in to task, the twilight hour called for a touch of theatre, my dears: showcasing a gentle warm-up routine of jogging and stretching, as appropriate preparation for the moderate physical labour ahead. The visiting film crew just about kept pace with their camera to gather video material for the latest GG promotional video. With thanks to Sooz for bringing some Junior Parkrun stretch highlights into play here. Some stellar performances may yet clinch Oscar nominations.

Media work dealt with, it was sesion organiser, @Ed, who brought order with a run-through of the gardening tasks: (i) mulching at the orchard close by, (ii) mulching the trees dotted around the wider estate and (iii) weeding, well, where the weeds were. The aim and purpose: to sustain the upkeep and give a boost to these precious patches of community garden space. All the more precious for what they offer residents and visitors in return: the ever-changing and long-lasting stimulation of their nature and beauty, of course. And to keep this dream alive: a task each for a trio of mini teams.

Two teams loaded up wheelbarrows and buckets from the mini mountain of wood chip mulch close by, with @John distributing tools to get everybody involved. Standout effort and achievement from, @Fiona, @Robert and @Tom who filled up and sent out containers in record time, meeting the demand coming from hither and thither. Quick pause here: mulch is not at all as sludgy as it sounds, rather, in this case, it was a layer of wood chip applied to the soil around existing plants. Why? To conserve soil moisture and enrich its fertility, reduce weed growth, and, well, make the plants look as loved as they are.

The first team transported their mulch around to the nearby orchard, scattering wood chip so as to protect the trunks of fruit trees and the roots of fruit bushes. A light layer also offers shelter from the remaining winter's cold and wind. @Ciarán welcomed @Kevin's knowledge and clear instruction during this task, helpfully pointing out where to tread without trampling new growth of the blackberry and raspberry bushes. Up above ground level, the burgeoning new season's buds were just starting to blossom, with the apricot tree leading the way.

The second team of mulch layers carried and wheeled their cargo to three different sites spiralling off from our meeting point; each a small island of verdant lawn tucked in amongst the clusters of tower blocks. Knee-high fencing subtly marked out these preserves of green, fine spots to seek out for picnic gatherings later in the year. And, all year round, the permanent home of a dozen or so more fruit trees, including a quince and a cherry. Here, @Anna and @Ivo brought notable care to the mulch laying work, identifying the species and spreading the wood chip evenly around the base of each trunk.

The provenance of the cherry tree is worth knowing and contemplating. Striking a warming chord of harmonious global community, this cherry tree is part of a set of thirteen growing across the estate, which form a Tower Hamlets family within a wider population of 8,000 cherry trees (and counting!), gifted to sites all over the United Kingdom by the Japan British Society. The endowment of cherry trees is the work of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project, begun in 2017 to symbolise the friendship and cooperation between Japan and the UK. Long may these cherry trees blossom in our midst.

Back to task, where @Louise, @Kareem and team three recruits had been busying themselves with the weeding required to tidy up the herbaceous borders back at the central hub, just next to Ravenscroft Park. Whilst removing plant life may appear counter-intuitive to nature conservation and rewilding fashions, weeding can halt stray growth for a neater display. Further, as @Rohan explained to me very sensibly, weeding can target species that would otherwise come to dominate the space and smother smaller plants.

With mulch laid and weeds slain, the three teams re-joined as one Goodgym family, to sit down on the slightly shrunken mound of mulch remaining next to Sivill House. From our resting spot, it seemed that our efforts had gone no small way to support the hidden attractions of the Columbia Road spectacle, flora and fauna that may not usually be noticed or appreciated. Worth a detour to behold these inspiring parts of the Tower Hamlets scenery.

Sequel: Mission complete, but the occasion not so. It was high time to honour two Goodgym volunteers in attendance. With much gratitude, and a degree of awe, our group applauded @Lucinda and @Ilana for becoming Goodgym centurions! Well done indeed for your sustained dedication, bringing a whole lot of good to blossom over the course of your hundred good deeds, apiece! Sunday crowds flocking to Columbia Road might leave with colourful memories of their flower market trip. But your steady commitment and warm support is permanent Goodgym inspiration for us all.

More applause and chocolate treats followed, alongside cosy chatter and refreshing beverages, for those that wished, at the nearby Birdcage pub. And revealing their top-tips for Goodgym longevity, Lucinda and Ilana imparted some neatly complementary wisdom. Lucinda encouraged flexibility, to keep volunteering going just as much as is possible, be that more or less, amidst other demands on time. Ilana recommended keeping a regular contribution ticking over, to build in the foundation of consistent Goodgym giving: even if sparse as a single session a month, keep it going.

Speaking of which, what's the next session you're signed up for, blossom?

Not for the first time, Des had a seemingly infinite variety of tasks lined up for us at Parkview on Monday. He’d informed me there’s be digging - always a good workout, and at this task, there are even enough spades for everyone. It seemed we were merely shovelling earth from one part of the planter to another. In fact we were digging out the soil in order that a base layer of planks could be laid down, for a no-doubt very sensible agricultural reason. When the earth was shovelled back into the planter – in record time, as we all needed to go home by then – the whole thing looked much tidier, and rather pleasing to the eye

Des knew what he wanted doing, unlike the task organiser, who was still in a fragile state after noticing his phone on a station seat as his train pulled out – but I retrieved it later. Robbie had run all the way from Greenwich in the drizzle, but the distance had somehow expanded since he’d checked the map. However he made himself useful, clearing a corner which had accumulated a mixture of bamboo sticks and metal poles

Ilana and Lucinda had been planning an exciting foreign holiday, but for the time being had to be content with a gloomy, wet council estate. There were nails to be yanked - rather satisfyingly - out of wood and plaster to be applied to brick walls. Darren and Chris disappeared for some time, on some top-secret task to which the rest of us were not privy

Somehow, everyone was gathered together for the group picture, despite a unanimous rebellion against the photographer’s plans. To be fair, it was the only good picture of the whole evening, after which it was time to be cycling to Stepney, running back across the river, or tightly holding your phone on the Tube

We had a great group of 16 runners gathering at Hollybush tonight, braving a very chilly (but thankfully dry!) evening to take on a truly mulch-needed mission, shifting a massive new delivery of mulch and transforming the space in record time 🌿❄️

It was lovely to see a mix of familiar faces alongside some new ones, including Justin, who joined us for his very first GoodGym task, a huge welcome to you!

Meeting on site, we quickly broke out the tools and got straight to work. Our task was to spread the fresh mulch across James Middleton Community Garden, giving the beds a smart new layer to protect the soil and prep everything for future planting. At the same time, some of the previously laid mulch had broken down beautifully and was ready to be dug up and reused in the planting areas, a great example of garden recycling in action 🌱♻️

With Margaret and Michael expertly leading the charge, we soon formed a slick production line, shovelling, barrowing, spreading, and smoothing. Despite the cold, everyone kept moving as the mulch piles steadily disappeared and the garden visibly transformed before our eyes.

In just 45 minutes, what had looked like a huge job was completely turned around. The beds were freshly covered, the planting areas prepped, and the whole garden space was looking smarter, tidier, and ready for the next stage of growing.

We wrapped up with our new group photo method: everyone forming a circle, bending over and facing the camera on the ground while someone captured it in .5 mode, (Thank you to Emma for the idea) resulting in a wonderfully ridiculous (and very GoodGym) moment to end the session on

All in all, a brilliant evening of teamwork, community support, and a seriously mulchtastic transformation, huge thanks to everyone who came along and made such a difference despite the chilly temperatures!