Spreading wings out to West Barnet, two game Goodgymmers made their way to Hendon's nature reserve and reservoir, the Welsh Harp, for a plogging session organised by the Friends of the Welsh Harp. There, they were joined by around 30 others on a lovely late autumn sunny Sunday, to help clean up this beautiful green space and the only Site of Special Scientific Interest in Barnet and Brent combined.

It was great to see Cherian at the event, her first mission in a while, and one that took place almost on her doorstep. We're hoping to do more for Friends of Green Spaces in Colindale and Hendon in future.

Between everyone, the event gathered around 90 bags of rubbish, making the Harp cleaner and healthier for everyone, including the birds, to enjoy.

This wonderful group of Andy, Cherian, and Max (and me) spent our morning: moving leaves > digging compost > finding avocado skins > bagging compost > discovering rusty bolts > learning how to detangle chicken wire > bashing sticks into ground > and (after it all) admiring our new wired pen for mulching leaves!

Thank you, all, for your work and fun this morning - you made a meaningful and lasting difference, and I know this pen will be much enjoyed and used over the coming years!

Thank you! And to next time!

YouTube - if you ask for the right things - is quite the haven for gardening advice.

You can learn to mow and grow - or weed and seed - and there's a particularly healthy glut of guidance on planting.

I know this because I started my Saturday by searching (YouTube): how to plant bulbs

I watched several videos.

I was particularly impressed with Geoff from Australia, who demonstrated every conceivable tool one could use to dig a hole (for a bulb), before I realised his real interest was to sell the BULB-DEMON-2000 (which does, I admit, drill a hole in perhaps 2 seconds)

I left for the special Barnfield and Woodfield Estate feeling decidedly under-confident, especially without a BULB-DEMON-2000

Yet my anxieties were calmed as I met Mike, Lucy and Sedef (on their first GoodGym good deeds - a huge welcome!!), and we started the morning by collecting spades and taking them to a freshly mown autumn lawn.

We were soon joined by Alison, Caitlin, Cherian, and Nivia, and Mike (with my anxiety fading) showed us the bulb-planting to-dos with calm and poise. And I nodded in a way that suggested I knew all about this.

Dividing gorgeous spring bulbs (delectable types of daffodil) and spades, our group (with Barnfield resident, Callum, and Steve joining too) swiftly got to digging turf pockets, making roomy space, and planting our spring flowers to come.

With pastries and coffee to finish, we said our farewells :)

I feel excited about returning in March to see what nature does with our efforts! Thank you so much, everyone, for your time and work - I had a super lovely time and hope you did too!

Here's to next time!

Gardening in front of a grade 1 heritage!

Cherian met up Simon at Thorlands Gardens after he was expecting 3 GoodGymers, but was thankful that even one showed up. Cherian helped him replant random 'Jerusalem Artichokes', which had been dug up from the Kitchen Garden last week. They also turned the bed which had the artichokes and watered it as it had become very dry after Friday's heatwave day. They also gave the same treatment to the beds in the Wild Garden. Finally, they gave a liquid feed to the banana tree (which now has five leaves, each new one bigger than the last). Cherian stayed for three hours as they kept on going. They took off some low lying branches off the Acer tree which was blocking gate. Finally, they went back to the Walled Garden to turn over the compost and add chopped stems and leaves for aeration and nitrogen. A great session in two!