How to weed out dangers
Dig into these simple, effective ways to keep hazards at bay and allow you to work all day in safety – as well as making your patch a haven to chill out in
Your garden should be a place to enjoy and relax – so get a handle on these tips and safety need never cause you sleepless nights again.
Conditions are key, so consider the task at hand before diving in.
As the weather warms up, an experienced gardener should always know their limits in the heat.
An impromptu hour spent outside can quickly turn into three when you’re on a roll. And wet weather has its own hazards
SUN
As an ambassador for The Melanoma Fund’s Watch Your Back campaign, which looks to protect gardeners from harmful sun damage, I endorse taking care over the effects of sun exposure.
That time outside can be beneficial – soaking up vitamin D to boost your wellbeing – rather than damaging.
But, for long periods working outside in the sun, wear a hat with a brim, sunscreen and cover your arms.
RAIN
In wet weather, wear warm, waterproof gear and grippy garden footwear
Take the time to stretch and wake up your muscles
to prevent trips and falls. Removing any moss and green growth that’s sprouted on garden paths will stop surfaces turning into an ice rink.
Rid paths of this build up with a putty knife, weed-killer and some good old-fashioned elbow grease, it’ll work wonders. On crisp mornings, take the time to stretch and wake up your muscles before launching into jobs like this – warmed up muscles have a much lower risk of strain.
TOOLS
Take a moment to ponder your posture before getting started and remember to let the tool do the work.
The garden spade is a multiuse tool, with three handy uses rolled into one: a handle (lever), a cutting blade on the edge, and a head to lift soil.
The pointed shovel is best for scooping like a spoon while the flat edge of the spade works for general use. You’ll get most leverage from a longer handle and this means less force is required to pry out the soil.
Try to keep your knees bent and back straight, allowing your arms and biceps to take the lead. Bad technique could increase the load by 50 per cent. When raking, keep the handle close to your body with one hand at the end of the handle and the other kept at waist level.
Shift your weight back and forth using your shoulder and bicep muscles to wield the tool –spring tine rakes, with their angled head, are best for leverage. Take a break every 15
minutes when you’re working up a sweat, for a chance to stretch out weary limbs and have a slurp of your tea to keep your fluids up.
COMFY WEEDING
You needn’t put up with muddy knees. A comfy kneeler will keep joints warm, dry and damage-free – with deep filled ones, to minimise leg ache, available online. The best thing you can do is to situate yourself close to the task at hand, which will minimise back strain, and opt for a well-maintained tool to prevent you working any harder than you need to.
HAND PROTECTION
Gardening gloves keep guard of the most important gardening tool of all— your hands. Switch up the gloves you’re wearing to provide grip, warmth, water resistance or tactility.
You can also get some pretty impressive specialist gloves, if you need particular protection, like for kids.
The Globus Glove BUDS range are designed especially with kids in mind and provide all-round protection in designs kids will love. Check out bit.ly/gardeningglove for more details.
KEEPING KIDS SAFE
As an opportune way to get kids outside, gardening will engage them in imaginative play and creativity as well as have them breathing fresh air and learning about nature.
Safeguard them by keeping potentially perilous tools stored away and lock up garden chemicals.
If there are hazards around, like
ATTENTION Keep an eye on kids and keep them safe water, don’t begin intensive jobs that might distract you, but give kids your undivided attention by enquiring after their gardening antics instead.
Or, start a joint project like painting wooden lolly sticks to use them as plant labels. This is the perfect opportunity to explain why some plants are unsafe to eat and identify those that sting or have thorns while you label.
With the right approach, you’ll be gardening with glee and enjoy sharing the green spaces you’ve created for the people who appreciate it most.