Wednesday 8th June 2016
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10 runners across one of the largest boroughs of London ventured to Drummond Road Community Gardens for some serious digging.
This week, we welcomed Rosie along for her first GG experience and, also, a GG legend: Patrick!
After a quick warm up in the middle of the muggy Rye, we set off through the busy commuters and into the peace of the canal path (and passed our shiny and clean Peckham peace wall).
Tonight's run falls into the longer of our Southwark runs and was made that bit harder with the heat of June.
Sweating summer buckets
A few map checks later and we had survived the many traffic lights of Old Kent Road and were welcomed to the Gardens by Karis who is the project co-ordinator and runs gardening clubs for kids and families to get involved with.
There was a large amount of Pendulous Sedge planted to take up room in the main flowerbed that needed to be cleared for other plants. We were warned that it was a hard job and that our work at Surrey Docks Farm had led us to this tricky task. We were also shown a large fork with a broken prong as evidence to the edge of the sedge.
Never put off by a task, and with extra oomf from Patrick's legendary playlist, we set to work. Some pinching tomatoes, others sorting out fennel, some providing key watering in the heat and then the Sedge digging.
It was a task we didn't want to leave unfinished. A double weapon approach of fork and shovel was one successful method, forking repeatedly against stubborn roots also worked. Katy Perry and Tom Jones certainly helped. After time was up...
we have a borough to traverse
We set off on a less pretty, but more direct, route home. Into the sunset we dripped. Hot. But happy with a good task and a proper run!
Next week... More farming and a pub visit to boot. Sign up here
Southwark
The residents will be able to sow wildflower seeds and improve bio-diversity