Alan has Asperger’s Syndrome.
He was 15 when his love of gardening flourished. He puts it down to two things – a cactus he purchased from a local florist which he nurtured on his bedroom window sill and a seed catalogue.
‘When I looked at that catalogue and saw all the things that you could grow the family garden quickly became a menagerie,’ says Alan. ‘To be honest, it was a welcome relief to my parents as neither of them were gardeners.’
Since then, Alan’s never looked back – he went on to work for the Birmingham Parks Department before setting up on his own as a garden designer in 1986.
Image c/o Sara Griffiths
Over the years, Alan has created 40 Royal Horticultural Society gardens and won numerous awards at Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton Park. Most recently, Alan won a silver medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015.
‘Gardens make me feel happy, says Alan. ‘I have the need to grow plants. I have the need to plant seeds and watch them grow. I like being outside, I like being in the environment, I like every kind of weather, the light. Every good gardener needs to love the outdoors.’
Alan lives with his wife, Mandy, and their three children in the Midlands.
THE AUTISTIC GARDENER 