Getting dressed for a day of gardening often involves throwing on your rattiest old clothes and hiking up a pair of white socks to keep the ticks at bay—it is rarely a time for considered dressing. However, as any pro will tell you, the right gear can make a day of pruning or weeding go more smoothly, and if it happens to be stylish, all the better.
Recently, we reached out to some trusted garden pros for their favorite garden accessories. Here are their picks:
The Ultimate Chore Coat
Above: “This chore coat has a massive pocket that can hold all kinds of tools or even a bottle of wine after a long day in the dirt,” says Guy Henry, the director of horticulture at BrookLandscape in Brooklyn,of this Tellason jacket. “Our whole team is outfitted with these jackets, but I think I might be the only one who wears it every day.” Henry actually has two; he also owns a selvedge denim version. Tellason’s Coverall Jacket is $198.
The Chic Wide Brimmed Hat
Above: Molly Sedlacek, founder of ORCA, a California landscape design firm, shares that for her, a wide-brimmed hat like this one from Janessa Leoné is a must. “It covers my full face and shoulders. I don’t leave home without it,” she says. The lightweight raffia is also packable, should you wish to travel with it. The Tinsley Wide Brim hat is $267.
The Fancy French Toolbelt
Above: When she’s not wearing her trusty leather belt (sourced from Gemplers more than two decades ago), garden designer Lindsey Taylor, who has a new book Art in Flower out now, turns to this chic canvas tool carrier. “My very generous client Jordan Ferney gave me this tool belt, and I wear it all the time! Gardening or arranging flowers, it keeps all my important things at the ready,” she says. The Garden Belt is $65 from Le Prince Jardinier.
The Warm Winter Boot
Above: “I love Ugg leather boots in the winter because the fuzzy interior keeps my toes warm when working outside, especially in wet weather, while the leather holds away moisture at large,” says Jessica Viola, the founder of Viola Gardens in Los Angeles, who notes the soles are rubber and “make scrambling up and down hills easy and fun.” In the past, Viola has worn the Neevah, which is no longer in production, but the Hapsburg Chelsea style, pictured, is a similar Chelsea-style boot; $160.
The Plant-Dyed Scarf
Above: Viola’s go-to handkerchief is plant-dyed and handmade by her friends at Moona Star Collective; Viola has the light orange colorway. The Plant Dyed Scarf is $68.
The Fits-Like-a-Glove Gloves
Above: “I have tried so many gloves,” says Susan Nock, a Wellesley, Massachusetts-based garden designer and founder of Thistle. “The ones I rely on now are the Bellingham Bamboo Nitrile Palm Gloves. They fit tight to the hand and let me do small tasks while protecting my hands–and they are widely available.” They are $7 at Greenhouse Megastore.
The Classic Carpenter Jeans
Above: Taylor deems these “my signature pants.” The iconic engineer denim is a rigid 10 oz. hickory stripe from America’s oldest denim mill. The Hickory Stripe Carpenter Pant is $125 from L.C. King.
The Sustainable Garden Clogs
Above: “These are my favorite slip-on shoes for working in the garden,” says Sedlacek. “I love that I can hose them off, and that their color and texture feels very earthy.” Made in France from 100-percent recycled plastic and hemp, the Plasticana Clogs have an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars from Gardenheir customer reviews; $58. (Taylor also put in a mention for Gardenheir’s Italian garden clogs “for quick slip-ons.”)
The Handy Tool Pouch
Above: Henry relies on this utilitarian tool pouch (the Joey Pouch Pro V2; $42.99) that clips onto your favorite belt. “This is a fantastic tool pouch that can hold pruners, irrigation bits and bobs, and any other hand tools,” says Henry. “Plus, it’s made in the U.S.” If you like to carry a lot of tools, the company also makes a bigger version of the pouch, the Big Joey Pro.
The Affordable Linen Shirt
Above: “I have a lot of white linen shirts,” confesses Taylor. “They work best for me through the garden season: They breathe, they look good—and they just feel like me.” Taylor prefers to buy men’s shirts for no-fuss styling, and J. Crew’s Baird McNutt Irish Linen Shirt is a go-to favorite; $98.
The True-to-Life Sunglasses
Above: Viola is the rare garden pro who doesn’t wear a hat daily. “I don’t like to wear a hat when I’m working because I find it obstructs my perspective,” she says. Instead, she wears Maui Jim polarized sunglasses. “They give me the truest sense of color and great protection, which is important to how I work.” she says. Viola prefers the gold titanium aviator styles. Pictured is a pair of Mavericks, in gold, for $319 from Maui Jim.
The Perfect Work Pants
Above: “I am devoted to Dovetail Workwear pants,” says Nock. “They’re super-durable and are designed for women with a great cut and so many pockets. I find belts get in the way but with these pants, I can stow my garden snips, pens, and other tools in the pockets and away I go.” Nock likes the Maven cut (from $99) and appreciates the double knees and thermal lining option for New England winters. Gardenista contributor Kier Holmes is a Dovetail fan, too, and prefers the Britt style.
The Pedigreed Smock
Above: Taylor deems this smock designed by Great Dixter’s head gardener Fergus Garret “my favorite of all the garden smocks,” perhaps in part, because it reminds her of her time spent studying there. “Such an amazing experience to learn from all the great gardeners there, especially Fergus Garret,” she says. The Sailcloth Smock is £60 from Great Dixter.
The All-Natural Rain Hat
Above: Taylor says Carrier Company makes “the best waxed cotton hat” (worth the wait and price of shipping from the U.K.); $45.
The Day-to-Night Workwear
Above: Sedlacek touts her firm ORCA’s collaboration with MATE, “I’ve been living in my work coat and gardening pants all summer,” she says. “It’s so nice to have pieces you can prune your garden in, and also wear out to meetings or to see friends.” The Garden Jacket is $238; the Workwear Pant is $218.
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