On Monday Goodgym returned to the familiar greenery at Park Lane, where a regular Goodgym collaborator Elaine manages a little patch of wild plants, carefully curated to boost biodiversity and air quality. After our midwinter efforts to de-nettle the site, we were this time set to spreading fresh mulch all over the site, to prepare the soil for Spring, and keep the weeds at bay. From the outset this was likely to be a two-parter task, but we launched into it as best we could, to cut the mountain of mulch down to size, so it could later be spread more evenly over the site. As per the Goodgym way, we collected a little litter as we worked away, including even the titular marsupial mascot for this task (see pictures). We didn't quite finish the mulch moving this week, but Goodgym will return next week to finish the job, and I'm sure we'll be back working with Elaine more too as the days grow longer and her plants begin to flourish again.

This Monday we were back are Park Lane with Elaine from Urban Green Up, helping to lay mulch on the site to avoid the weeds taking over. Elaine was expecting some contractors the very next day so we had to work swiftly to ensure the site was ready for them to start work.

Upon arrival Elaine couldn't wait to show us her new toy - a foldable trolley! This really came in handy with transporting the mulch from the huge pile on the street (the pictures really don't do it justice!) to the other end of the site where it was needed.

We split into teams with one team shoveling and moving bags of mulch and the other raking the mulch out to cover the necessary areas.

We didn't quite manage to move all of the mulch but the sight was looking much neater by the time we left. Well done everyone - we can't wait to see what the summer brings for his amazing space!

The return to Urban Green Up

Following on from last week we returned and once more double gloved we carried on where we left off last week - the nettles were very much depleted after last weeks task and we took on other tall unwanted plants uncovering more and more smaller plants and some flowers. Elaine, as always, was on hand for plant identification when we were unsure. Bags of litter were picked up and in amongst the plants lay a broken toy guitar an echo of last week's pun perhaps.

By the end of the task the site looked transformed by our two sessions - many hands make light work

And talking of light - Being near to November the 5th there were a lot of fireworks to be seen and heard but the bright sparks working at Urban Green Up were the best show of all. Some people stopped to find out about us gardening at night with torches. Its all in a Goodgymmer's Monday night of course.

Thank you Elaine for having us.

This evening was a first of a two part task.

We were faced with a forest of nettles that needed to be liberated to the weed pile in order that other plants could breathe and see the light. Even the path was obscured by them in some parts.

On the outskirts of the plot on the pavement was a significant amount of leaves which if left would have ended up a slippery mess in the next rainfall.

So we set to it with brushes loppers spades and all double gloved (thank you Elaine for the loan of marigolds to put under our gardening gloves).

The nights have drawn in and we worked under torch light - it feels a very warm feeling to see glows of lights and hear the chat of Goodgymmers we can brighten any dark night I reckon.

Jake was on form tonight coming up with tonights pun and managed to get another one in as he was sweeping the leaves up - saying 'Leaf me to it'. (And a huge well done for 40 tasks completed Jake)

We managed to clear the path and a significant about of nettles uncovering many smaller bushes and plants that will have the space and light to grow now and a ladybird!

We will be back for part 2 next week

Our booked task had been cancelled however Elaine stepped in and invited us to do some work on the Park Lane site. We havent been here for a while and when we arrived we were met with the sight of a large amount of triffid like plants... ok i exaggerate a little but they were very tall himalayan balsam plants. Elaine who always talks us through what we are going to do and why explained that these are an invasive plant that is just taking over the plot and the other plants are being swamped by them. Go Goodgymmers!

We spent the evening making our way through the forest of balsam often only being able to locate each other by the sound of our sneezes. it was one of those nights that a focused effort and good teamwork meant that by the end we had managed to reduce the triffid like forest significantly. Thank you Elaine for stepping in at the last minute and booking us at short notice.

Dike, Sophie and Sallyann ran to the task, the rest of us met at the garden on the corner of Blundell street and Wapping. For a lot of Good Gymers the last time they had seen the garden was in the dark so it was lovely to see it in the beautiful early evening sun with so much in bloom.

Elaine was there to explain what was growing. Ema commented that the garden had the look of a hot climate garden and Elaine said that care had been taken to grow a variety of plants that could survive any climate. She said that the garden also had late bloomers so, when the rest of Liverpool has stopped flowering, the bees can come here for a late season party. There was towering globe artichoke, Fennel, Evening Primrose and lots of Salvia. There was an alpine sea holly that was such a vivid blue, if you’d painted it you’d be told that the colour was too vibrant. There was Jerusalem Sage that had pretty bulbed heads on stalks which apparently turns yellow in late summer. Elaine said that this shrub had spent some time spreading its roots before flowering. Elaine has to decide which plants are taking over the space but she said that now it is more about taking plants out that are getting too prolific rather than planting new ones.

And so, to the job in hand, which pesky plants are we culling this evening? Elaine explained to us that it was the grass that was taking over. She explained it was the flat leaf grass we wanted rid of and other varieties were ornamental and should stay. We set about rooting out this grass and some of us litter picked. The site is right next to a fast food restaurant so litter is a problem. While we were working a young lad went passed on his bike and shouted, ‘because of people like you, the world is a better place!’