Some people live on the edge, and extreme gardening is a way of life! They garden on the side of hills or in woodlands, can walk barefoot through their gardens and into their water gardens without a thought of a rusty rake, shards of glass or a nail lurking in the shadows. Better be safe than sorry, protect yourself with an up to date tetanus shot, so if you do get scratched you won't have to worry. Just wash up and move on.
Extreme gardening can be a challenge …
Do a little stretching before digging into your garden beds… stretching out your calf muscles and doing some warm–up exercises could prevent some aches and pains later. Anything more than light pruning could be extreme gardening for many of us… keep up a routine of 'stretch and tone' exercises to give you strength and stamina in the garden, before you plant those 2 or 3 flats next spring!
Having the right sized tools, ergonomic styles for your comfort, utilizing rolling yard carts, or having a knelling pad with handles to assist in getting up again can also prevent injuries. Using a smaller shovel when digging between plants in flower beds is easier and doesn't injure the nighboring plants in the process.
Look for a mini rake too, it makes cleaning debris and leaves out of the flower beds easier.
Wear garden gloves even if you only intend to snip one unruly rose cane. If you're working with chemicals use disposable rubber gloves. You can get rid of them as soon as you've finished spraying and minimize your exposure. If you have any nicks or cuts on your hands, wear gloves to protect yourself from soil-borne bacteria… most of the time it doesn't affect you, but keep an eye on scratches and if they start to look angry, treat them with some antibacterial cream or ointment. Once you find gloves you like, buy 3 pair so you can keep them where you might need them. Have a pair in your garden basket, a pair in the car, and a pair in the shed.
When finished with your gardening, always wash your hands before you go in the house, even if they don't look dirty. I have a garden basket with a bar of soap, scrub brush, paper towels, and hand cream outside near the backdoor. (I also keep some small plastic bags in this basket to cover my shoes in case I have to make a quick run into the house so I don't have to stop to take off my shoes). If you wash up outside, you can keep the inside of your house clean. Soil is like a sponge, it dries your skin, so use the hand cream right after washing, when your skin is still damp, it will absorb the cream better.
Chuckle for the day . . . 
