episode 160 | show notes & advice
episode description
Trees hold a special place in our ecosystem not only for their environmental impact, but the emotional connection we all make with trees in our earliest years. It’s for exactly these reasons that choosing the right tree can enrich any garden, regardless of size.
Arit Anderson and Henrik Sjöman have combined their passions and expertise, culminating in ‘The Essential Tree Selection Guide’, and the pair join us on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share the joys of finding the perfect tree, and why it matters now more than ever.
In this episode, discover
- How Arit and Henrik’s backgrounds brought them together on this fantastic project
- The ethos of ‘right tree, right place’ and how to pick the perfect tree for a space
- The ‘ecosystem services’ that trees give to us in urban and rural environments alike
- Trees’ role in all our lives on an emotional level
links and references
Shop Kew Gardens essential tree selection guide
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 160 advice sheet
How Arit and Henrik met, and the inception of their project (2:40)
Arit and Henrik have come together for The Essential Tree Selection Guide, which combines Arit’s passion for sustainability with the lifelong expertise that Henrik brings to all things tree-related.
Henrik’s background in sales focuses him on understanding how to marry people with their ideal plant, and guides his approach to developing knowledge on trees and shrubs for form and function alike.
‘Right tree, right place’ (9:05)
Henrik points out that when you buy a car, you take your time to read about it, you actually do your homework, so when we buy plants, we need to be similarly thorough.
Trees have so many characteristics which set them apart from one another, and by asking what it is we’d really like from a tree, that’s how we pick the trees that’ll best enrich our lives.
How trees deliver ecosystem services (13:21)
Given that trees should be selected for their characteristics, Arit and Henrik dive deeper into what those might be, encompassed in the wonderful term of ‘ecosystem services’.
Particularly in today’s age, we’re encouraged to think of trees as multifunctional plantations since space is at a premium, and our choice of tree or shrub is made far more impactful for the ecosystem services they provide.
The importance of trees throughout our lives (21:00)
Beyond the science of shrubs and trees, there lies an undeniable emotional connection that links us to nature from a very early age - whether it’s climbing great oak trees or cherishing the fruit that drops from apple trees, all of us likely have a formative memory based around trees.
Arit, Henrik and Sarah all round out this episode by sharing some of their own tree-based memories, highlighting just what a tree can mean to us at all stages of our lives.
