In message , subbykins{Chrd}
writes

I genuinely hate spiders, can't be doing with them they frighten the
hell out of me.

Helen does like spiders at all either.

So, now I've got this lovely garden I want to do
things with but I was recently poking around in a camelia bush looking
at it's base when one rather large and nasty

We don't have large spiders in the UK, but I know what you mean.....

one landed on my hand and
it's really put me off poking around again.

Does anyone else have a spider or creepy crawler problem, and how do
you cope with that and enjoy your garden and gardening?

I think you just need to gradually work at getting used to them - not
necessarily liking them. Helen finds the 'Chris there's a HUGE spider in
here....' technique works well when one is in the wrong place at the
wrong time.

Having a child is one possibility for helping you get used to them,
Helen doesn't like dogs, esp. large barky ones either much. But she's
not wanted to transfer here dislike of spiders and dogs to Elinor, so
has tried to avoid displaying this dislike in front of her, and this
seems to mean she has got a bit more tolerant of them. This may be a
rather drastic approach to the problem though.

OT tale:

We were in Australia about 10 years ago, went on a canoe trip down a
river in Queensland with a group of others. Had been looking at various
creatures on the way, and had been close to some fairly poisonous snake
sleeping in a tree, taking photos. Others wouldn't go near it.

Everyone thought it highly amusing when a little while later there was a
huge screech and Helen leapt from the canoe (we were by the bank) they
hurried over to find a small harmless spider had dropped from a tree
into the canoe near Helen.
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
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