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What Flea Market gardeners wear

Early Spring weeding wear…

Are you out in the garden yet? Here’s what you need to wear and why.

Here are all the clothing essentials that I need, and just for fun,…I’ll show them to you!

Perfect gardening clothes. Pin this!

 

Me, weeding my CA native wildflower meadow

First, Wrangler jeans in one size larger than you normally buy.  Loosey goosey,…you’ll need to move and for sitting and weeding,…these last me a year or two!  When I put these jeans on, I have determined that I’ll not be fit to go anywhere but the garden,…and that’s fine with me!

The pockets of these jeans are sturdy and I’ve not had my clippers poke through one bit!  The bottom edges of the legs tend to fray so think about getting one inch or so shorter than you normally wear.

 

I sit to weed which calls for sturdy jeans

T-shirt, long or short sleeve.  For when I’m carrying branches or heavens, removing poison oak or any other stickery plants, I wear long, long sleeves. You never know sometimes what plant will  be irritating to your skin.

I’ve been waiting until it gets warmed up these cold mornings, then head out with a steak knife and my clippers in the back pocket of my ‘gardening jeans.’  I throw on a flannel shirt that I know will be discarded and left somewhere in the garden.

A wheelbarrow is handy for collecting weeds and acts as a hanger for my flannel shirt

Layering on Flannel shirts are necessary in early Spring!  I get these at the thrift store and clean, they’re also good for Flea Market shopping.  I have five or six and you can usually get them for about $3.  You start out in the chilly morning and can throw them off later when the sun warms you.

Favorite tools and shoes

These happen to be the tools, gloves and shoes I use the most.  I absolutely love this style of gloves.

One more thing you need:

An old thrift shop steak knife

This is why you need an old steak knife

 

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This was a huge job,…weeding the ‘world’ it seemed

I embarked on a huge meadow restoration project one year and weeded an entire natural meadow of all no native grasses and weeds.  It took me a week or more and was very meditative and satisfying when I completed it.  These jeans gloves and shoes lasted me very well and through the entire gardening year.

My signature beads

What can I say?  I always wear bead bracelets. Inexpensive,…and lovely, to me.  Tractor Man bought this one for me.

I cannot say enough good things about Vans slip-on tennis shoes.  They last and last, won’t pick up stickers, are comfortable from the start and can be machine washed,  Perfect for gardening, with or without socks.  They only down side is the price, $50 bucks now, but There are Vans outlets in major cities and that’s where I buy mine for $30-35.

Vans Classic slipons in cyan

 

Day is done and these Vans slip-ons are still good for the year. They’ll go in the washer each week

I’ve weeding for a week or more, clearing one flower bed at a time, I’ll turn the soil a bit or use the cultivator, then spread mulch to prevent them coming up again.   The garden is never done and you’ll well prepared with my favorite gardening clothes.

Me, planting pansies in the wheelbarrow. Notice my gardening ‘uniform!’


Let me know in the comments what your favorites are…

Sue Langley

Sue Langley, a passionate gardener and photographer lives and gardens with her husband and Corgi, Maggie on 7 acres just south of Yosemite, Zone 7 at 3000 feet. She manages the Flea Market Gardening Facebook page and website.

View Comments

  • Monica Cockrell says:

    Here in South Carolina, my gardening outfit consist of flip flops, tanktop and shorts. I prefer earrings to bracelets down here.

  • Yay! My husband says how unflattering my loose jeans & baggy tee are! I have proof now that gardening does indeed require a special outfit! This outfit, like yours is only for my garden.

  • Queenchattabee says:

    You need a broad brimmed sun hat too. Don't learn this the hard way!

  • Kathy A Vause says:

    I prefer tee shirts and shorts. I also wear a light weight vest to carry phone and tools in. I prefer crocs ( I buy look-a-likes at thrift stores). Always earrings.

    • Sue Langley says:

      Kathy, you're a gal after my own heart... Happy gardening this Spring..

  • Patricia Routt says:

    In the spring I wear baggy jeans and a flannel shirt, my hair in a pony tail with a bill cap and dangle earrings, come summer it is baggy shorts and a tank top, I wear good support leather tennis shoes no matter what season. I have found if my feet don't get tired I can stay in the garden longer and good shoes helps the back.

  • Lu Barton says:

    I prefer to wear carpenter style jeans instead of regular blue jeans. The plier pocket on the right side is perfect for my nippers.

  • Laura Higgins says:

    Wrangler jeans from the DAV Thrift store or overalls , long sleeve denim shirt, gloves and hat are my winter uniform. Summer is shorts, tee shirt, big brimmed cowboy hat, gloves and sunscreen! And sunglasses!

  • Karen Penton says:

    A few days ago I went out to water a few things. Just spot water. I didn't think I needed to change from the cheap Walmart flip-flops I had on. As I watered the last two shrubs, I stepped on and slipped off the brick edging. My flip-flop slid off my foot and the edge of the brick ripped open a spot on the bottom of my foot. Learn from my experience: make sure your footwear fits well and will not fail you!

  • Croc wannabees from Payless in the winter and flipflops in the summer are my footwear of choice along with baggy jeans and tee shirts. Here I thought that I was the only one who wears earrings to garden. Who'd a thunk it ?

  • Sunscreen & mosquito spray are essentials here in Minnesota. I wear an old flowered nurses labcoat, loose jeans, big floppy hat & old tennies. You are right, I am not glamourous but tick free ? Just found your site & really enjoy it.

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