The health-giving benefits of nature cannot be under-estimated

As a Woodland team member and even as a young sapling growing up in the countryside of Cumbria, trees have always fascinated me. Whether it’s climbing them, swinging from them or just staring up in awe at the ones that are so high they seem to be touching the sky, I've always enjoyed being among them.

Their usefulness to humans as a whole is mind boggling - not just the timber and paper they produce, but also their properties, in particular, their power to heal. Here are a few of my favourites:

The humble lime tree (Tilia cordata ), which you will see all over our landscape - in parks, gardens and in cities where they are often used to create avenues of trees - are distinguished by their mass of branches at the base of the tree (epicormic growth). They scent the air beautifully in July with their flowers which contain oils such as tannins, mucilage and flavonoids. The flowers can be made into a tea which can positively affect the nervous and circulatory systems, soothing anxiety and tension and aiding sleep when taken at night. It can help to open up the circulation of the blood to the skin, which encourages sweating in cases where a fever has occurred. Other positive effects include its ability to help lower high blood pressure by reducing tension in the muscle layer of blood vessels; it is also reported to help with healing damaged linings in blood vessels.

The Horse Chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum) - more commonly known as the conker tree - can also be used in conjunction with vodka to make a gel to soothe varicose veins. This autumn when your little kids - and even some of you big kids out there - are playing with conkers, spare a thought for this humble tree and its amazing abilities. The seeds contain a compound that has been shown to help the walls of the veins, therefore improving circulation and returning blood back to the heart.

The Ginko Bilboa is another tree worthy of mention for its healing properties. This tree's fossil records indicate it pre-dated the dinosaur era and has managed to survive unchanged for all those years. Nearly every part of the tree contains medicinal properties - the leaves supply the most - and its main function is to relax the blood vessels and simulate the circulatory system. It is believed to aid mental function by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Many of today’s pharmaceuticals come from trees: willow bark is used in aspirin and yews, even though they are very poisonous, are a source of taxol which is used in the treatment of some cancers.

In addition to the medicinal benefits of many trees, research has also shown that simply spending time in a green space and enjoying the beauty of a woodland can actually aid recovery by reducing stress and blood pressure levels and boosting emotional and physical wellbeing.

There are so many reasons to love trees - be it their medicinal properties, their sheer size, their ability to outlive us by hundreds of years - or perhaps just their natural beauty in our landscape which can make us feel better without even realising it.

JOBS TO DO

• Start bed preparation by adding mature mulching ready for crops

• Start sowing your tomatoes indoors

• Cut back side shoots of wisteria ,pruning to two to three buds

• Prune summer flowering shrubs that flower on current’s years growth such as hydrangea

For more information on things to do in the garden this month visit rhs.org.uk

DIARY DATES

The Handbags and Gladrags Exhibition

24 February – 15 March

Find a unique hand-made gift for your mum, or just to treat yourself - choose from jewellery, handbags, toiletries, clothing and more.

 

The Weekend Art Fair

Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 March (Mother’s Day)

Over 40 local artists will be showcasing their talents and offering original work, prints and cards featuring a range of mediums and styles.