How to Choose a Hat for Spring Gardening

When you choose a hat for spring gardening, you'll want a hat that allows you to work outdoors in comfort, without regard to what the weather chooses to throw at you. However, it never hurts to create a little style as well.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hat selection
• Sunscreen (optional)

Choose a Hat for Comfort

1. Choose a hat that either fits comfortably on the brow or is slightly loose. A hat with a band that constricts can cause tension headaches and restrict blood flow.

2. Select a hat made of a material thick enough to deflect most of the sun's rays. A woven, straw hat can be an excellent choice, unless the weave is too loose.

3. Try on a hat before you buy it, and bend your head down to look straight at the floor. The hat shouldn't be so loose that it tips and covers your eyes, as you are going to want to inspect your garden for new shoots and for signs of weeds. You'll need a hat that stays relatively stable as you bend and dip, so save loose-fitting hats for mowing the lawn.

Address Both Rain and Sun

4. Choose a multi-seasonal hat made of a lightweight, synthetic material if you live in an area where spring showers and fine mist are prevalent. Remember, hats keep sunstroke at bay, but they also prevent heat from escaping the body and keep rain out of the eyes.

5. Wear a bandanna under a lightweight hat if winter still lingers in your garden. Similarly, some earmuffs can fit under high-brimmed hats, preventing chills on brisk days.

6. Celebrate your garden blooms by selecting a hat with a band into which you can tuck evidence of your green thumb. Just because it's a work hat doesn't mean you can't tuck sprigs of lavender, rosemary or gardenia into the brim for a jaunty, "winter is over" statement.

Tips & Warnings

• The main point of a gardening hat is to protect the gardener from heat stroke and sun exposure. With this in mind, choose a spring gardening hat that covers the back of the neck and the ears, as well as the tip of the nose.
• If you prefer a loosely woven straw hat because it allows for excellent air circulation, also wear sunscreen on your neck, ears and scalp. If you have thin or thinning hair, you can apply sunscreen right onto the hair and head.
• Look for hats at gardening stores and drug stores, where the options will be based on functionality rather than style alone.

Resources

• Hats at GardenHatco.com