What inspired your interest in gardening?
From when I was very young, I spent a lot of my life and all my school holidays with my grandparents, in a small village in the Sussex countryside.
My Nan was an amazing gardener. We would spend hours ‘pottering’ in her cottage garden, tidying, watching the bees and butterflies and growing lots of amazing produce. The best bit, of course, was eating all the wonderful fruit and veggies!
Gardening was always something that was just ‘there’ for me.
What sort of garden space do you have at the moment?
I currently have a very mature, quite large front garden. The back garden is being developed, as a large area of it is very old, uneven concrete. So far, I have added a new glasshouse and two raised beds. I'm working on creating a wildlife garden, with a wildlife pond, over the next couple of years.
The front garden has two mature, large apple trees and a great mix of shrubs and ornamental plants. However, as a wildlife gardener, I am gradually increasing the diversity in the planting to include more perennial plants and shrubs. I'm trying to provide a yearlong ‘larder’ for pollinators and wildlife, by using no-dig and organic methods as much as possible to preserve the soil and encourage invertebrates.
What do you enjoy doing in the garden and why?
I enjoy all my time in my garden, in fact, any garden or green space. It provides a safe and peaceful place to ‘dial back’ the busyness that goes on in my head most of the time. I am neurodivergent (ND) and have ADD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and several Autistic traits. My mind is constantly working overtime to deal with all the thoughts and emotions that go along with these conditions.
Even when I am in my own home, the high level of constant and racing thoughts and having to concentrate hard to focus on even the simplest tasks, can be draining. When I am in the presence of other people, perhaps at work, going shopping or even with friends and family, I am constantly having to mask a considerable number of ND traits. This is exhausting, even for short periods of time.
The garden is a kind of mental refuge ... while I am there, being ‘different’ to my peers doesn’t matter, I can just be me.
Lynne
The garden is a kind of mental refuge. I don’t have to speak to anyone (although I do talk to the plants and wildlife a lot!), I don’t feel judged or inadequate and while I am there, being ‘different’ to my peers doesn’t matter, I can just be me.
How has gardening, or spending time in nature, affected the impact being neurodivergent has?
Over the years I have found that the best method of clearing out the clutter in my head and restoring a sense of inner peace is to be in the garden. I don’t know the science behind it, but for me, just being in the garden is enough to almost immediately quieten the noise. After a short while, I'm often not aware of the chaos anymore.
I have found that the best method of clearing out the clutter in my head and restoring a sense of inner peace is to be in the garden.
Lynne
Whether I am pottering, dealing with a more physically demanding task or just ‘being present’ enjoying watching the birds, pollinators and invertebrates, time in the garden is probably the only respite I have from my ND traits. I am grateful for that. I couldn’t imagine my life now without a garden or green space.
Have you discovered any helpful gardening tips you could share?
As a wildlife gardener, passionate about nature and the environment, everything is welcome in my garden. That's true even if it means things don’t always work out as I had hoped. Accepting that nature, and in particular gardening, are not precise, predictable, or perfect processes, reminds me that just because I think, and sometimes act, differently to others, that is OK.
I find this comforting, particularly when things have been challenging or something hasn’t gone well, and I can become overly self-critical. Just ‘being present’ and in awe of how wonderful nature is, is often enough to help me to reframe what has happened and restore my confidence and hope.
Remember we are ‘a part of nature’, not ‘apart’ from it.
Lynne
So, even if there aren’t any ‘jobs’ to do in the garden, or it is a cloudy, dreary, rainy day, if you feel something is missing or you're feeling low, try spending 10-15 mins of quiet time in a green space. You could even just look at it through a window and remember we are ‘a part of nature’, not ‘apart’ from it.
Gardening has been a focal point of James’ career and a much-loved hobby since childhood. He shares his story, including how time in gardens and nature support neurodivergent traits.
