The older I get, the less stomach I have to hurt anything, including spiders, flies, mice and even bugs that eat my plants. In fact, part of me shies away from anything that resembles a weapon. That’s why I wouldn’t want to be most garden tools; they look sharp and dangerous.
While I control this silly tenderness enough to shovel and shade and weed and hoe, if I am going to turn into a garden tool, I won’t pick any of these options. Instead, I’ll go for garden gloves, charged with protecting hands.
Garden Gloves
You may not automatically think of garden gloves as a garden tool, but they are. They help a gardener get her work done by protecting hands from bumps, scratches, thorns, bugs and cold. Solid garden gloves can help you pull out deeply rooted weeds and even keep you safe when you are trimming shrubs that are armed and dangerous, like firethorn.
Garden gloves are different from any other sort of gloves, so you can’t substitute one for the other. Obviously driving gloves are made to keep your hands snug, with an eye to aesthetics. When you look for gloves for snow, you want something waterproof with cold protection. Motorcycle gloves have to be tough to keep your hands from scraping up if you fall off. Picking garden gloves is another matter entirely.
Many Garden Glove Varieties to Choose From
Garden gloves can serve many purposes, so the qualities that are important vary depending on your priorities. If you are looking to weed, you might consider gloves that are natural rubber latex material. These materials give your flexibility but are also waterproof and resist punctures. Some of these gloves even have a little claw attached to help with digging.
Cotton gloves aren’t waterproof, but they sure are more comfortable than latex and they give your fingers lots of elbow room. If you want something stylish, these are a better choice since you can find them in lots of attractive patterns.
Other Great Kinds of Garden Gloves
Bamboo garden gloves are trending these days, and nobody can argue with the optics: eco-friendly bamboo material helps the environment. Bamboo fabric is tough enough to keep thorns out but it breathes, making these great for hot summer days. And they come in so many great colors and patterns.
If you are working with serious thorns or cacti, consider good old leather gloves, maybe gauntlet style to protect your arms too. Leather will turn back anything prickly from cutting, scratching or otherwise damaging your skin.
