After a pre-chicken-run plog, we met Marilyn and her fellow community gardeners (and mini helpers) at the Canbury Community Gardens. So much work has gone on since we were last here for a group run, including the arrival of three chickens and lots of veg having grown.

So what's the pecking order of tasks?

During the gardening sessions, the gates are shut and the chickens released to have free range of the gardens. But this comes with a risk as these peck-happy creatures get a little too peck-happy and peck away at all of the plants that have been growing, particular those in the recycled tyre planters.

The chicken run! Today we went to help out at Canbury Community Garden and finally got to meet the chickens 🐓 pic.twitter.com/ySI69SmISz

— GoodGym Kingston-upon-Thames (@GoodGymKingston) January 19, 2019

Let's tyre them out

So we were tasked with creating double-decker tyre planters that would be more peck-proof. We grabbed unused tyres, filled them with the "less good" compost and then some of the better quality stuff, then carefully transferred over the existing planter and plants on top of the platform.

This is mulch better than expected

Samia didn't need mulch help with filling up buckets with the inferior compost, whilst Kate (wheel)barrowed a shovel to transfer the top notch stuff. Africa recruited some minuature helpers to assist with watering in the transplanted plants.

After double-deckering several tyres and supporting with chicken behavioural management, we were all tyred out (we had no spare tyres left!), put the tools away and headed off. Looking forward to some regular community missions here.