5 Gardening Must Haves

Everyone has certain things they can’t live without.  When it comes to gardening I have my own list of things I have to make sure I have before going outside.  Here are mine:

1. Gardening Shoes:  I would hate to track mud in the house so I bought a pair of ugly crocs to walk around in the mud, grass and dirt.  I take them off before going inside to keep my house clean.  What’s crazy is that I absolutely positively hated these shoes when they came out (and I still don’t think they are attractive at all).  I refused to buy them or let my children wear them.  Somehow after they have gone fully out of style I actually found a use for them.  And while I don’t wear them out anywhere, they are very good shoes for gardening.
2. Repellant:  Apparently bugs have a cookout when I come outside.  They literally feast on me from the time I go out until I come in.  I use my citronella plant to repel mosquitoes by rubbing the leaves on my arms and legs.  Its less expensive than spray and an organic way to keep mosquitoes away.
3. Water Bottle:  You know how they say you have to drink like 2 liters of water a day to stay hydrated.  Where gardening is the only time that I ever really follow that rule.  I always have a bottle of icy cold water available while gardening out in the full sun.  Add a crystal light drink packet to your water bottle and it makes drinking water even easier.
4. Sunscreen:  Georgia’s sun will have you looking baked or even fried in one evening.  I usually make sure I have light clothing on and sunscreen on my arms, legs and face, but even African Americans can get tans and skin cancer.
5. Tissue:  I have really bad allergies.  And the pollen is sickening here.  So the scenario goes like this….I start sneezing. I run in and get a few tissues to blow my nose.  I run back outside so that I can get back to my gardening and right when I think I am done sneezing, I start up again.  I keep a pack of tissues outside so that I don’t have to keep going in and out the house to get tissue.

Of course none of the things on my list are gardening tools 🙂  But in a way they are just as important.  Happy gardening!!!!!