The Sun Has Got His Hat On – Make Sure You Wear Yours – Garden Sense For The Summer

Summers come and summers go. Some have World Cups some have Euros some even have sunshine. And when we do OMG how we love it. It is about this time of year that your average British chap and chappess forget that they are, in general, pasty, freckled and UV vulnerable and decide to spend hours and hours in the garden, watering, weeding, mowing or simply lying about in a vest, shorts and flip-flops.

I have seen such sights on my rounds of the gardens of England and, believe me, they are not good. Too many unprotected hours in the sun can lead to angry red shoulders that sting like an internet banking scam and sunstroke, which is very unpleasant indeed.

As my venerable mentor and Grenache guzzler, Dick Roberts told us yesterday in his informative blog, this is a great time to take down those overgrown patches of grass and jungle-like undergrowth that are covering up what may be a paradise of garden space. But this is NOT an activity that should be carried out while dressed like one of the Chippendales.

Subsequently, I have flung together this small summer guide to sensible behaviour in the summer garden. it’s not all about sunstroke and sunburn, you also need to watch out for buzzy, bitey insects and all sorts of hazards. You know all this stuff I am sure, but it’s amazing how one’s memory flies out of the window when Mr Sunshine comes to a calling once or twice a year.

1. Wear Lightweight Long Trousers. They are more practical than shorts and will protect your legs from stings, scratches and so on. They should have lots of pockets for all the string, penknives, labels and other stuff you need and they should be comfortable and loose. Not too loose though, you don’t want to dress like Simon Le Bon in 1982 only to find you are tangled up with a lawnmower. The Reflex is not going to help you there.
2. Wear a Hat. Wide brimmed, shapeless lightweight and preferably as disreputable looking as a Cambridge University philosophy master, a good gardening hat is a summer garden essential. If you choose the right one, the one that calls to you or even chooses you, like Harry Potter’ wand in Ollivander’s shop in Diagonal Alley, then a good summer gardening hat will become your best friend, only thrown away accompanied by tears, when it is literally falling apart. It keeps the sun off, protects your head from bitey insects and, more than that, shows the world that you are a proper gardener with the devil-may-care, eccentric dress sense to match
3. Don’t Drink Alcohol. This rule is actually perennial but is especially important in the hot sunshine when dehydration can cause serious problems. That cold lager may seem like the best thing in the world after fifteen minutes cutting your hedge but a couple of those and you’ll be in danger of slipping over and performing topiary on your own toes. Don’t do it. Sugary drinks are also a No-No. That makes a rum and coke totally ourt of the question!
4. Drink Plenty of Water. Or even squash, cordial, but preferably H2O.  Drinking the see-through wet stuff is almost as important as not drinking alcohol. No. In fact, it’s probably more important. Got it? Drink water. It’s essential.
5. Wear Sensible Shoes. Even if your feet are hotter than Megan Fox and Adrian Turner, snogging on the red carpet at Cannes, DON’T WEAR FLIP-FLOPS or anything remotely related to flip-flops. Sturdy shoes and decent socks at all times, please. Protect your feet.
6. Wear Sunscreen. Just like Baz Luhrmann told you to in his peculiar but compelling, surprise 1993 chart hit.  Sunscreen, sunblock, whatever you want to call it, you need to slap the gooey stuff on any bits that are exposed (preferably that doesn’t include your feet if you read my last tip). Keep it topped up and don’t forget to rub it ALL over.
7. Take Regular Breaks. Try to take refuge in the shade at regular intervals, even go indoors for a bit if there is no shade in your garden and don’t go on working if you develop a headache.
8. Drink Lots of Water. I KNOW I’ve done it already. It’s that important!

And that’s all from me for now. Keep an eye open on our site for great deals and hot summer bargains.

‘Nothing to ‘mown’ about.  Great product, smooth service, fast delivery!‘ N. Fowler.   (TRUSTPILOT)

Mown about? Hey. I do the jokes thank you. Enjoy your garden.   Drew Hardy