D H Lawrence

A trip to the town where I grew up, Nottingham, to see my parents, I took time to visit Eastwood the birthplace of D H Lawrence.  D H Lawrence was an inspirational writer of reflections on humanity, born 1885 and grew up in Eastwood, near Nottingham, travelled to and lived in France, Italy and Mexico.

And watch it putting forth each time to heaven,

Each time straight to heaven,

With marvellous naked assurance each single twig,

Each one setting off straight to the sky

As if it were the leader, the main-stem, the forerunner,

Intent to hold the candle of the sun upon its socket-tip,

It alone.

Every young twig

No sooner issued sideways from the thigh of his predecessor

Than off he starts without a qualm

To hold the one and only lighted candle of the sun in his

    socket-tip.

He casually gives birth to another young bud from his thigh,

Which at once sets off to be the one and only,

And hold the lighted candle of the sun.

Bare Fig-Trees D H Lawrence

The fig is a very secretive fruit.

As you see it standing growing, you feel at once it is symbolic :

And it seems male.

But when you come to know it better, you agree with the Romans, it is female.

Figs, D H Lawrence

Birthplace of D H Lawrence

figs

Figs are one of the most popular foods amongst primates including humans in areas where they grow. They contain ample amounts of a very important class of biochemicals called mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI's) which have a very significant impact on our state of mind.

Mono-amine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme which breaks down the monoamine neurotransmitters in our brains which include serotonin, dopamine etc. Mono-amine oxidase inhibitors slow the break down and so boost the levels of these neurotransmitters. 
Added to this, at least one of the mono-amine neurotransmitters, norepinephrine, stimulates the pineal gland. This causes the pineal gland to produce more of its hormones. These hormones have a pivotal effect on human development and our states of mind. It is possible that the presence of the powerfully influential chemicals in figs may be the underlying reason why the fig tree had significance to the ancient mystics.



Figs are one of the oldest cultivated plants, having been grown since at least 5000BC. The symbiotic relationship between humans and fruit trees is one we still sense to day.
Figs are one of the most densely mineralised of all fruits, being particularly high in calcium, also potassium, magnesium and iron. In the wild they contain a lot of insect material which is highly nutritious.

Growing tips for Britain from Helen Hurworth:

Figs are easy to grow in the UK. They do especially well in large pots in a sunny corner. The most favoured variety is 'Brown Turkey'. This is widely available, but I would advise to try and buy from organic supplier like 'Garden Organic' or support your local nursery by buying from them. Top Tip. Remove ALL buds In November, these will not grown big enough through the Winter and will exhaust the plant for the next year. Remove them All. Then the buds the next Spring have a good season to grow. This is the number one reason people don't get big or ripe enough figs on their trees and say they don't fruit.

figs in somerset

It seems many people don't know how well fig trees can grow in southern England.  The key is to get a variety that thrives in your area.  I just bought this young tree at nearby Wells Market - the grower took a cutting from a fig tree in her own garden which is producing abundant fruit, the cutting was only taken last year and already it has got this far!  In order to produce plenty of fruit the roots of fig trees need to be contained.  This can be in a pot or if grown in the ground with bricks or stones surrounding the roots.  

I love the energy of fig trees, there seems to be a special affinity between them and humans. Figs have many great nutritional properties, mineralising, alkalising, cleansing and neurotransmitter boosting. Apparently in the wild, figs are the fruit of choice for most primates, they will seek them out over other fruit, and of course they have significance in various sacred texts.

never ending fig tree

The local fig tree at Ciel Azul, Ibiza, every day the sun ripens another load of figs ready for us to pick...walking down the dusty lane into the sweet aroma of this spreading fig tree and climbing into it, hand straight to mouth and gathering more to take back...apparently figs are the fruit a primate will go for in preference to all other food.  Densely mineralised and alkalising with the cleansing power of the little seeds in  them, they also contain lots of mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI's) which help keep neurotransmitter levels up and make us feel good..