I’ve written quite a bit wearing the right threads when outside digging in the dirt. But I thought I’d check in with one of our experienced gardeners around here and see her take on gardening attire.
Tyla Ordam is the brilliant mind behind our TikTok and a contributor to our weekly blogs.
I asked Tyla what gardeners and farmers should wear while putting in that work.
She said this:
“When you think of gardeners and farmers, there is usually quite a typical image that forms in your mind. Dusty dungarees, a straw hat, and a pair of oversized boots. If that’s the image in your mind, you are not far off.
To outsiders, gardening may seem like a relaxing process, a walk in the park, but to those with green thumbs, you know it’s more like a rocky mountain hike. Like a long hike, gardening can keep you outside in the sun for hours.
Just like for a long hike, you need to protect yourself from the elements in your garden. Straw hats are a farming favorite as they are light, breathable, and big enough to keep the sun off your face from all angles. Your face isn’t the only place where the sun can catch you in the garden, so many gardeners wear long sleeves, or protection sleeves, to keep the sun off their arms.
Sleeves have a double job in the garden, firstly for sun protection, and secondly for the plants. Plants have developed clever ways to protect themselves, and one of their strategies is to irritate whatever is bothering them. Plants like cucumbers and pumpkins have thousands of tiny thorns all over their leaves - when the leaves touch your skin, it becomes itchy and irritated. Wearing sleeves is the only way to avoid being attacked by your plants.
Boots and gloves are next on the list of protective gear for gardeners. You wouldn’t take a hike in Flip Flops, right? A healthy garden is full of life, and there are a lot of living creatures we would instead not come into direct contact with within the park. For example, many scary spiders make their homes under the pots and rocks in your garden. Wearing thick boots and gloves can prevent an unpleasant attack from one of your garden residents.
The last gardening gear must-have list is a pair of dungarees or a gardening apron. There is so much happening in the garden that it’s impossible to leave the house for a good session with all you need in one hand. A trip to the garden can start with some pruning, move to thinning seedlings and pulling weeds, planting seeds, harvesting vegetables, and so on. So a pair of dungarees or a gardening apron with lots of pockets will help reduce the back and forth between the shed and the garden.
Dungarees are the best option for all-day gardeners and farmers, but for those of us who enjoy short bursts outside, a gardening apron is the best fit. Easy to pull on over your clothes, an apron will keep your clothes dirty while keeping all of your gardening gadgets together for the next time you step outside.”
