Soon — or perhaps already — depending upon the climate where you live, gardening season will be in full swing.
Do you have your clothes ready? Head, hair, and eye protection in one garment for the ladies.
Is last year’s bonnet in good repair? Are the ties secure to the body? No holes to allow dirt and sun where they do not belong? Brim stiff and functional?
A well-dressed gardener in the mid-19 century would wear an apron over her dress while she worked. Sturdy shoes or perhaps wooden clogs (depending on her ethnicity) would protect her feet. In warmer climates, and on poorer gardeners, the feet may be bare and exposed to hazards both seen and unseen. She often wore gloves to protect her hands — perhaps those worn or patched and no longer suitable for church or a day of shopping.
Louisa Mueller, a young baker, in the sweet romance, New Dreams, begins her work at the bakery as a chore girl, including keeping the garden. She grabs the calico sunbonnet from the peg and slips into her wooden clogs before she opens the garden gate. Check out her story, center on her journey and first year in America by following the link. https://amzn.to/3vWydWE
