SuburbanGaze

Having loathed coniferous trees for my lifetime, I’ve bought a conifer.  It’s taken an RHS Ident test and years of reflection to get to this point. Flashback to 2015 when we removed some hideous trees from the garden filling several skips:  http://www.suburbangaze.co.uk/2015/06/timber-again.html  They were grouped together on the boundary and taller than the property. Absolutely hideous and typical of gardening choices of the past in the UK. I’ve wanted some taller evergreen structure in the garden for a while.  A neighbours out-building has recently been reroofed so something to eventually disguise this is would be rather nice. Also, a bit of evergreen foliage to soften the fence line during the winter would be beneficial. Whilst walking to a pub for lunch last week a gorgeous droopy-branched bright green fir tree that was planted in totally the wrong place in a tiny front garden, caught my eye. Its gorgeous green soft fronds tempting me to touch them was thrilling. I do love a tactil

Having received a formal diagnosis of Autism after a lengthy waiting time I thought I’d share my experience and how gardening has helped me develop coping strategies.     This diagnosis has been a shock and a relief in equal measure.     As I’ve opened up about it to a few people on this journey I’ve literally had every reaction: acceptance, obliviousness, denial.     I must have become an expert at masking and avoidance. From a young age growing up in the ‘80s/‘90s I struggled with social anxiety, depression, and self-harm.    I remember secondary school in all its painful detail.    I avoided playtime by wandering the corridors or finding an empty classroom to sit in.    I dreaded PE lessons if you can call that car-crash a learning experience.    I was not really listening in class, not being educated, not having my well-being checked, not interested. I can still name all of my bullies 30 years on. I always felt like I was on the peripheral of life looking in. Not quite connecting w