If your lawn has gone brown and your trees are looking stressed this summer, you’re not imagining it. Hort News reported this week that growers across the country are battling one of the driest, hottest stretches in years, with water companies in the south east and east of England rolling out hosepipe bans as reservoirs and rivers come under sustained pressure.

It’s easy to think of that as a farming problem, but the same conditions affect the trees and gardens around every home on the Isle of Wight. Prolonged heat and lack of rain put real stress on root systems, and a tree that’s been quietly struggling underground can shed limbs or become unstable with surprisingly little warning — often just when families are spending the most time outdoors.

Consultants quoted in the report point out that this pattern isn’t a one-off: the last three warmest springs on record have all happened in the last three years. That’s a strong argument for treating garden and tree care as an ongoing job rather than something to think about only when a branch comes down.

With hosepipe restrictions likely in parts of the country this summer, the sensible approach is to prioritise watering for young or newly planted trees, mulch borders to lock in what moisture there is, and get an established tree checked over if it’s showing signs of dieback, cracking bark or leaning that wasn’t there last year — rather than waiting until there’s an obvious problem.

ARB Advice has been providing tree surgery and wider garden services across the Isle of Wight for years, and can advise on exactly which trees need attention before the heat causes lasting damage. If you're concerned about a tree on your property, or simply want your garden ready for whatever this summer throws at it, visit arbadvice.co.uk/ to arrange a visit.