The past 4 beautiful, uncharacteristically warm days here in the Pacific Northwest has me on a gardening tear! Seriously folks. There will be cold, rainy and windy weeks in May that have us looking back fondly on this period of blue skies and nearly 60 degree days in February!!!
Gorgeous conditions, a schedule with free time (FINALLY!), and a burst of energy (no doubt due to the massive infusion of vitamin D) have all conspired to get me outside in a flurry of pruning, cleaning, ripping out, transplanting and plotting projects for the coming month.
Ouch!
You know you’ve been stuck when you tangle with a red winged thorn rose (Rosa sericea (omiensis) pteracantha). There’s some debate among botanists as to the correct nomenclature – but trust me, you’ll know it when you see it! This rose is grown for its enormous, stunning thorns. Backlit by the morning sun the evil barbs glow like ruby stained glass.
The best color shows on new thorns on first year canes. This requires that every year or so I approach this blood-letting monster for a good pruning session to keep the young thorns where I want them in my garden composition. This sounds way more controlling than it actually is. Basically I get in there and cut back most of the weapon-worthy canes to about 12-16″. Unfortunately, I don’t own a suit of chainmail and the procedure usually results in much bleeding, cursing and all round bad behavior.
image courtesy of Mud Gloves
This was day one of my recent gardening frenzy. What does this have to do with Mud Gloves? Well, at the end of said day, a bit bloody and bruised but not daunted, I discovered I had received 3 pairs of Mud Gloves in the mail for my review and trial run. I was especially interested in the icy blue Cool Mud model which the promotional materials claimed would protect and soften my hands with their aloe-infused fibers.
Cool Mud features a seamless knit nylon liner with Lycra Bodycare (an aloë vera additive) embedded in the fibers, which moisturize and soften hands during use. The gloveʼs 360° breathable, water repellent, air infused nitrile coating keeps hands cool and dry while offering Mudʼs trademark superior comfort and performance.
They had me at protect and comfort! I thought about checking out Mudglove.com to see if they made a full Cool Mud bodysuit but instead decided to take a soothing hot shower and put the Cool Muds to work in the garden the next day. I have to say these gloves delivered! At the end of another long day working in the garden my hands weren’t as chapped and chafed by the still-cold soil. I will never be a candidate for a hand modeling career, but I would even go so far as to say my hands were markedly softened and yes, comforted.
Here are the details from the marketing materials:
…the Cool Mud offers the same quality and features that have put Mud Glove® on the map including a waterproof palm, textured grip and machine washable design. Gardeners can choose from: Glacier Blue, Arctic Mint and Mountain Lilac colors in sizes XS-XL at $6.99 per pair.
Every Mud Glove® style is designed for demanding, passionate gardeners who expect as much from their gloves as from their other quality tools. The new collection also includes: The durable Original Mud®, Potterʼs Glove for tactile chores, Simply Mud® featuring long-lasting nitrile, Mud® Puddles for kids and Sunflower™ with UV protection.
I’ve still got a pair of Simply Mud in a sunny gold color – I think of them as my Sunday best. Maybe I’ll don them later today and clip a bouquet of precocious daffodil blooms for the kitchen.
I’m a little more skeptical of my gauntlet-styled Sunflower Mud Gloves. I adore the citrusy lime color and the UV blocking fabric is said to protect against the sun’s harmful rays–something we gardeners should be far more aware of as we go about our chores blissfully ignorant of the passage of time and our exposure to the elements. But I think it’s going to take a lot more than than their “superior comfort and breathable fabric” to protect me against the winged monster glinting in the morning light.
I’ll post pictures of my rose’s new growth later this season. I’m sure you’ll agree, the effect is well-worth the bloody battle.
