Portrait of a Gardener

I've begun to notice that a variety of garden catalogs are carrying clothing designed just for gardening. This is an intriguing concept. On a typical day in my garden, I am happily clad in whatever holey, stained clothes were closest at hand and pay little to no attention to my appearance. Devoid of makeup and hair care products, my short locks stick out at odd angles and my blonde lashes are rendered invisible.

This casual approach, although very comfortable, has significant drawbacks. Babies cry, dogs bark, and people have actually crossed to the other side of the street to avoid me. I began to wonder that if perhaps if I looked less like this

or this

and more like this

dogs wouldn't bark, babies wouldn't cry, and people would stop crossing to the other side of the street.

Instead of purchasing expensive new clothes, I decided to cruise a local thrift store and then follow several tried and true fashion rules when creating new gardening outfits.

1. Sassy black boots and a scarf will liven up any dull outfit.

Knee pads aren't required if your boots go past your knees. Just consider them already built in.

Thigh high rubber boots are the perfect garden accessory. I was able to carry both my pruners and a small trowel in the side of each boot. The 4 1/2 inch heel is excellent for aerating the soil.

Now I don't have to worry about my tools falling out of my pockets and the scarf will protect me from the sun.

2.  A little black dress should be a staple in every gal's wardrobe.

The Irish tweed hat kept my hair out of my eyes and gave me that "I know what I'm doing" appearance.

This breezy little dress will keep me cool on the hottest days.

3. You can never go wrong with a floral print.

By pairing it with my favorite baseball hat, I'm able to color coordinate my entire outfit.

It's such a relief to know that all these gems were waiting for me. I feel more fashionable already!