A BOOK by a garden centre owner looks at how nature can aid recovery from depression and illness.

Hannah Powell, who runs Perrywood Garden Centre, suffered burnout 12 years ago and was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder.

Her new nature and health memoir, The Cactus Surgeon: Using Nature to Fix A Faulty Brain, explores the possible reasons for the burnout and her connection with nature, which helped her begin to feel herself again.

She said: “My functional disorder meant I would twitch and jerk in response to sound or touch. There was no information available to help me, so I found my own way to get better.”

She found she felt more herself when she moved back to the countryside, and after seeking alternative therapies.

“My ‘green recovery’ followed.

"I believe we all benefit from having mindful moments, and this can easily be done by savouring the small wonders of nature around us,” Hannah added.

The book is available online at www.thecactussurgeon.com or at Perrywood locations.

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