We, gardeners, are the favorite children of Mother Earth.

Because we are the ones who hug her more often.

We work in her soil, enriching and cultivating it.

So She blesses us with her abundance.

But, She is so proud of us that she makes sure that the signs of her love stay with us.

So our siblings can see how much she loves us and can learn from us.

But we end up being ridiculed, ‘Mama’s girls/boys’.

So much for the soil in our fingernails.

I think it is with the English language.

Soil is called dirt as in dirty.

Many other languages have meanings similar to mother or god.

So the natural reaction is ‘yike, you touch it with bare hands?’.

Which mother would reject a child’s love, because of its dirty hands?

But being a greenthumb doesn’t mean that we should end up with soil in our fingernails and cracks in the skin of our palms.

There is always a pair of gloves.

And our mama doesn’t mind being hugged with gloves.

Hey, love is love, regardles of what you wear!

Not just for the fingernails, serious gardeners should wear gloves most of the time.

Protection

They protect hands from…

1.Blood shedding: Be it the thorns of Rose or tiny spikes of other plants, they will make you shed blood.

2. Irritation: Some plant parts irritate the skin. Covering with gloves will prevent irritation.

3. Calluses: Working with hoes and pruners make calluses. Gloves prevent them.

Varieties

Gloves come in different varieties.

Rubber. Fabric. Leather.

They are not one-variety-fits-all and serve different purposes.

And they are not created equal.

Rubber gloves

Rubber gloves are fine for light work.

They deteriorate very fast and break apart.

They rip easily.

Working the soil makes the index finger look like a sprout coming out for sunlight.

In a short time, you throw it away to rot, harming Mother Nature.

Rubber gloves don’t breathe, making it uncomfortable to wear for longer time.

It is hard to work with water. When water gets in, it becomes a balloon.

They are basically made for industrial environments, mostly for one time use.

Fabric gloves

They are made of natural and synthetic fibers.

They breathe, making them comfortable for longer use.

Even though they become wet, they don’t keep the water inside.

They are washable.

Natural Cotton gloves feel natural to the hands.

They are good for above ground work, like cultivating, pruning, harvesting, etc…

Synthetic gloves are mostly either polyester or nylon.

They are comparably hardy.

They are good for working the soil.

Like planting, seeding, weeding, etc.

Leather

They are expensive. But Last way longer. May be a life time.

Good for Roses.

Other than that, I don’t see much use or need for them for everyday use.

Because they are heavy, not comfortable, cumbersome to use for longer time.

What not to buy

Any gloves with rubber coating.

You see cheap cotton gloves at dollar stores.
Synthetic gloves with nitrile coating.
Faux leather types.

They look good for the grip.

The problem is, they deteriorate very fast. They crack after prolonged use and damage the fabric underneath, ripping it.

Buy the quality gloves, though they are a bit higher in price. Cheap ones come apart easily.

You get what you pay for.

Take care of them by washing them and not letting them sit in the sun.

They will last for many season.

Let’s not create waste for Mother Nature to pick up.

Hug her often.

She will bless you with abundance!

Buy a pair of Nylon gloves and GET ONE PAIR COTTON GLOVES ABSOLUTELY FREE!
In USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074LWD64S

In Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071D8NWYQ