How do you dress for the garden?

I wouldn't mind shopping dirty, but I don't want to get my new car dirty!

on Indy_V where did u find ur cargo pants?!! I want some!!!
and i have to echo ur sentiment about the mosquitos favoring one human chemistry over another. seems like NONE of the men in my life had problems with them and i swear i'm a mosquito magnet!!! i'm like missingrosie on that one! if there's ONE in our county, it WILL find me!! i hate it!! and sometimes, i kid u not, i can spray what i think is my ENTIRE BODY and i come in the house and find the ONE spot i might have missed and it's itching like crazy! death to mosquitos!

jlp - when i lived in my last home, where i had lush st. augustine grass and few real predators, i would garden barefoot. my ex bitched until i started keeping a pair of flip flops by the back door, but i would only wear them when he was around. ditto the gloves.

NOW i live on 5-1/2 acres in the WOODS where i run out of fingers and toes to count the living, breathing predators that lurk. no WAY will i venture out without SOMEthing on my feet and 90% of the time gloves on my hands. it's hard for me, but... i also can't take a chance on getting a bite from a brown recluse or black widow, or worse!! (we have seen a coral snake in our garden!!)

Melissa... in answer to ur question... hmmmmmm i TRY to plan ahead and IF i think i'm gonna run into town to get plants... i try to do that first. however, i HAVE been know to just change my shirt and GO! lol

My mom always says-if my new car can't handle a little dirt from plants, it's not worth paying for. I disagree, but always think it's funny when she says that. We put 11-12 ft. tall palm tree in her car last year, all windows closed. That was interesting.
I have gotten better about cleaning the dirt off my knees. I used to go to the store, look down, and realize they were covered in mud....

Mosquitos- I don't even get a break from them in the hot afternoon. My yard is terrible. I have to make special plans just to take a look around my yard cause I end up smelling like bug spray the rest of the day. I know a lot of 'pests' serve a purpose even though we disagree, but can't imagine what a mosquito could possibly be good for.

do lizards eat mosquitos? my DH mentioned he hopes we have a big crop of them this year b/c they eat some of the bugs. we have a bat house, but so far no occupants.

anyone else ever tried bat houses?

Thanks, rosie! The safari hats look like a great idea, but the tula lattice ranch hat is calling my name. My head's on the small side, though, so I e-mailed them for sizing information. This might be exactly what I need.

I try to avoid shopping after gardening but I'm not always successful. There's a produce stand that was on the way from last year's garden, and I'd stop there - dirty and sweaty - to pick up the stuff I wasn't growing myself.

Gardening without shoes: I'd rather be barefoot than shoed, but the chiggers like me too. :o(

Oh, and I don't remember where I found the pants, dang it. Probably Kohls. They're perfect, though. Cool like shorts but cover your knees when you're down in the dirt.

love the sound of the cargo capris, ... I totally go dirty shopping (as long as it's for yard stuff) and even picked up my youngest at school covered in dirt (he was only 4 then and didn't care/ or even notice).

my gardening atire includes really ugly pants.... floral print pants....really old stirrup pants, or leggins under oversized t-shirts, garden clogs or barefoot.

or, depending on the season, turtleneck cotton pullover and flannel work shirt over stirrup pants or leggins and running shoes.

If I decide I really need to go plant shopping, I'll put on a br* and change into 'decent' casuals

I have been known to weed in heels......

When we lived in Garner, NC..my neighbor....a portly gentleman of the south.... made it clear he didn't much like a 'yankee' living next door and a Catholic to boot, so he never spoke to us other than "I live next door...your kid put water in my fuel tank.... are you catholic?" ......"Yes.. I thought so, I knew one once..." Honestly, that was the exact exchange. Anyway, one hot hot HOT!! NC summer day, (midday no less) I ran outside to check on the garden... NO intention to stay out there. But you know how it is... Anyway, I was outside struggling with tomatos that weren't doing well.... I was trying to cultivate around the plants. Weeds were everywhere...sweat was running down my face and body... It was either stiffen up the knees or pass out.. you know what I mean. Suddenly, I felt like someone was staring at me.... When I turned around Floyd was on his side of the metal chain link fence..a look of incredulity on his face... I said "What!!!?#!*" (I was past caring what that man thought about me and I figured he was planning to tell me something that he thought my son had done) (By the way, my son at that time was not quite three and NEVER went outside without me.) He just looked at me and said "around here we don't garden in spiked high heels (he said "spaaaiked" {and the shoes were 2.5 inches}) AND we give our plants a little water now and again.... I just looked at him and with a straight face said "Yeah, well... I'm aerating."

Indy, I have that hat too and I got it from Brookstone too. Both very inexpensive (10 and 15 I think) The big brim is alot for me and I don't think that cool. The strap under the chin on the one I have is kind of stiff. No strap on the other.

ha ha ha Rosie, he probably was inside muttering about you for the rest of the day. grumpy ol Gus

OK the rest of the story --- honestly.

We were just renting that house - we had just moved to NC. I had nothing to water with --the soil was hard as a rock clay -- it was all bad. He began WATERING my plants. No kidding. I found them weeded too. One evening sometime later (we lived there a little over a year) he and his wife came over with a big plate of fried fish that he caught. Floyd and Julia became the BEST neighbors. Our son played with their son and those two were the sweetest neighbors. Go figure. He forgave me my Brooklyn roots..(but I am not sure about being Catholic --but I feel sure that he prayed for us and our son who had significant heart issues.)

our last neighbor 's DH when it was time for him to mow his lawn . He used a tractor and he wore no shirt ! and was a very portly man and bald . His shorts were tan'ish like a skin tone color . yeah so imagine when i first saw this !!!! he looked like he was riding naked !!!
on his tractor LOL o h it was so funny and still is.

At least he's not like my neighbor. One day he was outside, and from far away I was thinking "Why does he have a sweater vest on"? Yeah, no sweater vest, just HAIR! I swear it was so long you could have braided it. Ack!

oh that is so wrong ! and a big "eeeewwww"

LOL. Those are great stories. I would have whipped out my camera for sure.

good thing it wasn't a sasquawach SP ? aka big foot with that hairy vest.
i do wish i had a video camera , it was way before Utube was popular lol

oh ha ha ha haha - fantastic ! Did you call him sweater vest ?

*rosie, he was an ol' softie afterall.

No, we really don't talk much. They're not very friendly. I've made attempt to speak to him, but he pretty much ignores me. Everyone else on our street (little subdivision, one road with a cul-de-sac at the end) are really close and friendly, but he and his wife just kind of keep to themselves. I still invite them to neighborhood events, as does everyone else, but they are happier alone I guess.

It was still funny to see him with his sweater vest, and no, I don't think that is why he doesn't talk to anyone.

I love my sloggers. they are easy to slip into and are nice and cushiony. you don't have to just wear them in the garden, they are nice enough to slip on to go shopping or walking. Get the ones that have an insole, like at garden shoes online, instead of the cheap ones that don't have any support.

Jeans and a t-shirt and sometimes a garden hat to keep out the sun.

My capris have a big pocket on the front of each thigh - AWESOME for gardening. Gloves and shovel in one, plant ties and clippers in the other. Got mine at Dillard's last year - nice moderate-weight fabric, too.

ROFLLL "softie " LOL good one Red ( giggling)

It was the sight of that Yankee weeding in high heels that softened him up!! He talked about that for a long time. I can imagine the conversation around the work lunch table the following day after he saw me. One thing is for sure.... he took pity upon me and I ended up with GREAT tomatoes that year!

Crummy. I dress crummy for the garden. Of course I pretty much dress crummy most of the time. As much as I can get away with.

Shoes. I don't even own a pair, except for athletic shoes. No, I'm not tracking out to the garden in my bike cleats. and running shoes only go running. I wear sandals year round.

I've been known to get busy out in the garden, realize I need something for the garden, and hop in the car to go get it, muddy jeans and all.

It's not like I'm all that attractive to start with. If ya ain't got it, don't flaunt it, LOL!

all winter long i wear my carthart bibs everywhere ! LOL mud and all. The only real clothes i wear are for funerals and weddings. LOL
aaaww come on Zen you are beautiful ! inside and out :)

I have gone out in my gardening clothing to the garden center, and I don't mind the dirty clothing, but I am always appalled when I look at my black nails. My hands are washed, but sometimes can't get the sand out. I don't mind by myself my dirty nails. I feel like it is a badge of honor. :) Like grass stains and brair scratches.

oh I often forget the gloves .... or think to myself "I should put my gloves on"

what are carthart bibs ? like ski bibs?


there is nothing wrong with being natural zen !

It's so hot, I can't imagine wearing gloves. I only put them on for my super thorny cactus.

I can dig in the dirt all day-as long as I have my gloves on. I get laughed at when I'm seen sitting in a pile of dirt but still won't touch anything without gloves. I have to put on a clean pair every time, I won't even put my hands in a dirty pair. Finally, after much complaining my mom finally washes hers for when I come visit.

OH XMelissaX, I feel your pain .. Im the same way I won't touch the ground with out something on my hands .. DH thinks this is so funny ... But I have alway been this way carried a washrag around when I was very young about 3 ...

I wear gloves too (ever since I picked up a fistful of newborn snakes) but my hands STILL get so dirty. I have tried all kinds of gloves and still when I am done ..my hands/nails are a mess.

I use men's jersey gloves. They seem to work better than any other ones I've tried. The cheap 3-packs really shrink in the dryer, so they end up fitting just fine.

my hands always end up dirty somehow, too. ooooh, a handful of snakes!!!!!

denim, you carried around a washcloth? How cute is that. My mom caught me eating dirt more than once, not quite as endearing as your story.

I'm going to try those jersey gloves

Yeah those snakes were a shock!

oh wow . Yikes on the picking up snakes ! that would just make me hit the moon ! and not come down *shudder *
i wear gloves just cuz my hands get so dry and the crack and bleed if i don't :(
Carthart bibs is a material like a firemans hose and keeps your warm and dry. Some are flanel lined for winter and some are not . Hard to move around in at times, but they last forever and very warm !!!! i can be out in -20 with 2 layers under my Cartharts and Jacket for hrs and stay warm and dry. worth every penny IMHO :) just aint pretty to look at LOL

My son in law loves his Carhart 'jumpsuit' (I am sure he wouldn't call it that) but it is a long sleeved all in one overall or coverall. Thick, lined, and for sub zero weather. He hunts in it and also does the quarry work in it.

someday i m going to wear mine back out in CA ( San Fransico area ) giggle they don't wear them over yonder LOL i will get the look i m sure :) i love it.
I gots to be me

Carharts are big around even our 4 year old grand daughter has Carharts
I just steel DHs old overalls and roll up the legs hes 6'4"

Redtootsiepop,
you were more normal tho ...lol
snakes!!! around here it would be copper heads ... not nice

Say no to the copperheads. I hate them. A stray cat showed up a year ago. Since he's been here, haven't seen one copperhead. All last summer of course. Hoping the same this year. A cat is worth it's weight in gold when it comes to keeping snakes and rodents away. Possums like them too. So I don't chase off my possum.

We wore Carhart jumpsuits in Ok when we fed the horses. You know the wind never stops blowing in OK. It can turn temps to sub zero with the wind chill. We never felt the cold with the Carharts. They are GREAT. Haven't worn them here yet, but still have them. Had them the nine years we lived in south FL too. I told my husband we may need them one day.