I've never worn gloves to work in my garden, but this year I had to buy a pair. I was getting rid of the dead weeds this spring and I caught poison ivy. Everything was dead and I don't understand how I caught it. Also, I have these really jaggy weeds that you can't pull without gloves. As far as shoes. I hate them, but I wear rubber clogs outside because of the gravel. AND BRALESS. I think I like that one the best!!!!

Until I moved to Florida, I was more "free" in the garden. In Miami, my neighborhood was covered with Virginia creeper which is related to poisin ivy --- yes, I was covered from the neck down! The doctor flat out said I could not work in the garden there. Now in Central Florida, the fire ants are rampant and I am highly alergic to them, too. No freedom in clothing for me! Must cover up totally and the little buggers still get me!

No gloves, No shoes!

No gloves or shoes here either. I rarely wear shoes when at home.

Gloves for deadheading the Knockout Roses and always shoes because no matter how hard we try to be rid of fire ants, they always seem to reappear.

Shoes and gloves, not me - but I do hate the dirt under the nails.

I too need to feel the roots being pulled up. So no gloves for me, but shoes most of the time. I don't like the spiders and ants I disturb to run across my feet. Sissy? Yes.

I garden without gloves unless I am pruning my roses. Sometimes I am barefoot. My garden paths are grass...did that so they wouldn't be muddy. Love being barefoot! Can you tell I am from Appalachia??

When I did gardening it was always without shoes or gloves. I like to feel the dirt in my fingers and toes.

When I did gardening it was always without shoes or gloves. I like to feel the dirt in my fingers and toes.

No gloves, no shoes. Makes DH crazy! But to heck with him!

I garden without gloves for the same reason- I need to feel the dirt and plants. My fingernails may not be the prettiest, but I don't care.

Amen Sister!!!! :thumbup:

I have tried to wear gloves but I always take them off. I need shoes, ants do bite!!

I have tried to wear gloves but I always take them off. I need shoes, ants do bite!!

I will go either way but really pay attention. Neighbor got struck by copperhead saturday before mothers day and spent night in hospital and the swelling didn't go down for over a week.

no gloves or shoes for me! And for all those who said they have snakes, I wouldn't garden if I had snakes!!! YIKES!!!

May want to check that out... bet it's severe exema!!!!

My husband just now shot a 4 foot snake.I don't want to know what kind it W-A-S...

I was pulling some weeds from around my flowers and I pulled a bees nest under the dirt thank God I had gloves on They came after me I got stung nine times even throughI hadmy gloves my face,legs under my arm pits i didn't know bees would have a nest under the ground!!!

Fire ants, snakes, thorns, and fungus that loves to live under toenails. Gloves and shoes, every time, all the time!!

I grew up on a farm in New England and there was no other way to garden but bare foot and without gloves. We only used gloves in the winter. LOL The shoes came off the last day of school and only went on if you had to go some where. Our hands became callused and toughened from an early age and didn't soften until after my Dad gave up farming.

Gloveless, and barefoot, it's theraputic.

I always wear gloves and sturdy shoes. I have seen badly infected hands from no gloves- one patient almost lost her hand- if you have only a scratch, you can get a very bad infection by having bare hands. Feet too. If you must put your bare hands into dirt, get a bag of sterile potting soil and put your hands in that. No germs. I garden alot and refuse to take silly risks.
Cheryl

I hate gloves, too. I should really learn to like them, I rip up my hands something awful. It never fails, I do a big bunch of garden work and the follwing week we end up going somewhere "dressup", and my hands/undernails are stained with garden juices, cuticles/ nails all torn up!
I never go in the garden barefoot here, dont even go around in shorts in 100D + weather, always jeans. I wear rubber "wellies" up my legs. (by the time Im done outside Im one big bottle of sweat) - SNAKES. Now, Im a big live and let live kinda person, but we've lost dogs from snake bites. Ive come across copperheads and water mocs, mostly. Last summer I was picking tomatoes and reached under weeds and foliage and saw what looked like a bicycle tire - moved back SLOWLY- and the tire "rolled away" just as slow! Geez, you know its poison when its so sure of its bite that it doesnt even bother to hurry away from you; just dawdles away. sharet

It's the pnly way- unless the ground is really dry then a slip on sandla is all you need. My husband thinks all I do is get dirty and make messes. My garden is up off the ground accept for the tomatos due to critters so I have it easy but still love to get in the dirt- must be a throw back to making mud pies- dessert anyone?

I don't use gloves and I never used to wear shoes either until I almost stepped on a syringe, someone had chucked over the fence. Yuck now have to wear shoes outdoors. :thumbdown:

I only wear gloves for the thorny tasks. Can't agree more about needing to feel what I am doing. Barefoot is usually out for me as I have trouble with my feet. I need arch support wherever I go. Up until a few years ago however, I seldom wore shoes!

Oh my gracious sakes! I would not dare step in my flower beds without shoes. No No No! I wear gloves and shoes most definetly! There are too many creepy things wandering around in there. Spiders, snakes, sometimes frogs, ants. Oh Dear, I can't imagine ever going outside without shoes anyway. I have very tender feet and I get butterflies in my stomach when walking outside with no shoes on.

When I was growing up, we never wore shoes outside. What happened to me? :roll:

I like bare hands and feet too but not around my roses or citrus trees .. or the pesky blackberry vines.

I wear gloves most of the time, not with tomatoes, and always wear shoes. My feet don't like to be bear! :lol:

I use a pair of gloves that I cut the fingers out of. That way I can grab weeds when needed, yet protect my hands from the thorns of the roses.

I always wear gloves....you can catch some nasty fungus, etc, from organic matter. I wear the rubber garden shoes and cotton footies...same reason.

I'm with you here! No shoes and definetly NO gloves, stickers and creapy crawly's and all.....

I almost never wear gloves to weed my vegetable garden. There are usually not many weeds anyhow (unless it rains alot) because I use drip irrigation.

I wear gloves all the time now after learning how parasites and various other critters can enter your body or cause sores by burrying under your skin...yep have never touched dirt since then without gloves.

Amen me too