About Us

Wander up a country lane in a panoramic stretch of Northumberland to find a unique tranquil physic garden on the banks of a winding river.  Not only do visitors say its natural design has a soothing effect on the mind, but science now shows exactly how medicinal plants enhance aspects of our mind (like sleep, memory, mood) with few, often no side-effects.

Plants contain a wondrous array of chemical ingredients and many have powerful effects in the body. Cutting edge medical drugs derived from plants are used by doctors (like pain-killing morphine from the opium poppy and anti-cancer taxol from yew) and 50% of all new medical drugs come from plants. Whole plant extracts are used by medical herbalists worldwide to effectively treat many common ailments.

Plant chemicals also promote our health, acting as preventative medicines. Many contain antibacterial, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents. Making plants part of your life could be the best thing you ever do to maintain good health. Science shows exactly how plants work in the brain and body – come and visit the physic garden – bring your friends, family, group or school – discover the power of plants for health and medicine.

Beside each plant read the traditional medical herbal use, the science of how they work including clinical trials and medical drugs, 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 clinical trial – looking at 4 plants to boost and maintain memory – email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com.

The Dilston Physic Garden’s charity mission to educate and research on the benefits of plants for mind and body. The charity embraces the importance of medicinal plants, natural organic growing methods and also the benefits of being in a tranquil outdoor space – come and volunteer with us!

Opening Times

AUTUMN OPENING October

Wednesday and Saturday 12-3pm

Closed November to February (though open for workshops & events)

NOTE: Please bring suitable footwear for a muddy lane! We’re not open when temperature is on or below zero oC.

SPRING OPENING April

Wednesday & Saturday 11am-4pm

SUMMER OPENING May – September 

Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday 11am-4pm

Parking Workshops & event visitors please only park in our Top-up Car Park (directions) and enjoy the 8-minute flat country walk to the physic garden.

Bring your Group or School we’re open any day of the year by appointment.

Dogs are welcome on a lead but do not let them near any plant or leave any waste.

Payment We take cash, transfer and cheque and usually have a debit card machine. Please bring change if you can.

Takeaway Drinks Enjoy our our new signature range of aromatic infusions – tea rooted in science-backed botanicals – Calm, Happy, Sleep, Uplift, Memory, Pain or Physic Tea. Or try our Botanical Hot Chocolate, cold drinks & oatie biscuits (contains gluten). Please note that we do not have a cafe.

Explore Trails that enhance the mind! We highlight plants shown by science to calm & relieve anxiety, enhance memory and attention and boost mood and relieve mild depression. Children can join the Explorer Trail.

Workshops We’re open all year round for school & group visits and for workshops & events – visit our workshop page for the latest courses or for our 10-day Foundation in Plant Medicine course info here. Hire the physic garden and Herbology House.

Herbal Dispensary The Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine will be back in 2020 with NIMH affiliated medical herbalists in The Physic Hut Dispensary. Please call back in January for dates & times.

Lots to See & Do

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 calming Chamomile Lawn, wander our Medicinal Meadow or the 100 Willow Coppice – dedicated to the commonest plant derived drug available). Follow the Labyrinth,take a break at the AromaSeat and enjoy our SilentSpace by in the Woodland area.

Make a wish at the Cloutie Tree! Watch the Wind Sculpture or stop by a TimeSpace Zone, dedicated to medicinal plants from round the world and through history. Soak up the sun at the SunDial Seat and meet our botanically minded sculptures Mandrake, Mugwort Goddess, Belladonna, Horned God, Angelica and the Phoenix. Visit the The Physic Shop with locally produced botanical products including our new signature collection of brain boosting teas and new book Botanical Brain Balms – medicinal plants for memory, mood and mind. Find a small collection of potted plants that are good for the brain – why not grow your own physic garden? Our new book coming out soon is focused on science-backed effective plants you can grow yourself. May to September visit the Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine (click here for opening times) with registered medical herbalists – just like visiting a GP with effective medicinal plants rather than drugs.

Children love the Witches Den, Drawing Hut, Croquet, Giant Chess, Planting a Magic Bean or following our Explorer Trail and can discover more by booking on Potion Club. Follow our trails Calm, Memory, Happy. At Dilston we love plants which are good for mind and brain. Our next Memory Test Study in collaboration with medical herbalists, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Wesnes Cognition will test a combination of 4 European plant extracts on memory in volunteers – in our last trial results showed those 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. Email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com to register your interest in taking part.

Plants & Modern Medicine

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.

  • Science Garden

    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.

  • Plants for Health

    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.

  • Specialist Interest

    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.

  • Essential Advice

    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.

Volunteer

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 !

Volunteer
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What others say about us

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.

Lucy Carty, London

It’s a nice and interesting garden to be visited. I use it for benchmarking, cause I build the same garden “spice garden” in tropical country Indonesia containing more 400 species of medicinal plants. Thank you

Heru D. Wardana, Indonesia

“What a fantastic find! Thank you.”

L.S., Salford

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.

Susie Stewart, Glasgow

“A beautiful and peaceful garden and a real source of inspiration.”

M.R., Newcastle

“Absolutely fabulous. Thank you.”

P.N, Sheffield

“The most exquisite magical garden you could find”

A. Robson

Potion Club EXTRA

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As well as regular Potion Club over the summer at Dilston Physic Garden medical herbalist Davina Hopkinson has created a new fun and fascinating course for children aged between 8 and 12 (guide) who want to learn more about the intriguing world of plants for medicine. Potion Club EXTRA brings 6 unique and interactive sessions […]

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BY POPULAR DEMAND ‘Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine’ 2018

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Enjoying its 3rd year the ‘Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine’ returns in 2018 to give you easy access to qualified information on the use of plants for health and medicine. Ensuring you’re using the correct herb for your needs is essential since if plant medicines are used inappropriately, just as with drugs, they can be […]

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NEW Thursday Talks: Handy Herbs for Everyday Ailments – starting June 7th 2018

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This summer the physic garden is delighted to welcome back pharmacist Milena. As a pharmacist trained in Poland, where plant medicines are dispensed alongside drugs, this year Milena is not only offering consultations, but is encouraging learning on medicinal plants for common ailments through a series of workshops. Just drop into the physic garden every […]

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