To the Ladies that dig it

Lady gardeners, plants women, girlie designers and female landscapers, what is the most difficult thing working in gardens that you have to deal with?

Could it be digging a border whilst planting and finding that it is full of rubble which you specifically asked for it to be removed ‘the planting beds dug over and good quality soil conditioner incorporated’, (i.e. made ready for planting’) but still find yourself spending hours throwing bricks out of hard to dig holes for each and every plant?

Maybe it’s the lack of ‘facilities’ on site, and what arrangements do you make so that ‘squatting’ is not an option?

If planting all day and you need to go to the supermarket on the way home, what kind of reception do you get from the security staff and checkout ladies when you’re covered in mud, hands and nails filthy. Do you find yourself apologising/explaining?

Perhaps you have arranged an initial visit to a potential client on the way home after a day in the garden (covered in dirt, glowing from toil and feeling a bit dazed) what ‘bag of tricks’ do you carry around in the car (other than a clean top, deodorant, wet wipes, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, eyelash curlers, hair brush and lipstick)?!!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vanessa Langford on May 27, 2009 at 9:14pm: hi kerrie,
This could be a fun topic!

I work in a childrens nursery once a week. It's generally great but 2 things hard to work with there...firstly the concentration span of the kids is pretty much zero so hard to teach them to even sow a seed but they're gradually getting interested. These said Children also wear the grass out in their gardens by running around so I have to returf on a regular basis...the ground is not only so compacted by hundreds of feet it is also poor soil and a total pig to work with! I feel broken at the end of a job!

I think not enough hours in the day is quite frustrating...even now the daylight hours are longer! I always seem to have one more job to do! Then another...then another...

Before a quick shop for dinner I have wet wipes and squirty smelly stuff in my car...a quick swish of these do the job if I look too much like a compost heap,but I generally don't care as the builder blokes look more minging than me! Maybe we girls could have fold up showers in our vehicles to freshen up in!

Also in my car I have spare pair of socks...sun tan lotion...factor 50...spare dry tops...lipsyl as I can't bear lipstick...mascara...mints...nail file and spare pair of sunglasses! Do you really carry eye lash curlers Kerrie? Haha!

Oh and by the way I don't mind squatting...I'm well practised at finding a private spot!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by GardeningAngel on May 27, 2009 at 9:53pm: Luckily for me, there is usually a man lurking who is pleased to help with any 'damsel in distress' situations. One flutter of the eyelashes and they're putty in my hands :-)
Facilities, well I usually find a quiet leafy corner - I find that there's something liberating about an 'al fresco' session.
I find that going to the supermarket etc.. exhilerating after a muddy gardening session - I have the best job in the world, I'm bloody good at what I do, which brings confidence in itself, and any funny looks get a 'Cazzie special glare', they're just jealous at being stuck in a soul destroying environment being fed with crappy 'muzac' on the tannoy - I'm speaking from experience here, I had to do a supermarket managers job for twelve months whilst bringing up my children.
My emergency arsenal - a smile of course! and, depending on who the client is, all the things in your bag of tricks Kerrie, plus a diamonte thong.......................... (joke!); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cat Fereday on May 27, 2009 at 10:19pm: I feel left out!!!!! When I have to go to London on business, I carry a virtual arsenal of emergency stocks in my briefcase (you'd swear I was going into the wilderness, not somewhere with a Boots on every corner), but I guess that doesn't count.... Fereday's 'car-drobe' is stocked with wet wipes (most of the time, sometimes still moist, other times completely dried out) and boots (all of the time) and a half-empty flask of cold coffee and numerous tapes and CDs and general gardening detritus... I don't complain... the boots are really useful for standing pot plants, wine bottles, etc. in to prevent damage on the way home from Sainsbury's and I can always find an empty compost bag or something to hide the laptop bag under.... people tend not to like it when we park the mobile shed car next to their shiny, clean mobile demonstrations of wealth and a clean, organic, responsibly-sourced, free-trade lifestyle in the supermarket car park, though!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sweetpea on May 30, 2009 at 9:32am: I must say that since starting in March this year,compared to my 'previous life' , absolutely nothing,apart from the loo,nothing seems difficult !!!

After 30 years in insurance,the time was definitely right to break away and i am loving it !!!It obviously isnt all plain sailing but I will not ever go back to an office.I just need to curb my spending but at this stage of my life I no longer hanker after shiny new cars ( although I would take one if it was free obviously! ).I like going into Tescos with my hair like a hay stack and my hands grubby,the fact I can go where I want when I want and not answer to anyone but myself is the most liberating thing!! The corporate suits will soon be off to the charity shop although I would really like a ceremonial burn up in the garden !

You girls are so lucky to have your van all to yourself,full of all your ' stuff ',I have to clear mine out every weekend ready for the family to use !!

Have a lovely week; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shadow Jewers-Hall on May 30, 2009 at 10:18am: I think my husband has given up asking me to keep the mud out of the car but he still swears everytime he goes to put something in the boot and finds spade, fork, tape measure, pen and paper, spirit level, bamboo cane and all the other gear Ive forgotten to remove. As for the supermarket if I get any looks most are from chavvy mummy or dole daddies and I am proud of working as hard as I do for a living. Equipment must is a hairbrush and hair band I hate windswept and tangled hair I always end up with a headache if its not tied back. As with everyone else deoderant, baby wipes (these are also great for cleaning mud of of car seats) and clean T-shirt, and if the hubby is very lucky a change of shoes for driving in.

Shadow; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cat Fereday on May 30, 2009 at 11:05am: Kerrie, I love this discussion - hope more digging ladies post replies - it's like snooping through a handbag! I'm going to take a picture of the boot of the car and post it up, it's a blokey wagon, but hopefully it will give us a benchmark for comparing lady cars with blokey cars! I think Sweatpea is very, very good cleaning out the car for the weekend - I don't generally expect that from Fereday and I cope quite well sitting among the detritus. Also - baby wipes - apparently excellent for everything from baby bottoms to getting pen off walls, wiping down aluminium cooker top, etc. - a tip I got from the house hubby neighbour.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Debbie Britten on May 31, 2009 at 10:03am: Hi Kerrie and all other ladies of the soil

Weeeell - have to admit I,m quite selfish. Leave the whole arsenal in the car, including the lawn mower!! Then if we need to clear it out cos we're taking the dog out, say, hubby gets a quick flutter of the eyelashes and 'oooh, I've worked so hard all week I don't think I could possibly lift the mower again'!! At the mo having to use a courtesy car and am finding it very difficult to respect it!

As for emergency kit, as long as I have a hairbrush and a spanking pair of sunglasses, I'm happy to go anywhere. Not had a problem with funny looks yet - I think I'd have to come home and have a shower for a weekly shop, but just popping into Tesco Express does not warrant a change of clothes or a wash - the boy racers in there don't give a monkeys about me anyway. They're far too busy hoping to be looked at themselves!!

Visiting a new client always fun after a day in the field - makes them realise I do the work myself. At this time of year turn up soaking wet and bronzed to the max - they normally understand. Will spritz a bit of body spray just for appearances sake.

I find the hardest jobs are the ones holding heavy equipment up ladders, even just step ladders. Why manufacturers haven't worked out that these days it's more likely to be ladies doing the heavy work in the garden is beyond me. A job that would take a man 1/2 hour will take me 2 cos I have jelly arms after 5 minutes of wielding a hedge trimmer or brush cutter. I'm quite capable but they're soooo bloody heavy!!!!!!

Gong to the loo - I have to come home if there's no one in. No question about it - I simply can't face 'the squat'. memories of my nan standing me in the middle of a field and saying ' there you go, no one lookin!!!'

Great topic
Debs; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by pete on May 31, 2009 at 11:37am: Can I just ask....not that I'm all that interested but have any of you ladies tried one of these http://www.shewee.com/ - are they comfortable, - no, sorry, they can't be but do they work, guess you'd need some practice ......... I'm ok - I can go "around a corner" :-) but the lovely lady I work with ties herself in knots sometimes, other times I'm the lookout - not so easy - She says she gets funny looks in the shop after work, but so do I, I tell her - and she's got to be really thirsty if I've got any chance of getting straight into the pub!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kerrie John-The garden design Co on June 1, 2009 at 8:51pm: Lovely ladies, seems to me that in one way or another, we all face the same problems and we all overcome them!

Pete, ha ha, fantastic- A SHEWEE! (British invention, did you have a hand, as it were, in it?) Given it some thought but it is not something I would carry about in my pocket (especially afters). Great idea, plastic gadget to help pee like a man, but just can't imagine that it would, well, be very nice to use. Think I will stick to getting a key to the property when on site (that way there is always a decent cuppa on offer) or finding the local pub if the garden is overlooked. Making friends with the Neighbour's or just swatting if in the wild!

Eyelash curlers? you bet. I've yet to use them though after a hard days graft, just can't be arsed!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shelley on June 2, 2009 at 3:44pm: Hi Kerrie and girls!! agree- this is fun!! i don't bother to tidy up for the supermarket when i'm on a planting/gardening job. when i was in the UK, i loved especially calling into somewhere posh like M+S, Waitrose etc looking like i'd just popped out of the hedge, but did go straight to the ladies for the loo and a hand wash! My business partner in the UK used to crack me up as she often appeared wearing brightly coloured lipstick (to keep her lips moist she said) and she just looked so funny with her muddy trousers, boots, felcos and lipstick!
as for meeting a client i think most people would be happy to see someone was 'hands on' don't you think? but agree a squirt of deo+ a tidy up wouldn't hurt! :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Graeme @ BGS on June 2, 2009 at 6:37pm: Well ladies you have shattered my vision of ladies of the soil.

What with a quick fluttering of the eyelashes and your arsenal of goodness only knows emergency supplies what chance do we poor blokes have in completing!

Well at least us guys still have the option of using a litre bottle in the back of the van!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kerrie John-The garden design Co on June 2, 2009 at 6:45pm: Well at least us guys still have the option of using a litre bottle in the back of the van!

Wow, you must drink loads (but still go in the back of the van?) !!; ▶ Reply to This