1 00:00:34,848 --> 00:00:38,151 LINDA STUART: Being here and being able to just sit quietly 2 00:00:38,811 --> 00:00:45,216 and have this wonderful vision of colour and light, it was just 3 00:00:45,316 --> 00:00:49,480 very calming and helped me to get a sense of perspective on 4 00:00:49,481 --> 00:00:52,102 what lay ahead and what was going to happen to me and to 5 00:00:52,162 --> 00:00:56,685 feel hopeful and sure that I would survive. Really, I don't 6 00:00:56,805 --> 00:00:59,828 know how I would have managed without being able to come here. 7 00:01:03,190 --> 00:01:05,236 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Let's get something straight. You don't 8 00:01:05,276 --> 00:01:09,816 have to be a gardener to enjoy being in a garden. Hi, I'm 9 00:01:09,876 --> 00:01:13,296 Ranger Rosie Holdsworth and I love being outdoors, wherever 10 00:01:13,316 --> 00:01:16,856 that may be. For today's episode, I'm handing you over to 11 00:01:16,916 --> 00:01:20,316 Heather Burkett, who's Gardens And Outdoor Manager at Acorn 12 00:01:20,376 --> 00:01:24,476 Bank in Cumbria. She's going to find out more about how being in 13 00:01:24,556 --> 00:01:26,396 gardens has so many benefits. 14 00:01:28,036 --> 00:01:30,956 Heather's meeting Linda Stuart at Packwood in the West 15 00:01:30,996 --> 00:01:31,476 Midlands. 16 00:01:33,224 --> 00:01:37,187 Linda's a mum, a wife, a granny who's faced her fair share of 17 00:01:37,207 --> 00:01:38,148 challenges in life. 18 00:01:39,609 --> 00:01:42,692 But on three separate occasions, she credits the gardens we're 19 00:01:42,693 --> 00:01:44,473 visiting today with saving her. 20 00:01:46,955 --> 00:01:51,598 Welcome to the Wild Tale of green therapy, the healing power 21 00:01:51,699 --> 00:01:52,379 of gardens. 22 00:02:04,568 --> 00:02:06,468 HEATHER BIRKETT: Just entered the 23 00:02:06,468 --> 00:02:08,348 most exquisite walled garden. 24 00:02:10,488 --> 00:02:14,408 Masses of grasses and purple flowers really shining in the 25 00:02:14,448 --> 00:02:15,288 early morning light. 26 00:02:17,228 --> 00:02:21,508 And I can follow the path up to a big square garden full of 27 00:02:21,968 --> 00:02:26,988 immaculately trimmed topiary yew trees. They really are 28 00:02:27,028 --> 00:02:27,748 fantastic. 29 00:02:31,292 --> 00:02:34,855 And through years and years of pruning and trimming, you can 30 00:02:34,915 --> 00:02:39,218 end up with these dense, solid sculptural objects that really 31 00:02:39,298 --> 00:02:43,542 add dimensions of height and grandeur to a garden. 32 00:02:46,164 --> 00:02:51,008 But also, what a fantastic place to play in. I can just imagine 33 00:02:51,048 --> 00:02:53,169 playing hide and seek in here with my kids. 34 00:02:55,756 --> 00:02:59,219 And speaking of hide and seek, I feel I may have a bit of a game 35 00:02:59,220 --> 00:03:03,522 on my hands to find Linda. But she's given me a clue to meet 36 00:03:03,602 --> 00:03:04,963 her by the Master Yew. 37 00:03:06,544 --> 00:03:09,847 And just a hundred metres or so through the yews, she was, of 38 00:03:09,887 --> 00:03:11,709 course, where she said she would be. 39 00:03:14,250 --> 00:03:15,892 Hello, you must be Linda. 40 00:03:16,232 --> 00:03:16,752 LINDA STUART: Oh, hi. 41 00:03:16,753 --> 00:03:18,674 HEATHER BIRKETT: How lovely to meet you. I'm Heather. You're a 42 00:03:18,734 --> 00:03:19,795 regular visitor here. 43 00:03:20,095 --> 00:03:22,297 LINDA STUART: Well, I'm here pretty much every day, Heather, 44 00:03:22,357 --> 00:03:26,137 actually. The first time I drove through the gates I was 45 00:03:26,477 --> 00:03:29,900 instantly drawn and I've remained very attached to 46 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:31,601 Packwood over 40 years. 47 00:03:32,382 --> 00:03:37,766 I've moved down here in the 1970s from Newcastle. My husband 48 00:03:37,866 --> 00:03:41,429 got a job as a local GP. We used to come when the children were 49 00:03:41,430 --> 00:03:45,212 little and they particularly liked the yew tree garden. I 50 00:03:45,213 --> 00:03:49,115 mean, they knew the story, you know, Jesus and the feeding of 51 00:03:49,116 --> 00:03:53,440 the multitude with five loaves and two fishes. And they loved 52 00:03:53,441 --> 00:03:58,600 the idea that these trees represented the multitudes. And 53 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,820 the large oak, well, they used to call it the Jesus tree. 54 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:05,420 They also used to love tearing around the place and playing 55 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:08,640 hide and seek. But their favourite game, particularly for 56 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:13,340 my son, was to tear up the pathway that leads the top of 57 00:04:13,341 --> 00:04:17,360 the Jesus tree and be the first one to get to the top. So it was 58 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,160 really part of my life as a young mother, really. 59 00:04:20,420 --> 00:04:21,700 HEATHER BIRKETT: Did it feel like a second home? 60 00:04:21,740 --> 00:04:25,110 LINDA STUART: Oh absolutely. Packwood is my second home. It 61 00:04:25,130 --> 00:04:28,413 doesn't feel like a second home. It is my second home. So I'm 62 00:04:28,473 --> 00:04:31,655 here most days. Now I've got grandchildren. I spend quite a 63 00:04:31,656 --> 00:04:35,158 bit of time in London, but when I'm home, I come here. 64 00:04:35,679 --> 00:04:37,520 HEATHER BIRKETT: But as well as turning to Packwood in her 65 00:04:37,620 --> 00:04:40,923 happiest times, Linda has used the garden to get through some 66 00:04:41,003 --> 00:04:44,766 really tough times in her life. The first when her youngest 67 00:04:44,826 --> 00:04:48,849 child, her son, has some devastating news in his 20s. 68 00:04:49,429 --> 00:04:53,296 LINDA STUART: When he was 24 was diagnosed with cancer. He had to 69 00:04:53,537 --> 00:04:57,550 have surgery in London and he came to live at home and had 70 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:01,714 chemotherapy. A diagnosis of cancer is a terrible shock to 71 00:05:01,715 --> 00:05:05,354 the individual and to a family. And you feel that your life's 72 00:05:05,374 --> 00:05:08,774 been fractured and control's been taken away from you. And 73 00:05:08,775 --> 00:05:12,054 you get very fearful and anxious and worried. 74 00:05:12,554 --> 00:05:15,314 It's like you're in a foreign country. You don't have a map to 75 00:05:15,374 --> 00:05:18,834 find your way around. People speak a different language, you 76 00:05:18,835 --> 00:05:23,874 know, about markers and blood tests. I remember coming here in 77 00:05:23,894 --> 00:05:27,902 the days before he started his chemotherapy. I think it's well 78 00:05:27,942 --> 00:05:31,042 known now, isn't it, that actually being in green spaces, 79 00:05:31,482 --> 00:05:35,302 being in gardens, being in nature generally, it's really 80 00:05:35,422 --> 00:05:39,182 good for your physical health and your mental health in 81 00:05:39,242 --> 00:05:43,782 everyday life. But I think that it's particularly true when 82 00:05:43,842 --> 00:05:46,782 you're struggling with a personal crisis, a family 83 00:05:46,862 --> 00:05:47,502 crisis. 84 00:05:48,302 --> 00:05:53,622 Being in this space helped me to cope with that crisis. This 85 00:05:53,722 --> 00:05:58,352 garden, I think, has been in existence for centuries and I 86 00:05:58,372 --> 00:06:02,455 remember thinking that women like me have probably come to 87 00:06:02,495 --> 00:06:06,719 this place over centuries and they've been mothers and they 88 00:06:06,739 --> 00:06:10,902 would have worries and concerns and they would come here and 89 00:06:11,062 --> 00:06:12,443 unburden themselves probably. 90 00:06:12,843 --> 00:06:16,486 And that I was just one person in a whole sort of history of 91 00:06:16,526 --> 00:06:20,589 women struggling with the problems that life brings. And 92 00:06:20,649 --> 00:06:23,952 so it helps you to get things into perspective. It's so 93 00:06:24,352 --> 00:06:29,040 difficult here not to lose yourself into the landscape. And 94 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,923 it's a very calming and restorative landscape for me. 95 00:06:36,286 --> 00:06:38,307 HEATHER BIRKETT: There's something about spending time, 96 00:06:38,768 --> 00:06:44,612 quiet time, in green spaces that is a gentle kind of peace, isn't 97 00:06:44,672 --> 00:06:48,175 it? With the background noise of the bees buzzing and the 98 00:06:48,215 --> 00:06:50,657 lawnmower going in the background. That gives you 99 00:06:50,717 --> 00:06:52,138 something to focus on, I think. 100 00:06:52,298 --> 00:06:52,519 LINDA STUART: Yes. 101 00:06:52,739 --> 00:06:55,081 HEATHER BIRKETT: Allows your mind to switch off that internal 102 00:06:55,121 --> 00:06:55,581 monologue. 103 00:06:56,058 --> 00:06:59,421 LINDA STUART: And just being silent, being quiet, actually 104 00:06:59,581 --> 00:07:00,962 stills your mind. 105 00:07:03,584 --> 00:07:05,986 HEATHER BIRKETT: Linda's son goes on to make a full recovery, 106 00:07:06,586 --> 00:07:10,589 and he's now in his 40s with a family of his own. But it isn't 107 00:07:10,590 --> 00:07:13,372 the only family crisis Linda is to face. 108 00:07:14,573 --> 00:07:18,836 Life is about to throw another diagnosis her way, and this time 109 00:07:18,976 --> 00:07:19,717 it's her own. 110 00:07:22,359 --> 00:07:25,659 As we head away from the Jesus tree and back towards the house. 111 00:07:26,119 --> 00:07:29,702 It becomes clear Linda turns to a different part of the garden 112 00:07:29,782 --> 00:07:31,383 to help her cope this time. 113 00:07:33,705 --> 00:07:36,928 Packwood is a garden of many different spaces. Is there 114 00:07:36,948 --> 00:07:40,491 particular places here that mean more to you than others, apart 115 00:07:40,511 --> 00:07:41,712 from the Jesus you? 116 00:07:41,772 --> 00:07:44,714 LINDA STUART: Yes, yeah, well particularly these borders I 117 00:07:44,734 --> 00:07:45,034 think. 118 00:07:45,575 --> 00:07:48,397 HEATHER BIRKETT: What I'm looking at the minute at is the 119 00:07:48,497 --> 00:07:53,575 golden yellow of Stipa gigantea, peppered through with purples of 120 00:07:53,675 --> 00:07:56,998 sages and oreganos, the little bit of silver here and there. 121 00:07:57,739 --> 00:07:59,820 LINDA STUART: I'm really impressed that you have all the 122 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,084 botanical names. I don't. But at the height of summer, you get 123 00:08:04,824 --> 00:08:11,009 some vivid oranges, some bright oranges and some reds. You get a 124 00:08:11,109 --> 00:08:14,932 lovely view of the borders if you sit on the benches in front 125 00:08:14,933 --> 00:08:15,513 of the house. 126 00:08:15,713 --> 00:08:17,994 HEATHER BIRKETT: And it's this spot Linda turns to when she 127 00:08:18,054 --> 00:08:20,036 gets her own devastating news. 128 00:08:21,154 --> 00:08:26,478 LINDA STUART: So in 2013, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. 129 00:08:26,558 --> 00:08:31,842 It was affecting my speech and my vision and my balance. It had 130 00:08:31,843 --> 00:08:35,265 to be removed. I was comforted by the fact that the tumour was 131 00:08:35,365 --> 00:08:39,088 benign. So, you know, hopefully once it was out, I would be able 132 00:08:39,089 --> 00:08:43,331 to get on with my life. But brain surgery is a bit scary. It 133 00:08:43,332 --> 00:08:45,573 was a shock, you know, it was a tremendous shock. 134 00:08:46,374 --> 00:08:52,495 And there was, again, this sense of fear, I guess. And concern 135 00:08:52,596 --> 00:08:56,278 and anxiety about what lay ahead. Again, I would come to 136 00:08:56,318 --> 00:09:00,382 the garden and I would sit on a bench in front of the house and 137 00:09:00,422 --> 00:09:05,245 look at the borders. And they were just so beautiful. Being 138 00:09:05,325 --> 00:09:10,830 here and being able to just sit quietly and just have this 139 00:09:11,090 --> 00:09:15,694 wonderful vision of colour and light. 140 00:09:15,934 --> 00:09:19,614 It was a particularly beautiful June, if I remember. It was 141 00:09:19,694 --> 00:09:24,298 just, again, very calming and helped me to get a sense of 142 00:09:24,318 --> 00:09:27,080 perspective on what lay ahead and what was going to happen to 143 00:09:27,081 --> 00:09:33,065 me. And to feel hopeful and sure that I would survive. Really, I 144 00:09:33,085 --> 00:09:35,967 don't know how I would have managed without being able to 145 00:09:36,007 --> 00:09:44,874 come here and just be comforted and encouraged by the beauty of 146 00:09:44,954 --> 00:09:46,075 nature at Packwood. 147 00:09:47,256 --> 00:09:50,093 HEATHER BIRKETT: Linda's health is boosted from simply being in 148 00:09:50,094 --> 00:09:54,263 a garden. But as a gardener myself, I want to find out more 149 00:09:54,323 --> 00:09:58,554 about the benefits of the act of gardening. So we walk through 150 00:09:58,594 --> 00:10:01,874 Packwood to find someone who knows about the power of 151 00:10:01,934 --> 00:10:02,414 gardening. 152 00:10:04,354 --> 00:10:08,294 So this garden means so much to you. You love being here. Are 153 00:10:08,295 --> 00:10:09,314 you a gardener yourself? 154 00:10:09,654 --> 00:10:11,774 LINDA STUART: I'd hesitate to say I was a gardener. I have a 155 00:10:11,794 --> 00:10:16,594 garden and I love my garden and I spend a lot of time in it. And 156 00:10:16,634 --> 00:10:20,054 I grow a lot of things in pots and at different heights. I can 157 00:10:20,114 --> 00:10:24,214 gain heights by putting pots up on bricks. But, you know, I'm 158 00:10:24,254 --> 00:10:26,254 not a professional by any means. 159 00:10:26,662 --> 00:10:28,283 HEATHER BIRKETT: Well, it looks like we've really stumbled 160 00:10:28,323 --> 00:10:29,204 across a gardener. 161 00:10:30,185 --> 00:10:30,445 LIZ WARE: Hello. 162 00:10:30,945 --> 00:10:31,666 HEATHER BIRKETT: You must be Robin. 163 00:10:31,667 --> 00:10:32,366 LIZ WARE: Yes, I'm Robin. 164 00:10:32,367 --> 00:10:33,227 HEATHER BIRKETT: Hi, Robin. I'm Heather. 165 00:10:34,608 --> 00:10:37,210 Linda and I were just commenting on how the colours in these 166 00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:40,693 borders really sing and they seem to really tie into the 167 00:10:40,773 --> 00:10:42,474 architecture of the house as well. 168 00:10:42,635 --> 00:10:44,496 ROBYN BOOTH: They do. I really like the fact that it kind of 169 00:10:44,516 --> 00:10:47,298 picks out some of the more golden tones and the render of 170 00:10:47,299 --> 00:10:51,081 the house. If you have a look at the lead pipework and some of 171 00:10:51,082 --> 00:10:55,206 the silvery colours in the wooden frames. That's also 172 00:10:55,327 --> 00:10:57,788 picked up in the planting as well. So we've got lots of 173 00:10:57,848 --> 00:11:01,992 silvery tones. So it's all kind of about bringing in what you 174 00:11:02,012 --> 00:11:04,774 can see around you in the wider landscape and letting that 175 00:11:04,814 --> 00:11:06,195 inform your planting. 176 00:11:06,715 --> 00:11:08,537 HEATHER BIRKETT: It must be a wonderful place to work, though. 177 00:11:08,857 --> 00:11:11,479 ROBYN BOOTH: It is. I'm really lucky to be here. I wasn't 178 00:11:11,499 --> 00:11:14,421 always a gardener. I used to be a primary school teacher. 179 00:11:16,563 --> 00:11:20,146 It feels like another lifetime, really. But whilst I was in that 180 00:11:20,266 --> 00:11:22,728 career, I was really struggling with my mental health. And 181 00:11:22,748 --> 00:11:25,895 that's how I kind of discovered gardening. I live in the centre 182 00:11:25,896 --> 00:11:28,937 of Birmingham in a busy city and I have a balcony. 183 00:11:31,019 --> 00:11:33,881 And it was whilst I was pottering about on there with a 184 00:11:33,901 --> 00:11:37,564 few plants that I thought, oh, I'm actually starting to feel a 185 00:11:37,565 --> 00:11:41,207 bit more like myself again. So I started volunteering at local 186 00:11:41,247 --> 00:11:45,490 gardens and did some RHS courses. And then eventually it 187 00:11:45,510 --> 00:11:47,712 felt like this was what I needed to do. 188 00:11:48,412 --> 00:11:51,975 And after some training, I got lucky and a job came up at 189 00:11:51,995 --> 00:11:55,324 Packwood. And it just felt like a dream come true, to be honest, 190 00:11:55,325 --> 00:11:58,146 to be able to work here and still kind of have a few pinch 191 00:11:58,186 --> 00:11:59,968 me moments now and then as well. 192 00:12:03,430 --> 00:12:07,634 When you're a gardener, it can feel a little bit like you've 193 00:12:07,635 --> 00:12:10,716 got so many jobs to do and you're focusing on getting that 194 00:12:10,776 --> 00:12:13,918 done and making it look great for the visitors. But it's also 195 00:12:13,999 --> 00:12:18,022 really important to take a step back and to just be in the space 196 00:12:18,082 --> 00:12:21,610 sometimes and just think, look at the light on that, look at 197 00:12:21,611 --> 00:12:25,450 the colour of this, look at that bee, and just having those 198 00:12:25,490 --> 00:12:29,810 moments throughout the day because it just feels like it's 199 00:12:29,811 --> 00:12:33,370 a part of you and it feels like if you're not doing it, you just 200 00:12:33,390 --> 00:12:34,610 don't feel quite yourself. 201 00:12:35,370 --> 00:12:38,450 HEATHER BIRKETT: And do you feel that working in gardens now and 202 00:12:38,470 --> 00:12:41,290 working at Packwood supports your mental health now? 203 00:12:41,291 --> 00:12:43,930 ROBYN BOOTH: Oh, 100%, definitely. Even if it's just 204 00:12:43,950 --> 00:12:46,990 simple tasks like deadheading or weeding, which I personally 205 00:12:47,010 --> 00:12:50,180 really enjoy. It's actually quite meditative. It gives you 206 00:12:50,220 --> 00:12:54,143 that space to kind of just think things through and process your 207 00:12:54,183 --> 00:12:57,866 thoughts. And you often feel a sense of calmness, peace 208 00:12:57,986 --> 00:12:58,706 afterwards. 209 00:12:59,047 --> 00:13:02,409 And maybe you've been able to kind of work through a niggly 210 00:13:02,489 --> 00:13:05,832 problem in your mind or something. There's been a bit of 211 00:13:05,872 --> 00:13:09,535 research into it about having a certain level of complexity in 212 00:13:09,536 --> 00:13:12,757 the task that keeps you absorbed, but it's not so much 213 00:13:13,518 --> 00:13:15,680 that you're getting quite stressed and anxious about it. 214 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,271 HEATHER BIRKETT: Linda? Does this ring a bell for you? 215 00:13:18,391 --> 00:13:21,734 LINDA STUART: Oh, absolutely. You're talking about gardening 216 00:13:21,854 --> 00:13:26,177 being good for your mental health, which reminds me of the 217 00:13:26,237 --> 00:13:32,002 time after my surgery. I just rather naively thought that once 218 00:13:32,003 --> 00:13:35,845 it was out, it was out, and I'd just get on with my life. And I 219 00:13:35,865 --> 00:13:38,086 discovered that actually it wasn't like that at all. 220 00:13:38,427 --> 00:13:43,851 My brain was very racy and fizzy and lots of thoughts just 221 00:13:44,151 --> 00:13:47,098 jumbling around in my head. And I had some help from a 222 00:13:47,118 --> 00:13:51,818 neurologist and we came up with a program which was largely just 223 00:13:51,878 --> 00:13:56,398 exactly what you were saying about being in a garden, being 224 00:13:56,399 --> 00:14:02,918 in a green space and just being able to relax and be quiet, to 225 00:14:03,038 --> 00:14:06,158 find little places where I could be on my own. 226 00:14:07,498 --> 00:14:11,538 Nature has a pattern. There's a rhythm to the seasons and 227 00:14:11,558 --> 00:14:15,906 there's a calmness to that process. And actually walking, 228 00:14:16,266 --> 00:14:20,666 walking helped me hugely. I would, in the winter, I would 229 00:14:20,886 --> 00:14:24,726 pull on my wellies and just walk across the fields and just 230 00:14:24,806 --> 00:14:29,586 putting one foot in front of the other was helpful. You know, it 231 00:14:29,746 --> 00:14:34,046 helped to calm me and to still that kind of fizzy part of my 232 00:14:34,106 --> 00:14:34,486 brain. 233 00:14:35,286 --> 00:14:37,166 ROBYN BOOTH: I couldn't agree with you more, to be honest, 234 00:14:37,206 --> 00:14:40,724 about having that time outside. It feels like something that's 235 00:14:40,764 --> 00:14:44,307 quite vital to me. What you said really resonated with me about 236 00:14:44,347 --> 00:14:46,949 how you felt with your your thoughts and everything kind of 237 00:14:46,989 --> 00:14:50,011 rushing in that was something that I found really difficult, 238 00:14:50,011 --> 00:14:54,194 but when I was outside or when I was gardening it was something 239 00:14:54,294 --> 00:14:58,458 changed in my brain chemistry I suppose and it was like oh I can 240 00:14:58,518 --> 00:15:00,239 take a breath and I can be me again. 241 00:15:01,146 --> 00:15:03,628 HEATHER BIRKETT: As I leave Robin behind, feeling like we'd 242 00:15:03,708 --> 00:15:07,651 had a bit of a heart-to-heart and put the world to rights, and 243 00:15:07,711 --> 00:15:11,794 Linda and I head off to explore more of Packwood, I'm reminded 244 00:15:12,035 --> 00:15:15,757 of the calmness and peace of mind that can come from being 245 00:15:15,818 --> 00:15:16,398 outside. 246 00:15:19,701 --> 00:15:22,082 The way you talk about this space reminds me very much of 247 00:15:22,083 --> 00:15:26,746 the place I work, which is Acorn Bank near Penrith, and we find, 248 00:15:26,906 --> 00:15:30,815 and our visitors often talk about, the sense of tranquility 249 00:15:30,936 --> 00:15:35,119 and serenity, it really oozes peace and quiet. And there's one 250 00:15:35,159 --> 00:15:38,842 place in particular that personally I feel it, and that's 251 00:15:38,862 --> 00:15:41,784 in the herb garden where there's a beautiful Portuguese quince 252 00:15:41,844 --> 00:15:45,547 tree. We have some benches below that, and it's just a really 253 00:15:45,627 --> 00:15:50,271 lovely place to sit. And in 2016, we actually signed that 254 00:15:50,351 --> 00:15:52,853 space up to the Silent Space project. 255 00:15:52,873 --> 00:15:57,716 LIZ WARE: Silent Space is a charity, and we work with 256 00:15:57,858 --> 00:16:00,620 gardens that are open to the public and we encourage them to 257 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:05,744 keep an area where people can be silent. It's a little bit like 258 00:16:05,745 --> 00:16:09,227 the quiet carriage on a train. The people in the space are 259 00:16:09,247 --> 00:16:14,051 silent but the sounds of the garden and the world beyond go 260 00:16:14,111 --> 00:16:14,731 on around them. 261 00:16:15,972 --> 00:16:20,155 I'm Liz Ware. I'm a garden writer and historian and I'm the 262 00:16:20,215 --> 00:16:21,757 founder of Silent Space. 263 00:16:23,186 --> 00:16:27,086 So the reason we know from a scientific point of view that 264 00:16:27,146 --> 00:16:32,226 Silent Space works is because there's plenty of neuroscience 265 00:16:32,246 --> 00:16:35,486 to show that taking time to reflect is important. The best 266 00:16:35,786 --> 00:16:40,346 summary of that that I've heard is by a business psychologist 267 00:16:40,726 --> 00:16:45,226 who says that our body and our brain is at its best if our 268 00:16:45,306 --> 00:16:50,546 brain is following a pattern that goes think, reflect, think, 269 00:16:51,734 --> 00:16:52,295 reflect. 270 00:16:53,576 --> 00:16:54,636 How often do we do that? 271 00:16:57,519 --> 00:17:01,121 The minute we have five minutes, we're checking our phones 272 00:17:01,402 --> 00:17:03,723 because we've got that pressure all the time to feel we should 273 00:17:03,724 --> 00:17:07,927 be doing something. Being in nature is, we know, very good 274 00:17:07,967 --> 00:17:10,729 for us, lowers our stress levels, our cortisol levels. 275 00:17:11,830 --> 00:17:17,294 But there was some research in the late 1980s, I think, came up 276 00:17:17,314 --> 00:17:19,396 with the idea of something called gentle or soft 277 00:17:19,496 --> 00:17:23,508 fascination. When we're in nature, just quietly, there's 278 00:17:23,568 --> 00:17:27,451 something about the fluttering of the leaves or the birdsong 279 00:17:27,531 --> 00:17:32,315 that just distracts us a little bit. So if we were quietly in a 280 00:17:32,355 --> 00:17:35,778 room without any distraction, we might start to spiral down into 281 00:17:35,878 --> 00:17:36,639 overthinking. 282 00:17:37,399 --> 00:17:39,921 But when we're in nature, there's just enough of a 283 00:17:39,941 --> 00:17:44,725 distraction to let us reflect quietly, but also distract us a 284 00:17:44,765 --> 00:17:48,748 little bit from sinking downwards, which is amazing 285 00:17:48,808 --> 00:17:52,781 really, isn't it? Green is good for us, but biodiversity is even 286 00:17:52,901 --> 00:17:53,221 better. 287 00:17:56,684 --> 00:17:59,386 So if you bring all these different things together, we're 288 00:17:59,387 --> 00:18:04,910 reflecting, we're outside, we're in a biodiverse place, it's good 289 00:18:04,970 --> 00:18:08,112 for us. But I would also like to say that it's good for nature. 290 00:18:09,494 --> 00:18:13,417 And we mustn't forget that. When we're quiet, we cause less 291 00:18:13,497 --> 00:18:17,500 disturbance. And then we see more. We care more. 292 00:18:22,886 --> 00:18:24,948 HEATHER BIRKETT: I want to see more of Packwood's garden and 293 00:18:24,988 --> 00:18:28,130 countryside, potential places to sit silently. 294 00:18:29,611 --> 00:18:32,133 Have you got any more places in the garden that you'd like to 295 00:18:32,213 --> 00:18:32,454 show me? 296 00:18:32,454 --> 00:18:34,315 LINDA STUART: Well, actually, maybe just one place, Heather, 297 00:18:34,475 --> 00:18:38,138 and that's my secret bench. So maybe we should take a walk over 298 00:18:38,178 --> 00:18:40,200 there and we can sit on my bench. 299 00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:42,862 HEATHER BIRKETT: So we leave the borders and the yews behind, 300 00:18:43,282 --> 00:18:46,545 head down a path towards the house and take a sharp left. 301 00:18:47,165 --> 00:18:54,045 LINDA STUART: So we follow this yew tree hedge, and round the 302 00:18:54,105 --> 00:18:57,888 corner we will find this quiet space. 303 00:18:58,389 --> 00:19:00,871 HEATHER BIRKETT: And this is the space Linda sought solace in 304 00:19:01,011 --> 00:19:05,314 when a third huge life event was thrown her way. Except this 305 00:19:05,374 --> 00:19:08,116 time, it's something all of us experience. 306 00:19:09,157 --> 00:19:11,759 LINDA STUART: So this is my secret bench, and I thought we 307 00:19:11,779 --> 00:19:15,602 could just sit on there for a while and take in the views. Do 308 00:19:15,603 --> 00:19:16,343 you want to have a seat? 309 00:19:16,443 --> 00:19:17,263 HEATHER BIRKETT: Oh yes, please. 310 00:19:17,463 --> 00:19:17,724 LINDA STUART: Okay. 311 00:19:18,162 --> 00:19:20,444 HEATHER BIRKETT: Sitting on Linda's secret bench, which 312 00:19:20,524 --> 00:19:25,068 won't be so secret anymore, she tells me how important this part 313 00:19:25,069 --> 00:19:28,170 of the garden becomes to her in March 2020. 314 00:19:29,391 --> 00:19:32,193 LINDA STUART: In Covid, they removed all the benches. This 315 00:19:32,293 --> 00:19:35,556 one's hard to remove because it's kind of nailed down, 316 00:19:35,636 --> 00:19:40,720 really. I remember, you know, on the Monday, we knew that Boris 317 00:19:40,780 --> 00:19:44,403 Johnson was going to lock us down, and indeed he did that 318 00:19:44,503 --> 00:19:48,541 evening. I did find a way of regularly coming here, but 319 00:19:48,621 --> 00:19:51,323 walking on the footpaths around the estate. 320 00:19:51,963 --> 00:19:55,026 And I would bring my own coffee and I would actually sit in the 321 00:19:55,046 --> 00:19:58,068 bench in the churchyard, Packwood churchyard. I really 322 00:19:58,148 --> 00:20:02,492 missed coming into the garden. And I discovered that there was 323 00:20:02,512 --> 00:20:06,455 a crack in an old gate and I could actually see through to 324 00:20:06,456 --> 00:20:11,459 the borders. And I think we were finally allowed back into public 325 00:20:11,519 --> 00:20:15,412 spaces at about June. So I do remember through this crack in 326 00:20:15,413 --> 00:20:18,895 the door, seeing the borders coming to life and when they 327 00:20:19,035 --> 00:20:21,957 finally opened the doors, honestly, I just remember crying 328 00:20:21,997 --> 00:20:25,680 with just joy at being able to come back into Packwood. 329 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,304 But this bench is a place where I come when I want to be quiet 330 00:20:31,684 --> 00:20:36,888 and just sort of read or think. It's actually off the beaten 331 00:20:36,948 --> 00:20:41,492 track. Not many people come this way. So it's very quiet and very 332 00:20:41,612 --> 00:20:42,172 calming. 333 00:20:45,875 --> 00:20:51,179 My brain can still get quite racy and fizzy. And I know that 334 00:20:51,259 --> 00:20:54,862 I have to just distance myself from other people and sit 335 00:20:54,902 --> 00:20:57,225 quietly. And so this is where I come. 336 00:21:01,248 --> 00:21:04,170 HEATHER BIRKETT: Linda, it's been so nice to meet you and to 337 00:21:04,271 --> 00:21:06,793 share your Packwood. Thank you so much for showing me around. 338 00:21:07,153 --> 00:21:08,274 LINDA STUART: Well, it's been a joy. 339 00:21:08,714 --> 00:21:11,216 HEATHER BIRKETT: Just before you go, tell me, are you well now? 340 00:21:11,696 --> 00:21:14,559 LINDA STUART: Yes, Heather, I am. Thank you for asking. I feel 341 00:21:14,619 --> 00:21:18,302 very well. My life's changed hugely since the time of my 342 00:21:18,362 --> 00:21:22,665 diagnosis because being Granny just fills my life with joy. It 343 00:21:22,705 --> 00:21:26,616 is such fun. It's all the joy and none of the responsibility. 344 00:21:26,916 --> 00:21:31,336 It's lovely. I think it's fair to say that you never totally 345 00:21:31,396 --> 00:21:35,716 recover from brain surgery. You kind of learn to live with it. I 346 00:21:35,736 --> 00:21:38,916 just need to make sure that I have some quiet time. 347 00:21:41,676 --> 00:21:44,396 HEATHER BIRKETT: Inspired by Linda's story and how she uses 348 00:21:44,416 --> 00:21:48,356 the garden and outdoor space at Packwood, the garden team have 349 00:21:48,416 --> 00:21:53,696 set aside two areas to be a Silent Space, including Linda's 350 00:21:54,196 --> 00:21:56,525 now not-so-secret bench. 351 00:22:08,175 --> 00:22:11,817 Thanks for listening to this episode of Wild Tales. If you'd 352 00:22:11,857 --> 00:22:14,900 like to hear more inspiring stories about being in nature, 353 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,704 why not try listening to Nature Fix, another podcast from the 354 00:22:19,705 --> 00:22:20,444 National Trust. 355 00:22:21,885 --> 00:22:26,297 Follow Wild Tales or Nature Fix or both, on your favourite 356 00:22:26,318 --> 00:22:29,760 podcast app to make sure you catch every episode as it 357 00:22:29,780 --> 00:22:33,943 arrives. And please do leave your ratings and reviews. We 358 00:22:33,984 --> 00:22:36,505 love hearing from you. See you next time.