It was satisfying to spend time restoring Mr J’s front garden to a tidy state and even better to see the smile on his face once the bindweed and litter had been cleared. Mr J explained that previously he had felt his spirits sink each time he went outside because, due to a painful disability, he had been unable himself to tackle the work needed. Now he says he feels motivated to get a bit of welcome exercise and fresh air doing occasional light gardening to keep everything looking neat. And with his fence no longer choked by weeds, he can arrange for it to be repaired.

Poor Millie has broken her toe - so our helpful Linda nipped over to get the toolshed key and we swapped the Cator Park task for one at Alexandra Rec. We started the meetup with a quick chat about 'favourite smells' - inspired by petrichor smell of the earth when the rain starts. Favourites in the group were quite specific and ranged from the New Zealand bush, to painting memories, and nail varnish! We headed off doing just a little loop, and dodging raindrops, and met Merrin and Linda at the park, where we set about mulching the new hedgerow trees that had been weeded just a few weeks back but now needed protecting from the recent hot dry weather. The little bits of rain the last couple of days made it the perfect time to wheelbarrow mulch over to the trees and hold some of that moisture in, to give them a fighting chance this summer. We got quite a few barrows ferried over and added to the rows of trees in between chats about holidays, the weather (of course) and even ChatGPT! Thanks all and see you again soon - another great job :)

Under cloudless skies and with the temperature approaching 30 degrees, I gave the grass in Ms M’s back garden a quick trim with the mower then loaded the clippings into her brown bin for composting – before retreating back into the shade! When I left to collect my bike, I also pulled up a few weeds from the driveway and had a chat with Ms M while admiring her sweet pea plants. Once this latest spell of extreme weather passes, she'll be able to enjoy her outside space knowing everything is neat and tidy.

Armed with buckets and united in our determination to protect 350 saplings from extremely dry weather, I joined a feisty gang of volunteers gathered in Ladywell Fields beside the River Ravensbourne where a new hedgerow was recently planted. We hauled water from the river and carried it to pour on the thirsty roots of the young trees, ensuring they can continue to thrive despite the drought. With no rain forecast for a while, next watering session is scheduled for Saturday 28 June.