The Autistic Gardener

I love this programme and I think Alan Gardner is just brilliant. The quite aptly named Mr Gardner is an award winning garden designer and is also on the autism spectrum. 

We get a window into how an autistic mind works and the feelings connected with the process of taking on such big projects such as these gardens. The clients all have a budget to spend on their gardens and Alan certainly knows how to spend the money. I just love how he uses architecture, maths and geometry to express his feelings and make these garden really personal to his clients needs. He really does have some anticipation in handing the designs to the people he wants to please. He so wants them to like what he has created and he takes time to explain where his idea has come from in the hope that they 'get it' too.

I like this gardening programme more than any other, it isn't just a makeover show it shows you when you have a gift, and yes that's what Alan sees his Autism as, you can use that to be creative and make a career. After all he's showing us that as an adult with autism, you can succeed and put all your interests, ideas and those obsessions into something you feel passionate about and make a living from it. 

When he first inspects the gardens I feel so much better about mine as I realise it isn't quite as bad as I first thought but wow the end results are just fantastic. I love that he has a non autistic sidekick who keeps him from going overboard on the designs, he obviously knows him well and I like to see his face when there is a new design on the table. The format is slightly different in this second series as in the first one he had fellow gardeners also on the spectrum, helping him but I like this new series especially when you see him on his travels and putting some great research into helping us all as viewers too, understand the inspiration behind his magnificent creations.

The clients do make me giggle as they really don't know what to expect from him as a person and also how their garden is going to be transformed  They have to put their trust in him and he naturally feels the pressure but it comes together in the end. The battle of trust, imagination visualisation and realisation that they have not only a fabulous new garden but one created from such an amazing mind. Alan gives all his clients a nice big hug which goes to show that people with autism can sometimes show empathy and although he can't read peoples faces and expressions he finds another way of understanding their reactions

It just great and raises awareness for autism which has to be a good thing. you can catch The Autistic Gardener on Saturday, Channel 4 at 7pm

Thanks for reading, I will be back for more tv talk tomorrow with Pass the Remote, until then take care.