Saturday, June 4, 2011

If You Garden


In any way, shape, or form, get you some of these gloves.
Kathleen gave me a pair. Her garden club was selling them for a fund-raiser. They sat there on the kitchen counter for about a month until one day I decided, after getting all those nasty ant bites while digging potatoes, to give them a try.

They were perfect. I could use them with no loss of dexterity and I spaired my hands another dozen ant bites, at least, plus- my fingernails didn't look like I'd been, oh...digging potatoes.

IDIOT!!!! I called myself after that first successful use. Why hadn't I used them before?
I'll tell you why. I hate wearing gloves for gardening. No matter how expensive the gloves, it just wasn't for me, this covering of the hands while working in the dirt. I felt like I was trying to make love with a blanket between me and my beloved. It sucked. I'd strip 'em off and find 'em later. Maybe. And meanwhile, my hands would get ant-bit and I'd rip my flesh and I just figured that was the price I'd gladly pay not to wear clunky, stupid, doody-head gloves.

But these gloves are so comfortable, so perfect that I've used them in the garden ever since. But today- oh my god! Today I wore them while pruning the sago palms. Have you ever pruned Sago palms? Their fronds are made up of many, many poison-tipped needles which will pierce your skin and leave it red and itchy and bleeding.
But these gloves, these gloves which are so thin that I could probably sew in them, protected my hands completely. No piercing. None. Then I moved on to pulling up the most gnarly blackberry vines, an activity absolutely guaranteed to leave me with stigmata worthy of any crazy nun.

But look:

So here I am, saying GET YOU SOME OF THESE BABIES! And of course, I'm not getting shit from the Atlas Glove Company. Or whoever makes them.

And you can get a dozen pair for less than forty dollars! Here.
Or you can google 'em and find them on Amazon and buy fewer pairs at a time. But I'm telling you- I'm going to order a dozen pairs and keep at least six pairs and give the rest away because they are wonderful. And...they come in all sorts of sassy, fun colors.

Okay. I'm done. We shall now resume our regularly scheduled programming.
And I need to eat lunch.

But seriously- find some of these gloves, test them out, then thank me. Because you will. I promise.

Your friend in gardening...Ms. Moon

14 comments:

  1. I am with you are digging in the dirt. But we both have gloves and they do help with fire ant bites.

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  2. Syd- If you haven't tried these gloves, please do. You won't believe them.

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  3. P.S. I think they might even deflect snake strikes. Maybe. Small snakes. With small fangs.

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  4. Thanks for sharing that Mary. Like you I hate to wear gloves while gardening though I do. I will look these on Amazon. I bet Tim would like them for pruning the vineyard.

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  5. Perfect. Just in time for my birthday. I bet my auntie will get me some. I loved the way you wrote about that, I'm the same way, fuck the gloves. I always tear them off. But my hands are so wrecked from the dirt. I would love something that feels right. Thank you MM.

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  6. I went out and got me a pair of those gardening gloves today. I just had to get them. ACE Hardward carries them and I am so excited. Our little bush beans, corn, and basil are sprouting away. It's so sweet to watch our garden grow.
    Talk to you soon mama. LOVE YOU SO BIG.

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  7. Hey Ms Moon, I'm a native Ashvellian.

    I was pleased when I read that your baby was coming here. Strangely, had starting following you months before, I think from 37 Paddington or Flux, not sure. I love how your write so much.

    Anyway, I'm sorry aboout Shaylayla (did I spell that right?)and thanks for sharing your insight with me.

    Jaime

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  8. Haha! You're funny. I hate doing the roses without gloves. I get everything else scratched and bloody, but at least not my hands. Oh, and with gloves I'm brave enough to pick up the animals in the garden and show the children (our animals are tiny).

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  9. DTG- Small fangs are better than large ones.

    Ellen- I am not kidding. Get you and the man a pair.

    Bethany- That's it. They FEEL right.

    HoneyLuna- I am so proud of my gardening daughters. Lily's garden is doing quite well. Isn't it fun? I love you, baby.

    Jaime- Well hello then! You're practically family if you live in Asheville. Please comment whenever you like. I do love the comments.

    Mwa- And with these gloves, you could pick up very, teeny-tiny animals. Even bugs. Perfect for those snails!

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  10. I must get some of these gloves! I'm like you - I like to work in the dirt bare-handed but I have to have glove-age when weeding and yanking out dewberry briars and poison ivy. My hands look like shit and I never have any fingernails to speak of - there's dirt under the practically non-existent nails right now from a weekend of hard (and so satisfying) gardening. I'm so glad Jessie is growing things in Asheville - bless her heart, she has been my garden's biggest fan. I do love that girl so!

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  11. A Long Hot Summer is on the TV, Paul Newman is looking better than I've ever seen him. I thought of you and your weather.

    The gloves look perfect. I always mess my nails up with dirt. Not that I've actually done the garden yet. Friday and Saturday it was too hot and too beautiful, then Sunday it rained all day and most of Monday. I have about five different grasses and plants on the lawn now, it's gone a bit wild. I need to get out there and stop talking about it! Love you Mary xx

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  12. I love that there is a little club of us glove haters.
    Earth to skin lovers.

    I did begin to use these at the nursery where I worked because they kind of made it mandatory for the protection they provided and then I was converted. I don't always wear them, but they sure do make a difference in certain cases.

    Yesterday I spent some time in my neglected itty bitty garden and even wore those crazy long thick rose gloves. Who knew?

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