MaryAnnMc

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

desertrose

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.

Jersey Gal

Gloveless, and barefoot, it's theraputic.

rismstress

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

arimuse

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

writerwomen

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?

yellowsnow55

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:

Pieceful Quilter

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!

hpylady

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:

Jo Mama

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