Dilston Physic Garden – Page 2 – Discover the secret power of the plants around you.
Wander up a country lane in a panoramic stretch of Northumberland to find a unique garden nestled on the banks of a winding river. Not only do visitors say its natural design has a soothing effect on the mind, but scientific research now shows certain medicinal plants calm the mind, as well as boost memory, mood, lower stress, enhance sleep and even contain ingredients shown to protect brain cells.
Medicinal plants are essential as medicines to treat many common and chronic conditions, and to the discovery of new medical drugs. Making plants part of your life is the key to maintaining good health and there’s science to show exactly how they work. Come and visit us, bring your school or group. Discover the power of plants.
Beside each plant read the traditional medical herbal use, the science of how they work including clinical trials, drugs that come from plants, as well as the folklore and magic! Many visitors, especially children, like the folklore better than the science.
Dilston Physic Garden has a distinct character. A physic garden steeped in the history and folklore of medicinal plants, but also in the modern science of how they work as medicines today. Follow winding paths to discover over 800 medicinal plants, with a focus on those for the mind and brain. Dilston began in the 1990’s because of the team’s pioneering scientific research showing that sage and other European herbs boost memory and are active in the brain. To take part in our next ‘Plants For Memory’ pilot clinical trial email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com.
Plants contain a wondrous array chemicals and many have powerful effects in the body. Cutting edge drugs derived from plants like foxglove are used by doctors, and whole plant extracts are used by medical herbalists worldwide to effectively treat human ailments. Plant chemical ingredients also promote health and even act as preventative medicines – many are antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting and anti-cancer.
Dilston Physic Garden embraces the importance of medicinal plants, organic growing methods and the benefits of being in a tranquil outdoor space amongst beautiful aromatic herbs!
NOTE: We are not open when the temperature is on or below zero oC. Please bring suitable footwear for the muddy lane!
Wednesdays and Saturdays 12-3pm.
Parking For workshops & events please only park in our Top-up Car Park (directions) and enjoy the 5-10min flat walk to the physic garden.
Groups & Schools are welcome any day of the year by appointment and with a tour or class.
Dogs are welcome on a lead but please do not them relieve themselves on any plant or leave any waste.
Payment Please note we take cash, cheque and online payments but do not currently have a card machine. Please bring change if you can.
Takeaway Drinks – enjoy our soothing & uplifting House Tea, our new range of botanical teas to boost the brain and rooted in science, Botanical Hot Chocolate, cold drinks or Botanical Oaties. (Please note that we do not have a cafe).
Explore Trails which are good for the brain! Including trails on plants proven by science to boost memory, mood and keep you calm or kid’s can join our Explorer Trail.
Workshops We’re open all year round for school and group visits and also for workshops & events – visit our workshop page for the latest courses or for our 10-day Foundation in Plant Medicine course click here. Hire the physic garden and Herbology House.
Herbal Dispensary The Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine will return in 2019 with medical herbalists in our new Physic Hut Dispensary – please call back to the website next Spring for more info. In the meantime we can recommend medicals herbalist in the North East area.
Relax, take 2 minutes out, watch a snap shot of Dilston Physic Garden. Come to unwind and take it easy, away from life’s hustle and bustle. Relax on our aromatic Chamomile Lawn, wander the 100 Willow Coppice (dedicated to the commonest plant derived drug available) or our Medicinal Meadow. Follow the Labyrinth,take a break at the AromaSeat and enjoy our SilentSpace by the Tranquility Pool.
Make a wish at the Cloutie Tree or watch the Wind Sculpture. Stop by the Time Space Zone, to see medicinal plants from round the world and through history, and soak up the sun at the SunDial Seat. Browse The Physic Shop with physic garden and locally produced botanical products including our new book Botanical Brain Balms. Why not grow your own physic garden – new book coming out soon – find a small collection of potted plants which good for the brain. In the summer visit our Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine (click here for opening times) with registered medical herbalists.
Children enjoy the Witches Den, Drawing Hut, Croquet, Giant Chess, Explorer Trail and can discover more by booking on Potion Club. Follow our other developing trails and activities – at Dilston we focus on plants that are good for mind and brain. In collaboration with the Bodyworks Centre we completed our first pilot clinical trial testing a combination of 3 European plant extracts on word recall on volunteers – with results showing the group aged under 62 years, who took the extract improved in their ability to remember correctly by over 50%, compared to those who didn’t take it in the same age group. We have nearly reached our target to fund our next trials – to take part email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com.
Dilston Physic Garden is a Registered Charity for education.
With links to the University of Newcastle in several ways, including interactions with Northeast Universities Medicinal Plant Research Group (MPRG), educational visits from North East university medical students, groups from other university departments.
As well as taking interactive educational visits from schools, college and other groups, Dilston has research links to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and other research bodies.
This physic garden has its origins in neuroscience. Created by a professor of neurochemistry at the University of Newcastle and directed by a pharmacognosist (study of the science of medicinal plants) specialising in aromatic plants active in the brain, Dilston has a focus on botanical medicine for the brain and especially towards preventative medicine. It is grounded in modern plant medicine and science and embraces sound evidence from a multidisciplinary and trans-boundary perspective.
One of the ideas behind why we exist is to help bridge the gap between traditional, so called complementary or alternative medicine.
Modern science is providing the evidence to help do this. Scientific studies from round the world show that herbs – the word is synonymous with medicinal plants, botanical medicine, plant medicine and medical botany – will become established, as they were in the past, as essential components in human health, development and medicine. You only have to look at the hundreds of bioactive chemical components in each plant to realise the potential out there!
Discover what plants can do for your health with the UK’s first 10-day Foundation in Plant Medicine (seasonal or mid-summer) discovery course. Visit our Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine to find out more on plant medicine for you.
A focus at Dilston is plants for the brain and you can enjoy plant collections of Blues Busters, Memory Matters, Herbal Highs, Plants for Pain and Sweet Dreams. But we have lots of other new additions – like our Labyrinth in the meadow – and areas of interest including the Chamomile Lawn, Tranquility Pool, Sundial Seat and Sage Garden as well as Magic & Medicine, Culinary, ‘Heart and Mind’, ‘Flower Power’, ‘Botanic Bliss’ and ‘Opium Den’ collections.
Email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com if you’d like to take part in our next trial for botanical medicine to improve memory and concentration.
When visiting Dilston be aware that some plants are poisonous and can be fatal.
Before taking any plant medicinally always seek advice from a registered medical herbalist and inform your health care provider if you have any type of physical or mental health condition, are pregnant, or taking medications. Certain plant medicines can interact with other medications.
Also be sure of the identity of your plant and source plant medicines from a reputable source, read any caution and do not exceed the suggested dose or duration. Heed hazard warnings regarding the use of plant essential oils. For further information on preparations, dose, effects, side-effects, interactions with other drugs visit http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/ or consults a registered medical herbalist.
Our volunteers are central in caring for the plants at Dilston Physic Garden and say they experience many rewarding opportunities and in a number of different and exciting ways.
As well as keeping all of the physic garden herbs healthy and happy and harvesting them to make tea or to dry and package them, volunteers also show visitors around and answer questions.
We provide any training needed and volunteers pick up herbal tip bits, enjoy good company and the odd healthy herbal lunch!
Volunteers can be reimbursed for traveling expenses and also have the chance to join a workshop of their choice, free of charge. Just contact us to start your experience !
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I have had the good fortune to visit this beautiful garden over a number of years and so have seen it grow and develop. Each visit is a new and thrilling experience.
I found your site by accident while looking for something else. It looks wonderful! I am involved in a small garden of health behind one of the departments in Glasgow University so I am very interested. I hope to be able to pay you a visit before too long and will be in touch.
Above a meandering river in a panoramic stretch of Northumberland, Dilston Physic Garden embraces the natural beauty and importance of plants for health, medicines, and the brain.
Explore this beautiful tranquil physic garden and its two acre collection of 800 European medicinal species. Learn exciting facts that could change your life on the way.
We welcome everyone, including children, groups, school, college and university visits.
U.K.
