HEADS, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES! Look stylish while gardening safely

Brynn Lee | Victoria County Master Gardener

May 18, 2024

With the latest fashion in outdoor apparel, you can be “stylish” while gardening with safety in mind. Remember this kids’ camp tune “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!” Sing this ditty as you get ready for gardening!

HEADS

At the very top, don a hat! They come in every color, material and even with your favorite hobby or team logo. A wide brim hat is always advisable for outdoor activities and gardening is no exception. The wider the brim, the better the coverage to protect your face, neck and ears.

Some hats have neck coverage. Remember seeing grandmothers wearing sunbonnets while working in the yard? The brims were so wide, the wearer had no peripheral vision.

Nevertheless, these colorful bonnets did protect women’s faces.

Sunglasses are essential. Not only will they keep the sun’s glare out of your eyes but will also help keep dirt or any trimming debris from potentially causing serious eye problems. Wrap-around sunglasses are those that prevent light from coming in the side of the eyes. Fashionable designs are available wherever sunglasses are sold.

SHOULDERS

We all remember how gardeners of long ago were always dressed to protect themselves from the harsh weather elements.

They might not been aware of the sun’s harmful effects. Not only were long sleeve shirts worn to keep the sun from burning their arms. Long sleeves helped ward off insect pests and served as a barrier from gardening cuts and scrapes.

Master gardeners recommend sun-protective clothing to block the sun’s harmful rays and protect long-term against skin cancer and short-term against sunburn and heat-stroke.

Now extend down your arms to your hands. Always wear some type of gloves in the garden. Master gardeners recommend cloth gloves for basic gardening, leather gloves for heavier chores like heavy pruning and digging, and elbow length gloves for trimming those thorny bushes.

Wearing gloves protects you from infection. Our soil has natural bacteria that potentially could cause an infection, if your hands have even the smallest cut or scrape.

KNEES

Our Texas weather can be pretty uncomfortable with the high temperatures and humidity. Most people prefer to wear shorts while working outdoors. Again, keeping safety in mind, you can be comfortable in a pair of loose fitting long pants. Be aware of all the stickers and biting or stinging insects that you don’t see until you are kneeling down and then it is “surprise.”

Kneeling pads help with protecting your knees after a day of weeding or planting. While many kneeling pads are available, a popular one for Master Gardeners is one that can be used as a stool or turned it upside down as a kneeling pad. Its frame is a great aid in getting up and down.

TOES

Do not stop until you protect your feet. A good pair of rubber, canvas or leather shoes can be your best friend. Shoes will protect you from stinging or biting insects, like dreaded fire ants. Shoes with sturdy soles proved a barrier for thorns or rocks.

Shoes help gardeners make a fast get away from things that “slither.”

A shoe with good support provides gardeners with better balance when walking on uneven surfaces. Good shoes also protect your feet when you dig deep holes with a shovel for trees and shrubs.

CHORUS

Go out and enjoy your garden and other outside activities today. You will look stylish, well-dressed for safety and have a little tune in your heart. Sing loudly,

“Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes (repeat)

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,

Head, shoulders, knees and toes.”

Be sure to add this line, “Don’t forget the sunscreen and insect repellent!”

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County