It was the first session of the year at the Community Allotment, and we couldn't have picked a lovelier evening. Anna and Sheila set straight to work, tasked with freeing the fig plants from in amongst the weeds. We filled 3 trugs with cleavers, brambles and nettles, which did their best to fight back. The figs can now grow on, unimpeded. In the remaining time; we gave the raspberry beds a quick weed too

The community allotment task was cancellled so seven intrepid good gymers and a dog (Flora) set off in the sleet and snow to pick up rubbish. They searched gutters, delved high and low in hedges and scanned the green spaces to fill up five bags before returning to the meeting place. They celebrated with delicious marble chocolate cake baked by Jess before setting off for home!

10 Goodgymers made their way to the Maidenhead community allotment to help with numerous tasks including digging out and moving an apple tree and replanting a plum tree in its place

Firstly we welcomed the wonderful Reading Goodgym members who straight away got dug in and did a grape job of emptying the raised beds of soil ready for a new glass house to be installed in its place

A smaller but still perfectly formed group of t(h)ree started by digging out the apple tree and replanting it in the fruit triangle- they then dug a hole big enough to plant the plum tree. I appleause them for their hard (apple) core work

Once the fruit trees had been relocated everyone peeled over to the fruit triangle to start to remove brambles and nettles.

Satisfied with our nights work we made our way home. Until next time

Jess, Kelley and Nicola enjoyed a chatty hour in the sunshine, taking down the runner beans and collecting the seeds ready for next year. We had a bit of help moving the sticks (from Rosie the dog) and then made a good start on emptying soil from the bed, which is going to be replaced eventually by a greenhouse.

The community allotment certainly didn't need watering this evening, the sky having done that little job for us. it was lovely to welcome Neeta to her first session here, accompanied by her two furry friends. Coco and Bella were very put out at being left in the car, even if they could see us through the window. We set to work removing the dwarf beans from bed 7, and then covered the bed with weed-suppressant membrane, and weighed it down with bricks and stones. In the remaining time, we gave the beds a quick weed

At the community allotment today, Georgeta and Sheila dismantled the purple beans, which had finished now. The structure was dismantled and the canes stored for re-use. We then joined Abbi who was busy shovelling the soil out of one of the raised beds to eventually make way for a greenhouse. We distributed several barrowloads of soil around three other beds. Great work, everyone!