DAN'S PAPERS, December 5, 2008 Page 36 www.danshamptons.com
Earthly
(continued from page 34)
ly recommend Emile’s French Clay soap, made with clay from Mont St. Michel, no less, or in a pinch, Caswell Massey’s avocado soap. Either one will get rid of sweat, dirt and sunscreen at the end of the day and may help wash off any ticks if applied with a good washcloth.
My hands take a beating even though I usually wear gloves. I have tried all kinds, and find that the smaller the better is a good rule of thumb. I have had goatskin gloves, which are very comfortable, but generally develop holes in strategic spots almost immediately, rose gloves, which are too long and cumbersome, so they get left in the truck, rubber gloves, which are great for rainy days, but terrible on cold mornings, and latex gloves for planting annuals are just fantastic, but make your hands sweat in warmer weather. So if you are considering buying someone gloves, make it an assortment. Cut and scrapes happen all the time, even when I am careful. We always have a small first aid kit in the truck with things that help for when the dog bites or the bee stings, like antiseptic, bandaids and Benadryl. But I have not had a lot of luck with Tecnu. People swear by it but I prefer to use Dawn dish washing liquid, as it really cuts oils, so we keep a small bottle of this as an addition to our first aid kit. I’m very careful about washing my hands when I come in from the garden, because, for some reason, I always seem to be the one digging around in the poison ivy. But all that harsh soap and water can take its toll on my hands. L’Occitane handcream is a real savior – it must be the Shea butter – and doesn’t leave your hands sticky, like Bag Balm. If you would like to educate your gardener friend and are feeling flush, a few classes with the Lyceum
Are You Prepared for Winter Storm Damage?
will help them get a new perspective. Jeff Frank has been offering a two-day seminar to industry professionals and home gardeners for years. Entertaining, political and definitely zany, he will offer up all kinds of fascinating information, some of which is practical, and some that will just make you think. Cornell Cooperative Extension also has organic gardening classes during their spring gardening school, which is a one-day event packed with information. Or you can join your gift recipient for a little excursion that will perk you both up in the middle of winter. I highly recommend a garden lecture at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. The glass houses are full of forced bulbs and perennials, there is a good seminar in February or March that is always worth attending, or you can celebrate early and go down for the Christmas decorations and the ice skating performances during the holiday season. So much for all the things I want. I have to say the best gift I ever gave, which brought an immediate wreath of smiles to the face of my 90-year-old gardener friend, was a bag of vegetable seed packets. Perhaps nothing else embodies the hope for industriousness applied to and satisfaction from all the work and worry of digging in the dirt. Seeds seem to speak to the very heart of a gardener. They are, after all, pregnant with the dream and desire of what is yet to come with a little effort on our part, and ripe with the possibility of future enjoyment.
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