The Green Standard

22/08/2026

Saturday Plants by The Green Standard IOW planting. Strulch Garden Mulch

21/08/2026

Another planting plan ready to go for tomorrow morning. 💚👌🏼

21/08/2026

This isn't merely someone saying “El Niño might happen”. El Niño is already underway, and the latest official assessment says a very strong event is highly likely.

That means checking drainage, mulching deeply, improving soil rather than continually feeding plants, collecting rainwater, stabilising newly planted trees, checking fences/trellis, reducing wind-rock risk, avoiding overly lush late-season nitrogen growth and choosing autumn plantings that can cope with both drought and winter saturation.

I'd start treating autumn 2026 through spring 2027 as a resilience season.

Alan
The Green Standard

20/08/2026

Has anyone on the Island taken an aerial photo of their property over the dry spell?

One fascinating consequence of prolonged dry weather is the appearance of what are sometimes called “ghost gardens.”

At Newby Hall in North Yorkshire, drought conditions have revealed the footprint of former Victorian parterre gardens that were removed in the 1920s.

Buried walls, paths and previously disturbed ground affect how moisture is retained beneath the lawn. As the surrounding grass dries at different rates, the geometry of the long-lost garden briefly becomes visible again.

I find this fascinating because it demonstrates just how much information sits beneath our feet. Soil structure, historic cultivation and old landscaping can continue influencing a garden decades, even centuries, later.

Has anyone taken an aerial shot of their property and discovered a ghost garden?

20/08/2026

Echium ‘Pink Fountain’ looking rather spectacular 💗

A limited number of these beauties have just been added to our website. A real statement plant, with towering spires of soft pink flowers that the pollinators absolutely love.

Isle of Wight grown by us 🌱

Limited availability, once they’re gone, they’re gone!

https://plantsbythegreenstandardiow.co.uk

20/08/2026

What does a resilient garden actually look like?

This summer has been a difficult one for gardeners across the UK and this article from The Dirt captures something that often gets overlooked, the pressure isn’t only on the plants.
Professional gardeners are making constant decisions about water, planting, working hours, client expectations and, increasingly, what can realistically be saved.

Here on the Isle of Wight, that reinforces something we talk about regularly at The Green Standard resilience is not about finding a handful of “drought-proof” plants and assuming the problem is solved.

It is about understanding the whole site.
Soil. Drainage. Aspect. Exposure. Winter wet. Summer drought. Coastal wind. Existing plant performance. And then applying that most important horticultural principle of Right plant, Right place.

Gardens will evolve as our weather changes. The goal shouldn’t necessarily be perfection through every extreme, it should be creating gardens that are better equipped to cope, recover and continue supporting both people and wildlife.

A very worthwhile read for anyone interested in where British gardening may be heading.

https://thedirt.news/the-limits-of-resilience-gardeners-under-pressure/

How are gardeners really coping with a summer of extreme heat and drought? The Dirt speaks to Philippa Burrough, Pat Havers, Darran Jaques, Jenny Barnes and ...

19/08/2026

Another threat to Britain’s ash trees!

Many of us are already familiar with ash dieback, caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. But another fungus, Diplodia fraxini, has now been added to the UK Plant Health Risk Register following evidence that it may be becoming increasingly damaging.

The important point is that this is not the same disease as ash dieback. Diplodia fraxini can cause cankers, dead tissue, discoloured wood, and dieback of shoots and branches, symptoms that can make diagnosis difficult when a tree may also be dealing with drought stress, root damage, or existing ash dieback.

For gardeners and landowners on the Isle of Wight, the message is not to panic, but to observe. Sudden crown thinning, unusual bark lesions, dead branches, or deterioration that seems different from typical ash dieback are all worth taking seriously.

Trees close to roads, paths, buildings, or public areas should be assessed by a suitably qualified arboricultural professional if there are concerns.
Our ash trees are already under enormous pressure, so awareness and early observation matter.