Gardening garb

Real gardeners don’t worry if their shoes match their outfits. Function comes first, then style. So an old pair of sneakers or some inexpensive rubber boots work just fine for most small jobs. But there is some logic behind a few products that have grown out of the garden shop market. Some of the more useful accessories for the home gardener to consider are shoes, gloves and hats.

If the shoe fits, garden in it
“A pair of old sneakers is mighty hard to beat in the comfort department,” but most gardeners benefit from a shoe that’s waterproof, says Peter Yeager of muckbootsonline.com, a family-run garden accessories shop based in Binghamton, N.Y. “Many gardeners like to get an early start working in their garden, before the sun has had a chance to burn off the dew or the previous night's rain,” he says.

Muckbootsonline.com carries the entire line of shoes from muckbootcompany.com, a company known for its sturdy rubber boots specifically designed to keep feet dry, warm and protected in all sorts of muck. Muck boots looks like “a traditional rubber boot on the outside” but what separates them from other rubber footwear is the construction, says Arlen Stensrud of Norcross Safety Products, the company that now owns the muck boot line. A breathable “Airmesh” lining, closest to the foot, wicks away moisture. An insulating layer of CR-Flex foam, similar to the material used in diver’s dry suits, helps keep feet warm and dry. The boot is then coated with a natural rubber that will not cold crack.

The original knee-high muck boots, however, can be clumsy in the garden. So muckbootcompany.com designed some shoes specifically for the gardener. The most popular garden shoe is the moss green “daily garden shoe,” a moccasin-like shoe available at muckbootsonline.com for $39.95. The muckbootcompany.com lists other retail vendors on its Web site.

Also popular are muckbootcompany.com's garden clogs. Feet are more exposed to the elements in the open-back shoes but the lightweight shoes work well on hot summer days. Muckbootcompany.com makes garden clogs in several styles, from a plain Jane “SuperClog” to the more stylish “Brit Clog.” The SuperClog sells for $18.59 (including shipping) and the Brit Clog for $59.75 at muckbootsonline.com.

Hands-down great gloves

mudglove.com Mud gloves from mudglove.com.

Garden gloves also come in a wide variation of themes. The least expensive “gardening gloves” commonly come in bold, colorful prints. The cotton gloves originally were intended to appeal to “traditional ladies” who wanted to look “pretty” in the garden, says Elizabeth Lawrence, merchandizing manager at gardeners.com, an employee-owned business in Burlington, Vt. founded and run by gardeners. Cotton or cotton-blend garden gloves are easy to find at local hardware shops, such as the pastel-colored print “ladies garden gloves”  at home improvement superstore builderdepot.com for $2.20 a pair.

Slightly pricier is the “Mud Glove,” a glove specifically designed for the garden — actually modified from an existing industrial glove on the market — by Mark and Beth Dzierson, who set up shop at mudglove.com in Sedona, Ariz.

gardeners.com Foxgloves from gardeners.com

The “original” mud glove is an unbleached cotton glove dipped in latex, explains Mark Dzierson. It’s available in nine colors for $8 at mudglove.com. Mud gloves also come in a variety of styles intended for different uses. For example, the “potter's glove” is thinner and less durable than the original mud glove but is better suited for potting, weeding and transplanting in little pots, says Dzierson. There are also gloves for rose gardening, pond keeping, fertilizing and handle-type chores, he adds. An online guide helps consumers isolate which glove works best for certain tasks.

Mud gloves look “really cool” and are “excellent for gripping,” confirms Lawrence. The cool-looking gloves, however, don’t keep the dirt out and hands tend to sweat a lot in the full-latex variety, she says.

On the other hand, Foxgloves really “fit like a glove,” says Lawrence. The Supplex nylon gloves “almost becomes a second skin,” which is extremely useful for delicate garden maneuvers, such as planting seeds or seedlings, she says. Available in delphinium blue or iris purple, Foxgloves with grippers at gardeners.com cost $24.95.

Leather gloves are another option. Although originally started as a garden glove company that specifically designed gloves to fit women, womanswork.com has a wide selection of leather gloves for both men and women. A glove guide online helps consumers weed through the collection, ranging in price from $23.50 (original Workwoman’s glove) to $33.75 (men’s deerskin glove.)

Don the perfect hat
Hats are also essential for the gardener. Most gardeners find an old hat at a yard sale or in a department store or retail chain, such as the Gap or Old Navy, and wear it till it frays. There are, however, some hats on the market particularly well suited for the gardener.

muddybootsmercantile.com Panama-style garden hat from muddybootsmercantile.com

“Sun hats,’ made of special fabrics can be pricey, such as the maximum-protection sun hat at hammacher.com for $39.95. Wide-brimmed straw hats may cost less and are widely available at garden shops, such as the Panama-style garden hat at jacksonandperkins.com for $24.95 or the braided hat at muddybootsmercantile.com for $18.99.

Although not the coolest looking headgear, baseball hats with flaps are another alternative for the serious gardener. Brave souls will just buy the flap for $7.95 and attach it to any old hat. Orvis.com sells a hat with a flap attached for $39.

Bandannas, wrapped around the head and/or neck, are not only dirt cheap but look cool and keep out the sun. The classic 22-by-22-inch paisley bandanna only costs $1.25 at wholesaleforeveryone.com and comes in 24 colors. Just make sure it matches your shoes.

MORE FROM MORE HOLIDAY FEATURES

Wine for the holidays, without the stress

Wine for the holidays, without the stress 10 hip holiday gifts for less than $25 Have yourself a jazzy little Christmas Get smart! Toys for your kids Fresh, funky gifts that do good A CD box set makes a perfect holiday gift Holiday gifts for troops overseas One click away from the perfect treat Finding the right mix key to holiday music Quiz: Test your holiday movie knowledge   Add More holiday features headlines to your news reader: