What a lovely way to start the day - helping the great Fawcett Road Greening Group with weeding, planting of bulbs and shrubs and adding mulch to planters and pots in Southsea.

It was cold but the hot chocolate and mince pies afterwards consumed next to a roaring fire soon warmed us up!

We helped Mathilde freshen up the beautiful planters and forecourts in and around Fawcett Road.

We litterpicked, removed the dead plants, planted some baby lavender, cosmos and carnations, then added fresh soil, topped it off with mulch and then gave them a drink. With several bees and butterflies around us , delicious homemade apple cake and excellent company, it was a very enjoyable morning!

We helped Fawcett Road Greening Group fill 2 big planters in a forecourt with herbs and small plants. First we layered them with compost bags, then put in a few stones and pieces of cardboard for drainage, followed by the soil, the mesh and then finally the plants were popped in and tucked in with more soil.

Then we moved onto a nearby pub where an area had been depaved ready for us. We dug a deep hole and then carefully planted a beautiful baby Jasmine which Julie was looking after.

3 big trellises were then drilled onto the wall.

It was lovely to chat with the other volunteers and we enjoyed delicious hot drinks, mince pies and brownies!

As this was our final watering walk of the summer, we pulled out all the stops! Julie took two backpacks filled with 6 large jugs of water and Jane came packing another 8.4 litres.

We visited nearly 20 planters around the PO4 area to give them some end of summer season care including dead heading, weeding, pruning, re-planting, litter picking, and of course...watering!

It was great to see some very healthy, fragrant mint and lavender sweetening the smell of the surrounding streets and the Albert Road parklet was looking smashing after our repeat visits.

Jane revisited the Fawcett Road Freening Group planters to give them a little early evening drink and keep things looking lush for the week ahead.

The Fawcett Road planters had another top up of water and weeding which came just in time for the extra hot weather. Dead leaves were removed and we left things looking lush and green once again! Jane came packing 8.5 litres of water for the thirsty zebra planters on Talbot Road. Summer has officially arrived!