Talkback: Gardening gloves - Talkback

07/10/2008 at 19:36

I wear gloves while gardening depending on what I'm doing, for two main reasons: My wee girl has a habit of interrupting me regularly asking for a drink or help with something, and it's easier and quicker to slip off a muddy glove rather than wash my hands every ten minutes. Also, as I suffer from hayfever and always having to stop to sneeze or blow my nose, a clean hand underneath the glove means I don't get mud smudges all over my nose. I did get a funny look one time the postie turned up at the door with a parcel.

Keeping my hands warm - if my hands (or feet) are cold then my whole body feels cold and I'm more likely to give up and go indoors sooner. I buy the cheap packs of gloves cos I go through them quite quickly, and they can have a spin in the washing machine without any bother.

Gardeners' World Web User

07/10/2008 at 21:13

I garden for my living and wear gloves all the time. I find the Showa range very acceptable, cheap, adequate finger movement for picking out weeds, and washable. I used to use the 'green' but now find the 'black' more hard wearing. They also do a 'blue' thermal glove.

Yes, Berberis will puncture if you grab the stem, compared with leather, but leather of any substance is too thick to work comfortably.

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2008 at 10:22

A horribly non pc thought, but I have often wondered if there is a charity for one-handed gardeners that I could donate my vast collection of single gloves to...

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2008 at 17:52

I get fed up with this view that you are not a real gardener if you wear gloves. When I am not gardening I like my hands and fingernails to look nice so to help this I wear a variety of different gloves depending on the job I'm doing. If I'm weeding I wear a fairly fine pair (can't remember the make), when the soil is wet and a bit muddy then a stronger pair with waterproof palms and if I'm pruning something like berberis then a good strong pair.I say we should dispel this myth and accept that some gardeners care about their hands as well as their plants.

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2008 at 18:19

My best gloves are from Texas! But they are Carhartt, which I would hope would be replaceable in Europe. VERY VERY tough though.

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2008 at 21:11

i find surgical gloves very easy to use & re-use. my hands don't seem to get too cold in them either

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2008 at 21:14

I have to wear gloves when gardening because I am allergic to the soil, it makes me itch!! I do however usually only wear marigolds(pink if you please) because they are thin enough to still feel what you doing.

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2008 at 19:54

Handling soil makes my skin dry and cracked. Most of the year I use light engineering gloves - thin knitted nylon with nitrile coated fingers & palms, made by Marigold & bought on Internet. They're great for everything except very cold weather. Still looking for something both warm and flexible! Don't get on with the big, chunky fingers of most leather ones.

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2008 at 20:18

I wear a variety of gloves when I'm working as inevitably when I don't I'll pull some weeds and brush against nettles or a hidden thorny thing, a whole day of throbbing hands is not fun. I volunteer at Mount Stewart as well and was issued with some reasonably heavy duty gloves on my first day. I usually keep several pairs of gloves in the car to change throughout the day as wet gloves are not fun either, I can dry them out a bit with the car heater when driving. Have discovered wearing vinyl surgical gloves under normal gloves is ok for a while too. I would like a really good pair of heavy duty gauntlets in a small size that don't have a flowery linen cuff, the same goes for trousers in a size 8 please.

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2008 at 20:52

I also wear gloves when gardening simply because there is a lot of cats in our area that use our garden!!! there is nothing worse than when weeding or digging grabbing a handful of cat poo, yuk!

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2008 at 21:07

Like many other senior citizens I have to take Warfarin as a 'blood thinner' without my gardening gloves my hands would not survive the many cuts and scratches associated with some gardening jobs (pruning/etc.)

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2008 at 08:58

I don't like using gloves especially when weeding - but - with Holy Communion, Baptism, Wedding and Funeral services/visits, sometimes I have to wear gloves to keep my hands near decent. As for podding broad beans before any of the above - that is totally off the agenda and not something to do with gloves on!!!

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2008 at 10:25

This summer, while cutting back shrubs, i accidentally dropped the secateurs... foolishly decided to catch them! I should have been wearing gloves. Ended up with a deep gash in my thumb and at the doctors! I now wear gloves in the garden.

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2008 at 17:36

The best pair of gloves I ever used in the garden were a beautiful pair of leather dress gloves I inherited from my dad (1980). They were soft yet tough and lasted for years, that was until my husband used them to turn the rods when he was sweeping our chimney. Needless to say he ruined them and almost caused a divorce. I now use surgical gloves which are comfortable.

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2008 at 20:01

I have gardened for some 40 plus years and having suffered a very bad dose of Lock jaw picked up through a cut on my hand while planting i would not consider touching any soil without wearing surgical gloves which are cheap enough now and readily available in a lot of shops.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/10/2008 at 10:43

Apart from gardening my other hobbies are embroidery and knitting so I like to wear gloves to prevent the inevitable ingrained "dirt".

Gardeners' World Web User

13/10/2008 at 19:48

My students whinge about wearing gloves ..... I have a lovely selection on offer from fine green ones to thick leather, but they shun them all! As part of the inevitable Health & Safety audit, I have to supply gloves and suggest the kids wear them, (in case of thorns or rattlesnake bites!!) but of course they can make their own choice. Perhaps the new generation of gardeners have unwittingly backed up the old notion of not being cool if they use gloves. My rugby playing kids are especially reluctant to don them. Personally I have acrylic nails that look vile if they have a layer of mud under them, so pink tight fitting gloves are the order of the day for me!!!!

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2008 at 16:15

A nailcare tip: if you scrape a bar of soap with your fingernails before you start gardening then any dirt will easily wash out. Next week: hair and make-up!

Gardeners' World Web User

21/10/2008 at 22:02

A bit late, but never mind. Whenever I hear a gardener (usually male) say they don't wear gloves, I find myself wondering who washes their handkerchiefs. Like the lady who needs to respond quickly to her toddler's needs, I find it so much easier to pull a glove off to get to a clean hand than to go indoors to a washbasin. Also, don't the anti-glove brigade ever find themselves faced with an unexpected stinging nettle when they are weeding?

Gardeners' World Web User

27/03/2009 at 10:48

The glow gloves/glowing gloves are designed for signing in the dark, however, you can get creative and find other uses for the glove.