What To Wear When Gardening? 8 Essentials For Professionals!
Gardening is a favorite hobby of many house junkies. Although it is a fun hobby, like other hobbies (sports, games, …), you need to equip yourself with some items when practicing. Many beginners have trouble choosing what to wear when gardening.
A set of gardening clothes needs to satisfy three criteria: sun protection, insect bite avoidance, and comfortable to wear. The following article will share important gardening attire and some buying guides for newbies.
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Why is Garden Protective Clothing Necessary?
Sun Protection
Gardening attire is essential for gardeners as it protects them from UV rays. According to many pieces of research, these harmful rays are the main cause of skin cancer.
In addition, UV rays also cause other diseases that are harmful to health, such as eye problems or weaken the immune system if exposed to them for a long time.
For women, UV radiation is also an enemy of the skin, as it will cause tanning beds and sunburns and is the cause of signs of aging such as wrinkles, pigmentation, freckles, and age spots.
Therefore, wearing gardening clothes will help gardeners cover their skin and eyes, bringing good protection, and helping to avoid being adversely affected by ultraviolet rays.
Insect Bite Avoidance
Mosquito Bite
Your garden is the ideal zone for insects and bugs to live. When gardening, you will inevitably come into contact with soil or leaves.
Leaves are home to worms, bugs, and spiders. You will risk being exposed to bug bites or spider bites.
These will cause insect bite symptoms like itching, swelling, and redness if mild. But if it gets worse, you may end up in the hospital or life-threatening.
In addition, the ground is also a nesting place for ants and centipedes. Like bugs and spiders, you’ll be more likely to get bitten by ants or centipedes if you run into their nest.
Besides, mosquitoes or snakes can also be hazards you may encounter when gardening. Wearing a full coverage of protective gear won’t keep them away, but it will protect you from bites if you happen to encounter these creatures.
Comfortable
Surely you can’t squat in the sun for more than half an hour in an outfit that’s as fussy and uncomfortable as a skirt or stylish shoes.
Gardening clothes are designed with a simple and comfortable design that will support your body to withstand better.
These items will usually be made from soft, thick materials like rubber to avoid rubbing against the ground.
Besides, the clothes will usually be made of cotton that absorbs sweat well. You won’t be afraid to smear them with dirt with a simple design.
8 Essentials For Gardeners
Gardening Gloves
Garden Gloves
A pair of gardening gloves is an indispensable item to prevent your bare hands from directly contacting plants and soil – as mentioned before; it is the home of poisonous insects.
A good pair of gloves are usually made of soft yet sturdy, pain-relieving materials such as foamed latex. Some products on the market are also designed with non-slip grips, making gardening tasks like composting, digging, pulling, or weeding easier.
You should choose a pair of gardening gloves that fit the size of your hand and fingers. It is best to refer to models with a tight and thick design to make them convenient and light to carry.
Gardening Shoes/Gardening Boots
Like gloves, gardening shoes help protect your feet from the hazards of exposure to the garden’s natural environment.
On the market today, there are two most popular types of garden shoes: one is sloggers with low ankles and thick platform soles, and the other is rubber boots that cover the calves.
Most products are made from water-resistant low-profile materials such as rubber or non-latex vegan-friendly PVC.
If your garden is small and the work does not require too much work, then you can choose a pair of sloggers, as they will be more versatile and more comfortable.
However, rubber boots are your ideal pick if you need an option for absolute safety.
Garden Kneeler
Kneeling when gardening
This item may not be essential for some people, but I think it is quite necessary for your hourly knee when gardening.
The garden kneelers are usually designed as a frame with pillow cushions made of soft materials, helping to relieve knee and back pain.
Attached to the two sides of the frame are solid handrails. Some Amazon products are also designed with integrated pockets on both sides of the armrest so you can store gardening tools.
These stools are quite versatile and convenient when you can even turn them upside down to make a small table or fold the two armrests down if you feel they are not needed.
Another alternative you can consider if the price and size of the foldable kneeler are too great is knee pads.
Unlike kneelers, knee pads are two pieces of fabric you will wear on either side of your knees to prevent them from being bumped. Knee pads are more low-profile and are often more economical than gardening benches.
Sun Hat
For areas with hot and dry weather like California, you definitely need a hat to protect your head from direct sunlight.
The best hats are wide-brimmed and lightweight. However, a baseball cap can be a reasonable alternative if you don’t have a wide-brimmed hat.
Garden T-shirts
A cotton t-shirt is comfortable
When working outdoors, you will inevitably sit in the sun and sweat. Therefore, clothing items with too thick and rough materials, like kaki or linen, will not suit you.
Recommended products are garden t-shirts with four-way cotton or cold spandex fabric.
These gardening clothes are thin materials, have good absorbency, and are easy to wash if accidentally soiled. You should choose minimal long sleeves because they are highly reusable and will be more difficult to fade when washed.
Old Jeans
Nothing lasts longer than an old pair of denim pants. You won’t have to worry about these gardening clothes and take care of them when gardening.
Even when doing heavy-duty jobs, it is also a durable and thick item, protecting your feet from sunlight and insects.
You should choose old denim with wide and loose legs so you can sit or kneel easily. Skinny jeans are also relatively comfortable and stretchy but are more difficult when squatting.
Garden Tool Belt
Gardening tools
A professional gardener needs some gardening tools when working, like a pruner for trimming plants, a hoe for cultivating soil, a trowel for digging, a rake for scooping mulch, or a shovel for transplanting.
Wearing a garden tool belt will make it more convenient for storing tools neatly and using them when needed.
The tool belt is usually fabric and will have adjustable waist straps, so you can rest assured that it can be adjusted to fit the waist size of many gardeners.
Sunglasses
As mentioned above, besides the skin, the eyes are the second body part that is adversely affected by sunlight. Protecting your eyes is essential, and sunglasses can help.
A good pair of sunglasses not only help your eyes avoid harsh sunlight and has an anti-glare effect and prevents strange objects from entering your eyes when gardening.
Protective Gears
In addition to the above items, when gardening, you should equip other protective items before going out.
You should keep a few bottles of insect-repellent lotion with you and sunscreen with SPF 50+ to protect your skin from the bad agents mentioned above. Sunscreen is also an option for women if they’re not used to using sunscreen.
In addition, you should also prepare a first aid kit with topical medications for insect bites and pain relievers. If bitten, you should give first aid and immediately go to the nearest medical facility if the wound becomes severe.
Watch out for this video to see more about first aid when having an insect bite or sting:
Conclusion
Gardening is an interesting job, making your home come alive with various green plants. However, you still need to carefully and fully equip yourself with the necessary items to avoid risks when exposed to the natural environment.
Hopefully, after this article, you have understood the essentials of gardening. If you need more useful information about gardening, please visit us at Swipe Garden.
Thank you!
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