My sister is one of the most overcautious, overprepared people I have ever met. She won't even step out into her garden without gardening gloves, a hat, extra sunscreen, overalls, heavy boots, and a host of other protective gear! She says that she is scared of poisonous spiders that live in the area, but in reality the spiders are so rare that there is almost no chance of getting bitten. On the other hand, up until recently, I had never put on a gardening glove in my life. Spending time in my garden was a great way to just enjoy the weather, feeling the texture of the different plants against my hands and the dirt beneath my feet. I figured that garden gloves would ruin the experience for me, so I put up with the occasional sting from a thistle. It seemed like a small price to pay for communing with nature.
Then one day, I found a new weed in my garden. It had fine, hair like spines on it's stem, but they looked so thin that I figured they would not do anything to me. I didn't bother to put on a gardening glove, but instead just grabbed for the thistle. At first, nothing happened. I pulled it out, threw it on the weed pile, and kept on working. Soon, however, I started to notice an itchy feeling in my hand. I ignored it for a while, but it got worse and worse. When I looked at it, my hand was all swollen up. Whatever I had pulled out had stung me bad! I was getting an allergic reaction to it, and it was so bad that I considered going to the hospital.
Since then, you can bet that I was keep a gardening glove nearby! I don't wear them every day, but when I am doing serious weeding, I put my gloves on. The gardening gloves are just another tool that is available to you, and like all tools, it has its uses. I still firmly believe that some gardening should be done without a gardening glove. You can learn a lot from the texture of the dirt, the feel of your plants, and other sensations you get while gardening. But sometimes, garden gloves are completely indispensable. After all, weeds have some good adaptations to stop you from pulling them out. The only way to beat their stingers and strong roots is with a trowel and a gardening glove.
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