Be Sun Smart in the Garden This Summer

Time spent in the garden more often than not means time in the sun and if you aren’t prepared for the heat, there could be some serious consequences. The seasoned gardeners out there are probably nodding along with me right now, but for those first breaking ground on their backyard, garden plot, or allotment, this might come as news to you. Man, does it get hot! Spending hours toiling over your flowers and veggies without protection can leave you susceptible to sunburn – and its damaging effects on your skin. Because of holes in our ozone layer in New Zealand we have the most extreme levels of cancer-causing UV down here in the Southern Hemisphere. Skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting New Zealanders. 

Knowing how to beat the heat and protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays is a key component to enjoying your time in the garden – and not giving up when the sweat starts to drip. Read on to see what beating the heat is all about, and to gain vital knowledge about sun safety.

You can rest assured that the sun and the heat will get the better of you if you aren’t prepared. Luckily, we’ve got our handy-dandy guide for you to read through and learn from!

Armed with these tips, you’ll be prepared for whatever our New Zealand summer throws at you. When dealing with the sun, you have a few definite boxes to check off to ensure you’re prepared:

1. Do you even need to be in the sun?

The easiest item to check off this list is: do you even need to be in the sun? Finding a shady spot where you can work is vital to getting through a long day of gardening work in the hot months of summer. If you can get out of the sun entirely and under the protection of some tall shade trees, you’re off to a great start!

Working strategically around your garden and following the shade also allows you to see what areas of your garden get the most or the least amount of sun. You’ll know every nook and cranny of your garden in no time, and you might even discover areas that you thought were full-sun locations that are in fact in the shade for part of the day.

You might also want to consider the option of staying out of the sun altogether between the hours of about 11:00 am and 3:00 pm when the sun is at its strongest. We’re outside from seven in the morning until three professionally, so we don’t have a choice in this matter, but you do.

The savvy gardener gets as much of their work as possible done in the morning, before it gets too hot, and then does their watering in the evening so that the water doesn’t evaporate during the hot day. This ensures your plants are absorbing all that water you're feeding them. By default, if you follow this pattern, you’re outside during the most comfortable times of the day, when the sun isn’t directly overhead.

3. Stay hydrated

Keeping well-hydrated is vital when we’re talking about sun and heat protection. Although we’re generally supposed to drink six to eight glasses of water a day (1.5–2 litres), when you’re out in the heat you’ll probably need more than that. Drink plenty during the day.

3. Wear some physical protection

If you are unable to work in the shade of tall trees, then you need to figure out how to put on – or create – a physical barrier between you and the sun’s harmful rays. From umbrellas to long-sleeve shirts and pants, to a good old-fashioned floppy gardening hat, physical barriers keep the sun off your skin and help to keep you from overheating.

Hats: Put a Lid on It

Wearing a cap-style hat is well and fine, but consider wrapping a bandanna around the back of your neck to keep the sun from beating directly on it. I’m a fan of straw hats because of how light and airy they are, but a good-quality sunhat is a worthwhile investment. Search for a hat with a brim that is over 7cm wide. Your goal is to keep the sun off of your face, neck, and anywhere else that it’s possible to cover, so a wide brim will provide an easy solution.

Long Sleeves? Yes, Long Sleeves!

Does wearing more seem counterintuitive? Think about the image of desert-dwelling people wearing layers of loose-fitting clothing in the blistering heat. Pairing a thin and loose long-sleeved shirt made from breathable material with light, breathable pants can make a huge difference in the heat. Not only is the sun damaging and potentially dangerous to your skin, but direct exposure also makes you hotter. By wearing a protective barrier, you’re guaranteed to shave a few degrees off the day. The clothing creates an air pocket that acts like a layer of insulation between your skin and the sun, helping to regulate your body temperature. Loose clothing also allows for some airflow so that perspiration can evaporate, keeping you cool and comfortable.

4. Wear sunglasses (or, to be cool you must LOOK cool!)

A good pair of sunglasses offers a world of protection for your eyes. And that’s a good thing because your eyes are extra sensitive to UV rays. The thin skin around your eyes is easily sunburnt exposure to UV light can damage the eyes, contributing to macular degeneration, cataracts, and conjunctival cancer. Always choose a pair that blocks out 99%+ of UV rays and at least 75% of the light from the sun. You can get away with less, but taking good care of your eyes is a worthwhile investment. 

5. Wear sunblock

While sunblock doesn’t do much to cool you down, it does offer the necessary protection from the sun’s rays. The cream types are much more effective than the spray type since it’s easier to see and control where you’re applying them – and prevent accidental inhalation. Spray bottles can be useful for reaching spots like the back of your ears, or that bald spot on the top of your head (it gets hot up there). If you are using a spray, make sure you do so in a well-ventilated area.

When you are shopping for sunscreen, you’ll also find you’ve got a choice between mineral and chemical sunscreens. The mineral sunscreens contain titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or a combination of the two. The tiny particles sit on your skin and form a barrier by reflecting the sun’s rays. Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the sun’s rays and converting the UV light into heat and releasing it from the skin. There is some controversy surrounding the safety of certain ingredients that are often found in these, oxybenzone in particular. Experts suggest using a combination of both a physical and a chemical sunscreen for maximum protection, but we believe the best sunscreen is the one you’re comfortable wearing. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 for adequate protection, and make sure to reapply it according to the directions on the product, or more often when you get wet or are sweating a lot.

Most bottled commercially available sunscreens won’t expire for about three years, but the more the bottle is opened and closed and handled with grubby hands, the faster this expiration date approaches. Bacteria can enter the bottle and hasten degradation. Cleaning the cap regularly can help prevent dirt and bacteria from getting into it, and potentially causing skin irritation. As the sunscreen ages, the active ingredients can start to oxidize and lose efficiency. Store your sunscreen out of direct sunlight, and away from extreme hot or cold temperatures.

All in all, any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen, and even an expired product will provide better protection than applying nothing at all.

Cooling down when enough is enough

Even with the best gear, you’re probably going to get overheated at times during the day. So what should we do to avoid that heat stress and a dose of sun sickness? Get yourself into a cool and shaded environment, splash water on your body, or even take a cold shower. 

How do you know you’ve received too much sun or heat?

• Sunburn or flushed skin

• Alternatively cool and clammy skin

• Excessive sweating

• Muscle cramps or nausea

• Headaches, blurred vision, and disorientation

• Vomiting

Sunburn can have a nasty habit of creeping up on you, often only revealing itself later in the day. It can take less than 15 minutes of exposure to the sun for your skin to burn. If exposed areas start to redden, it’s important to get out of the sun immediately and apply a cooling “after-sun” lotion. Prolonged exposure can result in severe sunburn that can progress into a serious condition known as sun poisoning.

If you’re in the garden and just need to cool down a bit, you can soak a bandana in cool water from the hose and wrap it around your neck. This is a handy trick: your neck is very sensitive to temperature, so applying a cool and damp bandanna to it is going to cool you right down. Placing a cool, wet rag on your wrists is another good option to provide quick and cool relief.

Now, get out into the garden!

Providing adequate sun and heat protection isn’t rocket science, but there’s more to it than sitting under an air conditioner. Donning a bit of the right clothing, applying some sunscreen, and drinking plenty of water should be enough to get you through the heat of the day, and protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. And if it’s too hot and you’re able to work smart, try to stay in the shade and out of the sun altogether!

Apply this information to your outdoor lifestyle and you’ll find you feel much more comfortable in the hot weather.