20 Dec 2017

Ways to keep warm while winter gardening


Hands up all those who garden through the winter?  And how many of those hands are currently getting cold while gardening? Or dog walking, foraging, chopping logs? Indeed any outdoor activity during winter. Personally, I find numb fingers very challenging. Well, my lovelies, I've found a solution in the gloves photographed above.

Like many others, I was always told that if you keep your extremities warm (feet, head, hands), the rest of your body would stay warm too.  In the days of coal fires and cold rooms when I was very young, I remember my grandad wore his woolly hat to bed in winter; his head was almost bald so needed the extra protection! My mum made sure that my siblings and I had warm knitted mittens, thick socks, wool coats and hats on before she shooshed us outside - and it worked, we stayed warm and had rosy cheeks from the fresh seaside air ... even if we looked like the Start-Rite kids.

Much more recently, there was a conversation thread on the Facebook Garden Bloggers group about what gardeners wore to keep warm.  It was generally agreed that layers was the way to go, with thermal vests and tights under t-shirts and trousers, and jumpers or fleeces under protective gardening garb. Woolly hats were recommended, thick socks under gardening boots helpful.  A flask of hot water for tea or coffee, essential. Tea, toast, cake and a warming fire something to look forward to at the end of the day; several mentioned the hypnotic allure of a good bonfire in the garden at this time of year.  It became apparent that many gardeners don't stop in winter but wrap up warm and get on with it. Those fruit trees and shrubs are not going to prune themselves.

As for me, I like to be able to move freely so use a lightweight fleece lined jacket over wool jumper and vest, and that does the trick for me. I'm also lucky to have a pair of very warm wellies. Once I get moving, I heat up very quickly. But my hands sometimes get cold, even with leather gardening gloves to take the edge off.  Recently, I was delighted to spot these thermal gardening gloves on the Briers website then saw that they were out of stock. I phoned to ask if they were getting any more in and was told that they'd restocked the day before and would I like a pair?  Ooh, yes please! I wore them for the first time yesterday in the garden and they exceeded all expectations. I emptied trugs of icy water, dug weeds from soggy soil, lifted cold pots and gathered wet leaves with my hands. My usual gloves would have been wet, cold and my hands the same; with these Ultimate Thermal gloves, my hands were toasty warm, dry and comfortable. Need I say more? (Except perhaps that they're washable.)

My opinion? Essential kit for all winter gardening.


Disclosure: Briers gifted me a pair without asking for a review but they work so well that I wanted everyone to know about them.

Here are the details:
Briers Ultimate Thermal gloves. Now £5.99. Flexible down to -30ÂșC; double insulated with brushed fleece inner liner for added warmth; foam coated palm for added grip. (The coating also makes the fingers and palm water resistant.) Sizes: Medium, Large, Extra Large. (I have small hands; the gloves were slightly loose but not overly so, and worth it for the warmth they gave.)  Washable.



15 comments:

  1. I have thermal leggings and top under my normal gardening gear. Are the gloves waterproof and washable? It’s when !’m taking photos that my hands freeze so I have gloves which have pull back flaps for the appropriate finger and thumb.

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    1. If I lived in Yorkshire, I'd have thermal leggings on by now as well, Sue. The gloves aren't sold as waterproof (the foam coating doesn't continue up the backs of the hands) but there was a lot of water splashing around yesterday (including hosing off my boots afterwards while still wearing the gloves) and my hands were still dry inside the gloves. I wouldn't plunge my hands down into a bucket of frozen water but for weeding soggy plants, the glove fingertips get damp but fingers stay warm and dry inside. I think they'd have to be a good fit to get the precision you need for pressing a camera shutter.

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  2. Just noticed at the bottom you state that they are washable.

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    1. Yes, that's another key feature for me, Sue. Gloves can get really muddy or dirty over time; good to be able to clean them without losing flexibility.

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  3. Those sound like perfect cold weather gardening gloves and very reasonably priced too - I can see making good use of gloves like that in the early spring or late fall (although at the moment, they don't seem to be sold in Canada).

    With a foot of freshly fallen snow outside, there will be no gardening to be done around here for a while. Well, not unless you count the indoor kind that you can do in shorts and a t-shirt...I'll be seeding onions before long!

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    1. Such a shame that you can't get these gloves in your part of the world, Margaret - although with that amount of snow you'd think that someone would be selling something similar! I've just checked on the Briers' website and it seems that they only ship within the UK.

      A foot of snow sounds to me like the perfect excuse to put your feet up for a while! A nice break when you can plan for the following year. No rest for me here, I've still to plant bulbs and prune fruit trees! Have a very happy christmas, Margaret! C x

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  4. They sound perfect. Warm, water proof and washable. What's not to like?xxx

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    1. Exactly, Dina! The Briars rep I spoke to said he wears a pair when walking his dog on wintry days - fab idea! xx

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  5. I don't venture in the garden if it is too cold! Those thermal gloves sound a good idea! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Sarah x

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    1. Haha! You're very sensible! I'd rather not go out in the cold but sometimes needs must! And that's just gardening - how do people manage when they need to go and split logs for a fire? Thanks, wishing you a lovely xmas too! Cxx

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  6. Interesting post. I wear thermal socks, body warmer, gloves and a hat instead of, or as extras to, my normal winter plotting wear. Not that I do much when it's really cold, I just have a quick potter round then home for a cup of tea. xx

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    1. Thanks, Flighty. Sounds like you're nice and warm when you go out. I really enjoy being outside in the winter - it's quieter around the flats as the kids are usually indoors rather than tearing around outside. I was lucky to find a pair of waterproof sheepskin lined walking boots which are perfect for keeping my feet warm in winter so haven't needed thermal socks yet, although if I lived further north I'm sure a pair would come in handy! xx

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  7. I thought that you were being very quiet Caro but it turns out that my blog reader has not picked up your posts for a while :( I have a couple of pairs of Briers general gardening gloves for the last three/four years and they are brilliant albeit on the flimsier side. I picked them up from Wilkos who sadly no longer stock them. The thermal gloves look perfect for this time of year. I'm off to treat my hands forthwith so many thanks.

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    1. Oh I'm glad you thought to look Anna - I wonder what happened with your reader? I haven't changed anything at my end. Which reader do you use? I use Feedly which suits me for now, although I have to remember to actually go there!
      I hope you've managed to find a pair of these lovely gloves, my pair go with me every time I go into the garden these days and, even on a bitterly cold day, I can carry on working outside without feeling the cold. I think they're brilliant!

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    2. Briers didn't have the medium size in stock Caro so I ordered elsewhere and tried them out for the first time yesterday. I'm impressed so far - hands kept warm and dry despite picking up some sodden leaves and debris :) I suffer from eczema on my hands so the drier I can keep them the better. Thanks for the recommendation. I use Bloglovin which again has not picked up on your latest post :(

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