Down and Dirty.

[Diane]

I was reading a very interesting article recently (well several really) about how getting your hands dirty whilst working in the garden makes you happy and realised that this is so true for myself. After a session of weeding and generally mucking about in the garden yesterday I looked at my filthy hands and realised I felt a glow of satisfaction and well being which far outweighed the pile of weeds I'd pulled up. Very glad I don't need to wear gardening gloves, although I realise some folk need to.

I'm wondering what percentage of the non glove wearing gardeners get this feeling. Apparently it's all down to Mycobacterium antidepressant microbes in soil.

Always knew I was a bit of a mucky pup and now feel vindicated

[oldherbaceous]

Bet you all knew I would be first to reply to this...

I rarely wear gloves and love the feel of the soil on my hands... so never happier than when my hands are dirty.
I love shaking wimpy blokes hands, when my hands are dirty...you can just see it in their faces, that they don't want to do it and they always have a feeble hand shake too.

[retropants]

yuk, we get lots of those wet lettuce handshakes from visitors at work!!
I'm not sure wearing gloves makes that much difference, as I always feel the same way after working in the garden, gloves or no.

[Chantal]

I never used to wear gloves and then someone said to me "what on earth have you done to your hands?". I looked at them and realised that my fingers were so rough that they were ingrained with soil that no amount of scrubbing would remove. I ended up with sandpaper, filing down the rough bits, then soaking in lemon juice for hours at the end of which things looked marginally better. My nails weren't too bad, but could have been (a lot) better. So, as I had an exhibition coming up, when I would be on our stand, gladhanding people, I decided I reallly ought to wear gloves. I have done so now for years, but can honestly say that apart from the dirt aspect, I don't feel different, I just love weeding!

[Monika]

I do feel a right wimp when I have to confess to always wearing gloves when gardening, either 'proper' gardening gloves for jobs like pruning, weeding or planing out, rubber gloves with cheap woolly gloves inside for very wet jobs and thin disposable gloves for pricking out or thinning. The only job I don't wear gloves for is sowing, I need to feel the seeds for that.

[Westi]

Somehow even with gloves I end up pretty grubby. My fault as I take them off to have a coffee or a sit down & without fail note a weed that just annoys so it has to being pulled up & then I note another & another. I have been known to bleach my nails to be presentable for work, not the best idea for nail care, but works quickest when you realise their state when you have to be out the door in 10 minutes!

[Stephen]

I used to not wear gloves and, yes it did make me feel happy, but not only do I really need them in the winter (Raynaud’s) but, like Chantal I realised that my hands seemed to never be really clean.
If I am working on the car I don't wear gloves, surgical ones just rip within moments, assuming I can get them on over my swollen joints and anything thicker prevents you holding small components.

[Primrose]

I rarely used to wear gloves for gardening - I like to FEEL what I,m handling but so use thin Disposable gloves these days for digging compost out of bulk containers after once badly cutting my hands on glass shards which were in the compost. I find the aveage gardening gloves too thick for sensitive planting but my hands are not very elegant as a result and my nails usually end up broken.

[robo]

I used to play rugby to get down and dirty now my knees won’t work

[Monika]

Like I said above, it sort of sounds like cheating to wear gloves for gardening, but I do a lot of knitting and the wool will snag on any little crack of skin or broken nail.

[Chantal]

I agree Monika, wool does catch on rough hands. Until I wore gloves I could only knit or do my embroidery because of the state of my hands. I now wear Showa gloves that are like a second skin and I love them.

[Westi]

I've got Showa as won a pick in the Summer show raffle, but late on & didn't fancy anything else left. Now they are not my size, so certainly not a 2nd skin, but love them - cool in summer, warm in winter, wash brilliantly and the rubber type thing over the tips has shown no wear or cracked or peeled. Hmm? Valentine's Day is coming & will certainly cost less & last longer than red roses that have flown 1,000's of miles! Might be cheeky & ask for 2 pairs?

[Primrose]

Have never heard of them. Must do some research as haven,t yet found the perfect gardening gloves.

[robo]

I bought my last lot from amazon 12 pairs in a pack ,cotton or nylon backs rubber palms and fingers I think they are made for gripping things they are not the be all and end all but good enough

[Chantal]

We always buy ours from Centre Sales Gloves (CSM) at shows like Malvern. Always a special show offer on and always the same guy selling them!

We also got some "pond" gloves from them which are fabulous on wet days as they are waterproof and long so tuck right up your sleeves.