Let's admit it, we're not fashion palettes in the garden. Practicality rules. Rubber shoes, overalls, tools hanging off our belts and, in my case, a big old straw hat. I never garden without a hat. My nose couldn't handle it. I take a lot of ribbing for it, but hey, my nose knows. What's your gardening uniform? Fess up, what wardrobe quirk to you you bring to the garden?
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Comments
Cute hat darling:)
I sometimes garden in the nude.It drives my cat loving neighbour nuts but I find it liberating.
One thing I like to wear while working in the garden is a tool belt.
Pruners can just be clipped to the waist but we often need more.My tool belt has many pockets and they have,pruners,twine,gardening wire,pencil and paper,spray bottle,gloves,trowel,cute hat,etc.
So much time can be wasted looking for stuff so I like to have it all with me.
Cheers
Well, gardening in the nude here in NYS would be a death sentence due to black flies, mosquitoes, etc….but a hat and some kind of old long sleeved men’s shirt works for me….keeps sun off the arms, bugs deterred and bug spray off the skin. A good sturdy pair of shoes too for digging that spade into the ground. Happy gardening you flower lovers!
Scotty, you paint quite a picture.
Debbie, a good pair of clodhoppers is wonderful advice. I’m always amazed at people who can slam their foot into a spade wearing only sneakers or sandals and not get shin splints. Ow.
My gardening attire must consist of a pair of good, strong hiking boots: I never know when I’m going to need to use my foot to help push a shovel, et al, into the ground, plus they give great ankle support & traction for landscaping (pushing a wheelbarrow, carrying heavy stuff, etc) while still allow me to maneuver through gardens without doing damage; a tool belt-mine sounds very similar to yours, Scotty; long leather gloves for when I’m working in the roses; occasional regular garden gloves, but I usually prefer to get my hands right in there; cut-offs (as soon as possible since I find shorts much more comfortable than pants); tank top; pony-tail holder or stick to keep my hair out of my face; good organic sunscreen (I can’t wear a hat – it makes my face sweat way too much) & Neptunes Harvest natural insect repellent (it’s the only bug repellent I’ve found that actually works on everything from those terrible black flies, green flies, skeeters, to ticks, plus it’s deet free & ingredients are all natural, most being essential oils…plus it smells like cedar, mmm).
That’s it. I can’t wait to get out there this year: I have a new, larger yard to make lots of gardens!
i guess im not in the same league with others on this site. i dont do a lot of digging, so no shovel. ive got an old trowel to dig a hole to pop in a plant, or pull out a weed that wont go gracefully. no gloves,no hat. sometimes i weed in my nightgown if its still early. i just set my coffe cup down and start weeding. no-one can see me around the side of the house, so i dont worry, but if im in the front by the road, ill put on a pair shorts under the gown so i can bend over with dignity! thats my uniform, lol! 57 days to spring, just found a countdown to summer—150 days! happy gardening.
I recycle all my old workout clothes to work in the garden: shorts, tanks, old running shoes, etc. I’m generally hidden behind the hedges and plants, so I don’t worry about being a fashion plate, and it adds to the relaxing environment to feel like I’m away in my own little world. Covered in insect repelling and sunscreen, I couldn’t handle wearing a tool belt. But I do have a small basket that holds all my essential tools and my water bottle (the big stuff is in the wheelbarrow). Last summer after I had foot surgery my husband suggested leaving a small container behind a bush to hold some of the tools and items that I only use in the garden. It’s waterproof and saves some time going back and forth to the garage….plus it’s like a small bench for taking a break. It’s fun to dream about those days as I look out at my snow-covered garden!
Living in the South, my favorite gardening apparel, besides tough, strong blue jeans is a 100% white cotton t-shirt. Keeps the Sun off of my back and can be bleached repeatedly.
I like to raid the Goodwill store for large old patterned cotton blouses and pull on pants that are earth tones. The blouses keep me cool and the sweat away. I like to get down on my knees so this way I don’t ruin my good pants or jeans. I have steel toed shoes and in May a black fly net to go under my straw hat which tucks in my top. I also take a wet wash cloth with me to put on the back of my neck or use to wipe my face. Pam
Jennifer, thanks for the tip about Neptunes Harvest natural insect repellent. I’ll definitely be trying it this year. And I’m with you about the pony tail. I can’t stand futzing with my hair while I’m working and sweating.
Dot, doesn’t 57 days sound so much better than 1 month of winter done, 2 more to go?
Shorts under your nightgown for dignity? We are a weird bunch, aren’t we.
Lauren, My worn clothes get reused as garden attire. A fiend like to wear her husbands old pants, because they’re loose and cool. She just holds them up with a belt.
Pam, do you get hot under the net? I couldn’t decide if I hated the flies more than I hated sweating under the net. It is very stylish though. You get bonus points for that.
And Sandi, I completely appreciate the advantage of being able to bleach your clothes, at the end of the day. It’s like the thrill of stepping into the shower, after a hot, grubby day in the garden.
For Dot: Not in the same league???? I beg to differ. In fact, it sounds to me you might be at the top of the league out there gardening in your nightgown! No wasting time getting “geared-up”, you just get right to it. I love that. You keep it simple & theres a lot of wisdom in simplicity. Plus, you gave us all some hope with the countdown. Thank you for that gift on this cold morn where the ground is soggy (we got about 5″ of snow on Saturday, then yesterday afternoon it reached 50*F, so all the white stuff has melted into the already-water-logged ground here in Orient, Long Island).