The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day. It falls on May 4, 2019, and if you’re thinking of celebrating, make sure you consider these words of wisdom.
While we should all be proud of our bodies, it’s not considered socially acceptable to just parade around in our birthday suits. If you choose to indulge in some bare naked planting, make sure to keep it classy.
So in this post, we’ll talk about some of the worst ideas we’ve seen, and some people who were cute and clever.
According to Wikipedia, World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) was introduced in 2005 as a nudist movement to discourage body shaming and encourage acceptance of all forms of the human body.
But you might argue that naked gardening has been ‘a thing’ since the garden of Eden.
“Perhaps indeed he or she to whom the free exhilarating ecstasy of nakedness in Nature has never been eligible (and how many thousands there are!) has not really known what purity is— nor what faith or art or health really is.”
–Walt Whitman, Specimen Days
Today World Naked Gardening Day is celebrated by light-hearted and fun-loving gardeners around the world.
If you enjoy this humorous take on WNGD, then you’re sure to like my tongue-in-cheek post about why gardening is sexy,
Do a search for #worldnakedgardeningday on any social network, you’re sure to find plenty of people sharing images of their adventures on WNGD.
I’ll admit I was nervous to look up pictures of how others had celebrated Naked Gardening Day, but most gardeners were really quite classy about it and I got a good laugh.
While many gardeners opted to cover their goodies with some form of foliage, others were more creative. And it made me think about some of the things I would definitely NOT do on WNGD.
1. Plant roses
While WNGD is a great day to do some planting, stay away from thorny bushes like roses and bougainvillea.
Instead choose something more appropriate like Peter Pepper, Teton de Venus tomato, and German Johnson tomato.
2. Re-pot your cacti
Of all the things I can think of to do on WNGD, working with spiny succulents doesn’t make it on the list. You could easily get yourself into a sticky situation!
3. Go to the community garden
While I’m all for being unashamed of the naked body, I don’t really want to see what everyone looks like naked. For that reason, I recommend against gardening at the community garden on May 5th.
And for the sake of your neighbors, perhaps avoid trimming the low hedges in your front yard…
5. Fire up the weed wacker
In fact, I would think twice about using any power tools while partaking in World Naked Gardening Day.
6. Go out in sub-zero weather
I can’t speak for you, but I definitely would not be gardening in the nude when it’s snowing outside. Why do your plants need water when they’re buried in snow anyway? Hahahaha
6.Forget to put on sunblock
If you’re going to bare all to the sun, make sure you’re wearing sunblock! And you don’t want to be asking just any random person to help you with your back.
For this reason, I think Naked Gardening Day is best celebrated with that special someone. Even if you never make it out to the garden…
7. Do yoga in a wheelbarrow
Just … why?
8. Squat in the bushes
I’m sure this guy was very careful with his placement when he got down and dirty with his plants.
9. Climb a tree
Unless you have a solid plan for getting down.
10. Forget a way to carry your cell phone
For listening to your favorite tunes of course.
11. Don’t do it alone
The best way to celebrate any day is to have some fun with someone you love.
Here are some things we should do on World Naked Gardening Day
I think it’s a great idea to get out and have some fun on WNGD. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways gardeners are celebrating!
Have fun with it
There’s something inherently funny about nudity. We should all be proud of our bodies, but let’s also give in to the fact that there’s a lot of awkwardness around being unclothed outdoors.
Include the whole family
Because there’s not much cuter than a baby butt.
Invite your friends
It’s always a good day to enjoy the company of your favorite people … just make sure they’re aware of the dress code.
Stay in your comfort zone
If you kinda want to participate but you’re feeling shy, feel free to hide behind lots of foliage and garden tools.
Even news stations are getting in on the fun:
Here are some tips for trimming your bushes on WNGD:
Are you celebrating World Naked Gardening Day?
Share your plans in the comments below!
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MICHAEL PERRY says
Hey Guys!
Love this guide- and I am so ready for WNGD!
Mr Plant Geek
Amy says
you clearly find nudity alternately titillating and disgusting. it’s neither. get over yourself. though a community garden in your average town without other naked gardeners would be a little odd, even on this day, why would you couch your objection in “i don’t want to see your nakedness”? if you don’t want to, then YOU stay home. don’t advise other people that you don’t want to see that so others should probably not go there? that is either illogical or badly written. again–nudity is no big deal. get. over.yourself.
Laura says
Hi Amy, I’m sorry my article upset you so much. I knew that that idea of naked gardening might seem inappropriate to some, but it never occurred to me that anyone would take this article so seriously.
I didn’t mean to shame anyone for being naked. I simply said I would stay away from the community garden because I would not be comfortable around a whole lot of naked people … and maybe don’t bend over a whole lot if you’re outdoors in the nude. There’s some good logic there if you think about it.
I hope you can reread the article and try to let it just be funny because laughing is so much more pleasant than getting mad over a silly article about totally buck naked people doing ridiculous things.
Happy Naked Gardening Day 🙂
Philip Cardwell says
I’m surprised you didn’t mention that it’s not a good day to remove all that poison ivy and poison oak!
Laura says
How could I not include that one?! 🤦♀️
Emily says
Glad there was pictures
Laura says
Glad you enjoyed the pictures and my humorous take on World Naked Gardening Day.
Mar Skip says
Avoid the beekeeping while naked too
Laura says
Yes, that could get quite uncomfortable!
Jos Mackay says
Still too chilly here in Scotland at the moment, so I’m going to have to insist on a postponement until the weather warms up a bit. Then that would be normal anyway: my garden is not overlooked and why wear clothes at home if it’s warm enough not to bother?
Laura says
LOL. Every day is naked gardening day for you! 🙂
John Penny says
We moved a year ago and realised we were not overlooked. During the hot weather this year (from about June I think) I thought, ‘*sod* this’ and got my kit off whenever I could. I’ve been told it’s liberating, and it is, although I’m a bit on my own at the moment and not included family, friends or neighbours although some do know. The head gardener (Missus) was initially horrified, even though we have been married 40+ years, and I think she’ll take time to get the idea(!).
We are close to a railway line and I do use a bit of discretion at the approach of a train (believe me, most of the general public are not ready for the sight of me naked) So as you can see I haven’t even waited for that day in May, in fact I’ve just come in now when the chilly breeze sprung up (08 Sept)
Incidentally my body really is a ‘Temple’. It’s old, decrepit and crumbling…
*sod – a lump of earth
Allison Sidhu | Managing Editor, Gardenerspath.com says
Thanks for the tips! Just wrote my own article on the embodied, sensual experience of gardening in the nude, in advance of WNGD this year.