Homo Sapiens have lived between nature’s green coloured living and breathing walls for 200.000 before we started building ones of our own (which, unfortunately, do not have a respiratory capacity nor drive). That abundance has created a so-called ancestral instinct, allowing us to have an affinity for the colour green. This might explain the human tendency to paint the walls of our urban jungles in nature’s shades. Feels more like home. But can and should the great outdoors ever be replaced?
How Much Time Should We Spend Outside?
A study in England examined data from nearly 20,000 people who took part in the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment Survey. The conclusion stated that people who spent two hours a week or more outdoors reported an increased sense of overall wellbeing.
A 2016 study found that living in or near green areas was linked with longer life expectancy and improved mental health in female participants. The risk of death for over 100,000 women was compared with the amount of plant life and green areas near their homes. The 8-year long study found that women who lived in the greenest areas had a 12% lower death rate than women living on the other side of the spectrum.
Contact with natural environments (such as parks, woodlands and beaches) lowers the risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, hospitalisation, mental disturbances in adults and myopia and obesity in children.
With more green spaces comes the opportunity to socialize outdoors, making your backyard one of the few pandemic-friendly places. Whether you are one of the lucky ones living in a green neighbourhood area or not, a safe haven at arm’s length will never do harm.
What Is the Purpose of Landscaping?
It is one of the rare processes that simultaneously combines natural beauty, health and aesthetics. A healthy landscape improves air quality by producing more oxygen, eliminating dust, smoke and pollutants.
Studies have shown that mere looking through your window and into your green garden can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels. Although more research is needed, it has been shown that spending more time outdoors can reduce inflammation and even increase anti-cancer protein production.
Multiple studies have shown the positive cognitive and psychological effects of spending time outdoors such as improvement of short-term memory, concentration, focus, problem-solving skills and even symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Besides being good for your mind, body and soul, landscapes can be good for your pocket. A properly done landscape adds property value, “a curb appeal” and even saves on energy costs. Tree experts can advise you which plants that thrive on less water are best for your yard so you can eventually save on water bills.
There are simple ways you could embellish your garden but it’s best to leave the bigger and more challenging residents of your yard to specialists aka tree surgeons. If you want to bring health to your backyard, it’s best to call a doctor.
What Does a Tree Service Do?
Tree Pruning
Tree surgery is a process of removal of dying, dead and potentially harmful branches or maintaining a strong framework for your tree’s future growth. What’s more, a tree service can also provide more advanced techniques such as crown lifting or thinning, to increase light exposure of the grass and plants below or to reduce a tree’s crown density, respectively.
You should consider tree surgery or pruning if the large tree limbs are growing towards your house or pose a certain risk due to proximity to wires, windows, roofs, chimneys, buildings or gutters. Call for help if you want to enjoy an afternoon under your tree without any worries or disturbances instead of worrying about those branches that might hit the ground at any moment.
Some tree services even turn the left-overs into mulch for you to use as a soil fertilizer.
Tree Health Advice and Risk Assessment
Arborists have trained eyes to catch the first signs of disease when you can’t. Although visual inspection is a simple, cheap and effective method if they need to do an in-depth analysis expert tree treatment services even use diagnostic tools and 3D imaging.
Nonetheless, a health assessment is just one part of the process. Tree care professionals will provide you with tips and tricks on transplanting, soil conditioning and crown management. This guidance will optimise your tree maintenance and help your trees in their fight against insects and disease.
Stump Grinding
Who wants to look at a left-over piece of wood that once was a tree? Instead of reminiscing and feeling nostalgia for its glory days, you can make the most out of your backyard and make room for new green life to grow.
Tree stumps can be a nest for termite infestation, a risk hazard for your kids or just plain annoying when you are mowing your lawn. You can try to DIY or apply chemicals but chances are, it will be inefficient or just too darn long. Although professionals are always advised, when it comes to bigger and older trees, they are a necessity.
Tree Removal and Emergency Tree Services
You invested so much time and effort in your backyard green paradise but some of the trees can’t be saved even by the best arborists. Perhaps you live in a more turbulent climate, expecting one storm after the next frightened because you see that one tree that’s hanging by a thread. A tree service can come to the rescue with an emergency unit.
Signs that you need certified tree experts to remove your tree are large holes or hollows, dying or dropping branches, splits, leaning or mushrooms growing at its base.
Check out the ACT legislation for tree protection before you make a decision.