For context I am closer to my Mother than I am anyone else. We get on very well, we go on minibreaks together a lot (we share interests that her and my Dad do not share so I am her 'trip' buddy go-to)and go out for lunch/dinner etc, we talk a lot, we're close. We don't have a bad relationship generally.
A few months ago I moved into a house near her.
Unfortunately, at the time of moving, I was also quite overwhelmed with work. I work part-time for a company but also have freelance work and two projects had come through at the same time as moving. I couldn't have predicted this really, nature of it but I had enough time, I just had to work very, very hard. The move had some complications and it was bad timing. I paid for help with moving when I wasn't available, also had some friends come over to help shift things etc, it went smoothly and all was fine but it was a very stressful period for me and I was very stressed and tired.
I also spent a lot of money in the move, I had some left over, but I did not want to spend it all at once, I wanted to be careful with it. I am single and live alone and I have to be a bit careful with money.
My biggest bugbear with the house was the garden. Previous occupants had flagged it all and I am a nature lover, I wanted grass, shrubs, greenery.
From day one my Mum has pressured me like anything into paying to get the garden landscaped, plants planted, everything taken away and done. She knew a fella who'd be great at it and it'd be done within a week or so. She nagged me a lot about this when all I could concentrate on was deadlines with work and doing essential things. She pressured me with some other move-related decisions which annoyed me but I gave in to those. This pressure made me so much more stressed at an already difficult time, I wasn't sleeping properly and felt myself becoming quite ill with it all.
But I did say, no, not what I want, I want to have a proper think about what I want the garden to be like, and I am too busy and distracted with work to do that currently. I also don't want someone I don't know coming in and doing it, it will stress me out. I'll think about how I want the garden, and then either do it myself or maybe get him to do it, but not yet. Really, I wanted (and still want!) to do it myself. Yes it will take a bit longer but I want to do it my way. I didn't see the urgency. Yes, the garden wasn't how I wanted it but I had too many other more pressing matters to concentrate on.
Mum put SO much pressure on me. When I said I had to be a bit careful with money as I had spent a lot on the house already, she offered to pay and was most annoyed when I didn't accept (parents are wealthy but although they paid for a lot of education for me, as a fully fledged adult I have not taken a penny from them)!
But once I had refused this, I thought that was the end of it.
One night after I had first moved in and my internet was not yet on, I was at her house doing my freelance work, and didn't finish until almost midnight. I had already worked my other job that day, it had been busy, so I was utterly shattered and gave up.
Went to say goodbye to her and she laid into me about the garden again. It may sound extreme but I was just so tired, I had switched my brain off and just wanted to go home and go to bed and I almost didn't even know what she was talking about. I said 'Mum, this has been put to bed, I am doing it myself', she wouldn't accept it and I admit that I snapped at her a little, not badly just 'Look I've worked an 18 hour shift, I cannot have this conversation now, thank you for letting me use your internet, I am going to bed'.
I felt guilty when I got home and sent her a message explaining that I have too much to do, I cannot put thoughts about the garden to the forefront of my mind when other things have urgency and that does not, and apologsised.
Again, I thought that was that.
That was about 2 months ago and she's just got back from being on holiday and came round a few days ago and started again about the garden. I have now taken a lot of the concrete up, done some planting and started to dig out bits where I want a lawn. I have done quite a lot as things have calmed at work. I got a lot of 'told you sos' (not exactly but, 'If you'd have just done what I said you'd have this all sorted by now!') and 'You wouldn't have it looking a mess had you done what I said' and again I explained that I wanted to do it myself, I am happy doing it myself, I did not and still do not want to pay a random bloke to do it, I am quite capable and I have already got a lot done.
Tonight, she rang me and the conversation again turned to my garden, only about the other part of it now which already has a lawn. I have not cut it. I like the concept of 'no mow May' and love sitting and watching pollinators and in the greenery, I know it is not everybody's 'thing' but it is mine. She said she was coming over this weekend with her strimmer'. I told her she was not! If I want it strimming I am quite capable of doing it, but I don't! I got told that the only reason I haven't done it is because I wouldn't have noticed it. I have! I just like it the way it is? It's not her garden, surely it doesn't affect her even if I don't cut the grass for years.
I love her to bits but this has become a real thorn in my side. I don't understand why it bothers her so much? She doesn't have to deal with it. As it is I am quite happy with the progress I have made so far and I don't see the massive rush.
Upon moving I was already pressured into some other decisions I am not happy with but I am putting my foot down on this one.