Give Me 5, Give Me 10

I admit it... I have gardener hands. With my hands in my pockets you'd probably mistake me for a girly, girl who enjoys fashion. But with my hands out in the open you can tell that deep down inside I'm not the fussy type.


Looking at someone's hands can tell you a lot about a person. When I meet someone I look into their eyes and at their hands. The eyes may be a window into someone's soul, but their hands will tell you the type of life they lead - regardless of whether that life style is by choice or necessity.

(Obviously these are not my hands.)

For me ragged nails are the result of my hobby of choice. Connecting with the earth feeds my spirit and fills me with joy. I love to feel the texture of the soil - moist and cool - teaming with the building blocks of life. Clearly I never grew out of wanting to make a good mud pie.


Wearing gloves while gardening was always an after thought. I get so involved with tending to plants that I forget to put them on. When I do remember to wear them I find them inhibiting - I guess I need to really feel what I'm doing. I can't tell you the number of times I've done more damage to a plant than good while wearing them. Have you ever grabbed a good stem mistakenly while wearing gloves and snipped it off instead of the slimy bad one you would have felt with bare hands?

Then there's the expense. I've spent big bucks on the best gardening gloves, but no matter how much I spend they just don't seem to last. I'm better off going to a discount store buying a few cheap pairs that I don't mind throwing away.


Last Saturday Andy surprised me with spa "mani-pedi" (I can't believe I'm even saying that because it's so cliche, but that's what I got). Pedicures I get all the time, but manicures during gardening season are often a waste of money because as soon as I get my nails done I'm back digging in the dirt. So in an effort to save this manicure treat as long as possible I rushed out to stock up on some gloves.

This pair is soft, thin, and form fitting for doing precise work.



This one is made of rubber with finger grips for working in the mud.



And another made of leather for those tough jobs.


Do you wear gloves or do you prefer to go bare handed? What's your favorite type of glove? I'd love for you to share.