Since trees and their presence are so important to our health, the crucial question is how to introduce them into our environment.

Whether we're talking about trees in public places in the heart of cities, in forests, in private gardens or in apartment backyards, they should be accessible to as many people as possible.

Personal initiatives to plant trees around your home will benefit both the value of the property and your health, since studies show that trees provide a 15% health benefit.

In public places and in the heart of cities, this obviously depends on the public authorities, who would do well to look after the well-being of their citizens by offering them more green spaces.

Thanks to their photosynthesis process, which enables them to grow, trees reduce carbon dioxide levels and increase oxygen levels. They also improve the quality of water filtered through the soil, and help to maintain or repopulate wildlife, particularly birds, which can use them to sing and build their nests, as well as many other animal species to which they provide food.

On a more practical level, hedges andtrees act as natural windbreaks. In winter, they reduce the chill and save you and neighboring houses from having to heat their homes. This is an argument that should be taken into account in these times of budgetary restraint and ecological concern.

You're not a gardener and you think you don't have a green thumb? Here are six simple and easy steps to planting your trees.

1. You can get plans of various varieties from a nursery or from some people who get rid of young shoots when their garden is too full.
2. Dig a large hole and pour in water up to the surface of the soil. Then wait until all the water has disappeared the following day. If this is not the case, the soil in this area is not permeable enough. This won't allow the tree to feed properly from the water in the soil. It's better to change the location of the hole. Sometimes, a few meters are enough... Try again with a new hole.
3. Whether the tree's roots are wrapped in burlap, in a plastic bag or contained in a pot, free them and place the root ball deep into the hole without pushing the trunk into the roots. Try to offset the planting so that one side of the hole supports the tree. However, the roots must be planted deep enough so that the tree is not uprooted by the first wind.
4. Ideally, planting should take place in spring or early autumn. This depends on the tree species. Find out more.
5. Then backfill the hole with a mixture of straw, soil and water. Pack lightly with your hand, but avoid trampling the soil so that it sinks in, as it may become too compacted.
6. In the days that follow, if the soil around the tree becomes too deep, add a little more.

Since nature manages to grow and plant trees all by itself, it's likely that with a little perseverance you can too!