GoodGym Ealing's monthly visit to the Feeding Ealing site in Perivale found that even more trees and crops had been planted in the last month. Everything was growing fast and that led to one of the tasks for the GoodGymers today.

Joseph was leading the session for Feeding Ealing and took the volunteers into the polytunnel.

"This is paradise!" - Joseph

All of the raised beds were full of green leaves and produce, with okra, chillies and tomatoes seen to be growing. There was still opportunity in those beds though and the first task was to make onion rings. That is, plant onions all around the edges of each raised bed. Roberta, Gus and Olivia started working on this in the polytunnel with other Feeding Ealing volunteers, pushing the bulbs into the ground.

Outside, Kash, Steph and Sevan would be adding supports from some climbing plants to grow big and strong. To do this, they needed to find some cut branches that were not too short, not too long, not to thin and not too thick. Luckily, they found some that were just right in a pile of previously cut branches. Those branches needed to be pushed into the soil of the raised bed, then tied to 2 trellis wires running the length of the bed, giving the branches support. The trio were joined by Gus and spent the rest of the task stringing the branches up.

"We're pole dancing?" - Kash
"String fellows? 🤭" - Sevan

Roberta and Olivia moved on to the beds outside, continuing to spread their onions all over the site 🧅. Olivia did an amazing job on her first GoodGym session. Welcome Olivia! 👋🎉

Joseph was so happy with the progress that he offered some of the early harvest to the team. They each had a few damsons straight off the tree and were given a crop of stripey courgettes to take home and enjoy 😋.

Today was a day of many butternuts. At Horsenden Farm, butternut squash pizzas were the most popular on the menu and it was butternut squash planting day at Feeding Ealing's site in North Greenford. It had been 2 months since GoodGym Ealing's last visit and there had been a huge change at the site. Inside and outside the polytunnel, there were lots of plants that had appeared. Onions, beetroots, carrots and courgette could all be seen reaching up to the leaden sky. Compare that to when we first arrived 12 months ago to a site that was full of weeds and rubble.

There were plenty of volunteers around today, all working on different tasks. Joseph came to explain how the GoodGymers could help and it involved planting 🌱. Woo! As is often the case, there was a catch. Before planting, some deep, wide holes would need to be dug.

"This soil hasn't been dug for a generation."
"It's virgin soil." - Joseph
"We'll be breaking new ground then." - Sevan

After a "generation" the soil was super compacted, so Joseph handed the trio a mattock, a fork and a tree planting spade, with instructions to use them in that order. There was an example hole already there that Sevan modelled for everyone to show the width and depth needed. Luckily no one filled the hole in with soil to leave him planted in the ground.

In just over an hour, 7 holes were started and 4 completed. Kash started with the mattock to turn over the top layer, followed by Sevan with the fork to loosen the soil and finally Steph with the spade to make the hole deep and wide enough to take the butternut squash plants. Ground breaking stuff!

The time left was used to do the promised planting. When the first hole was complete, Kash fetched one of the plants only to find that it was tiny. Why on earth were the holes so large?! Well, the holes were first given 2 spades of manure, then topped up with soil before the seedlings went in. Given how tough the old earth was, the large, nutritious column created by the GoodGymers would give the roots space to spread out and good ground to feed off.

Steph, Kash and Sevan were each able to plant their own seedling, with another large hole becoming home to a pear tree. Before leaving, Joseph suggested having a dinner later in the summer made with the produce from the allotment, including the - now baby - butternuts. That sounded tasty 😋.

If you want to join us next month to help Feeding Ealing with planting, weeding or general maintenance, sign up for our session here.

After a huge task at Horsenden Farm with WWF earlier in the day, Kash, Steph and Sevan arrived at Feeding Ealing's site not knowing what they'd find. When they saw the site, everything looked great. The teram that they laid down last time to hide the mud was gone. The mud underneath was gone too, replaced by firm, dry soil under foot and finally, there was soil in the raised beds.

So, what was today's task? Someone had dumped a huge pile of soil at the entrance and the ask was to:

1. Move it closer to the polytunnel
2. Top up the raised beds
3. Plant some okra seeds

Everyone got to work moving the soil, finding inventive ways to get it to the top of the main compost pile or into the raised beds. It was tough graft as the wheelbarrows were big and the soil was heavy, plus there was a nice slope leading uphill to the polytunnel area.

The team managed to shift most of the soil and the time came to plant the okra, but too late as it was already the end of toady's task. The okra seeds will need to wait for next time or, given the progress from one month to another, we might be planting something completely different.

After a great lunch session at Horsden farm and refuelled/reloaded with carbs, the SKS and not the SAS marched towards the new urban garden to meet Joseph who was on his own today. No Lions today, but the 4 were full of energy for another mission for the day. On arrival, we noticed a massive pile of soil : was this going to be todays mission? Near the poly tunnel, we met Joseph who explain why the garden was full of tracks and obviously very muddy. The heavy machinery he hired made a mess due to the water so very messy terrain. Task today was to lay down teram around the polytunnel to cover the muddy sections and allow the volunteers to walk without being sunk in the mud hole. The roll of teram was heavy and long but the team was able to lay out a great foundation and started putting palets against the fence. Then Sevan and Steph Ducat decided to have a bii of fun in the snow or what looked like snow. Ski, snowboarding on palets and doing snow angels!!!Joseph went to meet some locals who were interested in the community garden project. He said would be back shortly and had an exciting task for us!! Kash went to the cabin and came back with part of the mystery task from Joseph. Wheel barrow with nice soil for us. Once Joseph was back, he told us to go and choose a tree each in the polytunnel as we were going to plant each a new tree!! and Kash went for sweet cheery o mine and Steph Ducat for pear-menent class : 3 holes done and 2 cherry trees and 1 pear tree planted. We don't only demolish or take things down, we also generate and grow fruit and veg. Goal achieved at the new urban garden.

After the pizza party at Horseden, 4 goodgymers walked to the new urban garden that was nearby. All mudded up, they walked through massive water puddles and mud again to reach the garden which we have attended several times. Today was a big day as it was covering of the polytunnel : would we see the end of the tunnel? Upon arrival, we were surprised by the number of CIC volunteers who already erected the plastic over the metal frame, but there was still loads of work or fun. It was slip and slide in the beginning as soil was very muddy as loads of clay in this area and that doesn't mix up with plastic sheets like we discovered when you have running shoes full of mud : check outSteph Ducat trainers!! Paul can confirm as he had a close look at the soil...he went down, but was not hurt. The 4 goodgymers helped Joseph and the CIC crew pull on the massive plastic sheet and attach it down to wooden fixings with screws. It was slip and slide the session and the trainers were getting heavier and heavier with the clay that was collecting all sorts like the woodchip. Sevan , Mohamed and Paul started moving timber from the shed to the polytunnel. Then it was time for a break with hot drinks and lovely food.

Second session with Feeding Ealing CIC this afternoon with crafting the polytunnel. But as usual it was time to eat some lovely food. Paul wanted to try the Biryani, but they realised no rice...only veggies. After a short break the 4 goodgymers went back to the polytunnel with some slightly different tasks. Mohamed, Sevan and Paul went to the shed to move massive pieces of decking all the way to the new polytunnel until they had to move the ones that the CIC crew started painting earlier on in the day...painted cells!!! They had to be careful to avoid having paint all over them. Steph Ducat on the other hand went to help Joseph and a few CIC volunteers finish the fixing of the side of the polytunnel. At 430 PM, the team called it a day as getting dark, cold and as the plastic covering the tunnel was completed apart from the doors and the timber all safe in a dry area. All the runners had very heavy shoes...full of mud and clay.