Wednesday 30th September 2026 - Yarmouth Green, Yarmouth GG #1099

 Terry's photos

Quite rightly, they're very proud of their work

 

This photo has been copied from the blog of April 2018!

A beautiful day at a beautiful venue!  We are very fortunate….  This week we were helping the Yarmouth Harbourmaster with managing the green.  The area we concentrated on was at the corner of the car park where historically there had been a bench with a woven willow screen and trees behind it.  GG had been involved in the creation of the space for the bench and planting of trees there – see link –

Isle of Wight Green Gym - Official Blog.: Wed 18th Jan 2017 - Yarmouth Green. GG # 668.

However, time takes its toll – the bench had rotted away, the trees have grown and become entangled with bramble. 

GG-ers set to with loppers and bowsaws.  All the trees had quite a trim and the brambles were pulled out.  The space was opened up, and all litter was cleared from the area.  The remains of the willow screen can be seen.  All arisings were put into piles for the Harbourmaster’s team to remove at a later stage.

An additional task was that of ‘planting’ a BioTotem (a bee hotel in ordinary language).  This turned out to be quite a job as the ground was extremely hard due both to the chalky subsoil and the hot summer we have had.  After a lot of effort, a deep hole was dug and the BioTotem lowered into it.  It was then carefully wedged into place with hardcore and with the aid of a spirit level the team kept it straight.  Finally, loose soil was compacted around the base.  Success!

Apologies for the late posting of this blog – we have had some technical issues and you may notice it is not showing as it usually does.

Thank you to Terry for the photos.

Wednesday 23rd September 2026 - Play Lane Millennium Green, Ryde GG #1098

 Terry's photos

New Zealand Pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii)

Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis)

We spent a lovely autumnal morning working in the butterfly meadow area of Play Lane Millennium Green helping to rake up cut grass and clear other unwanted greenery.  The grass was cleared away (and the ground scarified) so that it would not compost and add nutrients to the soil, thereby encouraging wildflower seeds to germinate.  Bramble roots were grubbed out by mattock and also cut back from the edges of the meadow.  Clumps of devil’s-bit scabious and hawksbeard were retained so that they could set seed.  Stalks of rosebay willowherb had been cut, and their seeds were to be scattered over the ground after our session.

Concern had been raised about the New Zealand pygmyweed growing in the pond area.  The springs over this site vary their course over time and the pond is currently dry (exacerbated by our hot summer) so this is a good time to remove as much as possible.  See link -

New Zealand Pigmyweed Invasive Species | Canal & River Trust

All removed material was put into a plastic sack where it will rot down.  This is a very invasive non-native plant which can regrow from tiny fragments.

(Please note that spelling varies – pygmyweed or pigmyweed!)

Devil’s-bit scabious is so named (according to folklore) because the root terminates abruptly as if bitten off, allegedly, by the Devil!

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Path update......

 

We last visited this site in April and worked along this central pathway through the woods - see link below.  

Isle of Wight Green Gym - Official Blog.: Wednesday 29th April 2026 - Play Lane Millennium Green, Ryde GG #1078

The area had been very boggy; a drainage pipe was installed and the pathway extended and encroaching plants cut back.  It has now dried out and much improved.

Thank you to Terry for the photos and to Rose (PLMG Trustee) for the biscuits.

Wednesday 16th September 2026 - Mottistone Manor, Mottistone GG #1097

 Terry's photos

Beautiful Mottistone Manor

Bee on Sedum Spectabile

We returned to lovely Mottistone Manor for the 2^nd week running to continue with the work in the lower garden.  The beds and borders, unfortunately, have received little attention over the past year and were choked with bramble, bindweed and yarrow.  Just for once we didn’t have to deal with all the arisings – they were put onto tarpaulins/into bags and the staff were going to remove them after we left….

It was a glorious morning in a beautiful setting – possibly one of our favourite sessions this year!

Thank you to Terry for the photos and to NT Mottistone Manor for the refreshments.

Wednesday 9th September 2026 - Mottistone Manor, Mottistone GG #1096

 The word of the week this week is fibonacci! I'll come back to that.

The beautiful gardens here at the National Trusts's Mottistone Manor were rather inundated with flood water last year during a number of torrential storms. Water ran off of the downland carrying soil and material and the deluge ended up in the lower garden; naturally that rendering it unusable and this remained the case for a number of months. The work has begun to restore the area and visitors can now return to wander amongst the flowers and shrubs and admire beds laid out in a Fibonacci Spiral. There is that word again. A previous Head Gardener designed the beds using this pattern, one found quite often in nature. An Example

See this BBC Bitesize info on the subject. 

We set about defining the edges and weeding within the pattern. Quite horticultural stuff for us to be honest, but it was lovely to work here and we were made so welcome. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Manor!