Lovely garden, lovely house, flowers indoors and out, and rough, grimy hands! It just is not necessary.
Still, you can’t be much of a gardener without getting your hands into grit, mud, insecticides, and thorns, not to mention cleaning compounds and paints, which have a way of mixing into garden chores.
Not to mention the theory upheld by many experts that people’s skin, or the chemistry of their skin surfaces, disagrees with plants.
To quote from a letter written by Alison Foss, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, to the “Gardeners Chronicle” of England: “Though I attribute my transplanting setbacks to all sorts of things, I notice that whenever ‘my skill’ triumphs over bad conditions, I have patiently endured gloves while potting or planting.”
Social Gloves
It is silly to spend money on social gloves, those superficial bits of elegance intended to cover nicely manicured hands when they are least likely to get dirty, and then plunge bare hands into all kinds of messes.
Many people agree but hold that the creams they have used have proved inefficient, and the work gloves they have worn have been clumsy, hard to put on, or both.
Several manufacturers, hearing such complaints, have taken practical measures to satisfy them.
Garden Glove
One has come up with a cream called Kerodex 51, available at drugstores, which works like a dream. Lasting for at least three hours without dulling the sense of touch, it acts as an invisible buffer against dirt and grime, rinses off quickly, and leaves the skin smooth.
Another, called Garden Glove, also available wherever you live from garden suppliers, protects while it softens your hands. It, too, is a miraculous product.
The Role of Gloves
As for gloves, there is one that answers every objection, fits every hand, and takes care of every job. Some manufacturers have even added artistic touches and gay colors to their highly useful products.
One famous New York department store even did a booming business recently with sequined garden gloves made, we reckon, for the woman (and she must exist) who cuts her flowers in the cool of the evening, dressed for a date.
But seriously, there are gloves so thin you can feel the tiniest seed between your fingertips, some so sturdy you never notice roses have thorns. Other gloves enable you to plunge your hand wrist-deep in concentrated lye without danger.
No One Pair Does All These Things
But modern hand insulators cost so little, you can profitably invest in several pairs to equip you for whatever you have to do.
Keep them where they are conveniently available, and your hands will always have a leisurely look.
There are two kinds of utility gloves:
- Those for dry work like raking, pruning, and picking up
- Those for wet work like transplanting into muddy soil, sprinkling, and washing flower pots
In each of these groups is an assortment of light and heavy materials to suit the specific need.
For Dry Work
Leather
Heavy leather gloves offer protection against thorns, splinters, and cuts. They are a must for rough jobs:
- Laying bricks
- Handling lumber
- Pruning
They are cozy on frosty days, too. You will find them in several qualities and weights, lined and unlined, and the severity of your chores can determine the pair you choose.
Leather seldom launders easily, but if you use your leather gloves only for dry work, they will last a long time.
A few manufacturers make leather gloves in women’s sizes, but for women doing really heavy chores, thick protection is more important than flexible finger action, and small men’s sizes are usually adequate.
The cost is 75¢ to $3.50, depending on the quality and thickness of the leather, the kind of lining, and the length of the cuff.
Cotton or Other Fabric
Some fabrics are heavy enough to be almost as tough as leather. They prevent scratches and friction, but if the cuffs are short and loose, they allow dirt to fall inside and grind under your fingernails.
The old-fashioned workman’s glove with ribbed cuffs is good for light garden clean-up, but gauntlets are better when you get down into loose soil and leaves.
Although most heavy cotton comes in men’s sizes, a few are available for women’s hands. Therefore, it is worth looking extra to find them in your size.
Lightweight Cotton
The lightweight cotton is for genteel gardening or household tasks. You will like them for painting, too. Unfortunately, cuffs are usually too short for protection in planting, and the thin fabrics are of no use in damp soil. But they come in multitudes of patterns and colors and women’s sizes.
Most cotton gloves launder nicely in the washing machine. They cost from 25¢ to $1, depending on the quality and fashion features.
Combination Of Leather And Cotton
These incorporate the soft lining of cotton with the extra protection of cowhide for your palms, creating an excellent heavy-work glove.
Some come in gauntlet styles, which considerably help when you transplant perennials. The cost is $1 for a short pair to $1.50 and up for sturdy gauntlets.
Fabric Treated With Plastic
These are the newest, and there are several kinds. Some are sewn after the plastic coating has been applied, making them useful in mud if it is not too wet but not in water. All have soft linings, but their flexibility and fit differ considerably.
Cotton gloves dipped in plastic are the most flexible of this type. Many are still somewhat experimental, and new styles are always coming on the market. The cost is about 70¢ to $1.50.
For Wet Work
Rubber (Latex)
For certain garden chores, rubber gloves are excellent. The latest, fashioned of latex, come in sizes, sometimes half sizes, to fit the contours of your hand better than any before them.
Thin rubber gives the best finger action but is easily injured by scratches, heat, or strong chemicals. However, it is ideal for planting seeds or small seedlings where you need your sense of touch.
Many have finger treads so the glass will not slip out of your hands when washing dishes. This feature is not particularly advantageous outdoors, but if you use rubber gloves both indoors and out, you will appreciate it.
Some gloves incorporate a suede-like inner surface to help you easily slip in and out of them even though they are tight-fitting.
When switching from soil preparation to seed sowing, it is good practice to wear a heavy dry-work pair over thin rubber or keep the rubber in your pocket while doing the heavy chores.
Rubber Gloves
Like all wet-work gloves, rubber gloves are as easy to wash as your hands. Hanging them up by the cuff with clip clothespins helps preserve them.
You will find selections in drug and hardware stores, notions counters, and household departments, from 50¢ to $1.40. The more expensive ones have a suede-like lining, finger treads, and long cuffs.
Neoprene (Synthetic Rubber)
These come nearest to being all-purpose gloves. Neoprene, made by du Pont, is used by several glove manufacturers.
It resists almost all chemicals, including strong acids, alkalis, and solvents, tolerates temperatures above boiling, burns only when placed directly in the fire, and is excellent when using insecticides.
Except for rose pruning and severe friction jobs, neoprene gloves take the toughest garden jobs. They come in lightweight and heavy-duty styles. One of the best, although not so flexible as rubber, is almost rubber-thin with an easy-to-slip-on inner surface and a good fit for finger action.
The extra strong, cotton-lined, double-weight styles resemble plastic-dipped fabric gloves. In these, good finger action is sacrificed to sturdiness and lining.
The cost of these gloves is about 60¢ to $1.50. The top price is for extra heavy, cotton-lined gauntlets.
Plastic Gloves
Plastic resists most chemicals used in households and gardens. Because there are many kinds of plastic, and some have greater resistance than others, it is best to check the information supplied with the glove.
Plastic usually does not tolerate acetone or boiling temperatures. Plastic gloves come in pleasing colors and withstand light scratches surprisingly well, but they usually are not flexible, so be very careful about fit. The cost is around 70c.
What To Look For
The ideal glove is comfortable, flexible, washable, easily removed, durable, and still gives you the required protection.
The most economical is the one most adequate for your needs. Use it only for what was intended, and it will last a long time.
If you have never worn work gloves, it may take time to get used to them—like your first ring or first pair of glasses. Wear them conscientiously, and you will feel something missing if you forget to put them on in a little while.
When chores are over and you are ready to relax, your garden and hands will look nice.
44659 by Marguerite E. Buttner