Spokesperson Emma Green says if everyone with a garden planted at least one small tree, there would be more oxygen for everyone to breathe because trees act as an efficient filter that cleans the air we breathe.
She said: “Trees provide oxygen as a bi-product of photosynthesis and they store carbon dioxide rather than release it back into the air. Actually, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as ten people inhale in a year.”
Emma lists lots of reasons why trees are beneficial, including the fact they clean the soil by absorbing dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that have entered the soil. They then either store them or change them into less harmful forms.
On top of that, trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls and they help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
Shade from trees reduces temperatures in summer – studies have shown that parts of towns without cooling shade from trees can suffer from temperatures up to seven degrees centigrade higher than surrounding areas.
And of course, trees provide habitat for birds and animals, shade to encourage certain plants to grow and privacy for the garden, while some produce berries for birds.
Emma said: “There can even be an increase in property values when trees beautify a property or neighbourhood – we’ve heard figures of home values increasing by 15% or more.
“Even small gardens can take a tree if the right shape and size is chosen. Many people think of just big trees like the oak, but there are much smaller varieties available for smaller gardens like crab apples, acers, flowering cherry and Sorbus.”
She said the fear of roots growing too wide and near a home is exaggerated and limited to trees like ash and Weeping Willow that like damp areas, which the roots hunt out.
The Golden Acres group operates four garden centres around Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - each of them stocks a large selection of trees.
Photography by Phil Dowding. www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk
