Wait, come back, don’t click the “X” and move on! This isn’t another post about the weather and the freezing temperatures and what that has done to trees, like my crabapple, and shrubs and flowers that were coaxed to bloom early by unseasonably warm days. It’s not, I promise!
Instead, this post is about advice for gardeners, for anyone who has to garden in public places like their front yard.
The other day, I caught one of my neighbors bending over with her backside to the street and I realized that she was not aware that bending over at the waist like that, in addition to not being good for your back if you are lifting something, causes your lower backside to appear double in size.
And that’s my advice today.
Never bend over at the waist with your back facing the street.
It gives all the neighbors a broad view. This applies to women and men both. After all, no one wants to look like one of those garden cutouts that is supposed to look like a lady bending over exposing her bloomers or a man bending over with low riding pants.
Don’t you just hate those wooden decorations people put in their yards, like the lady showing her underpants.Also, in the bad taste catagory, the little dutch boy & girl, bent over kissing and possibly standing on a little wooden bridge spanning nothing. ( please don’t be offended if you do have thoes in your yard. It’s just a pet peeve of mine)
It’s difficult to stay focused on the important things when gardening. Feedback is important. It helps if you have a neighbor take photos of you while you do your gardening. I edited out the butt-crack shots, but I learned my lessons and I’m more cautious now.
Carol, I broke into laughter when I read your post. Good advice! The funny thing is that I had this drummed into my brain by my first boyfriend’s mum. One day we were in her front garden and I was helping with the weeding. All of a sudden, she started lecturing me about never, and I mean NEVER, point your backside in the direction of the street.
Of course, over the years, I ignored this advice until a group of young guys drove by my front garden, started honking and making rather unflattering comments about my anatomy. Well, let’s just say that now I’m careful.
Enjoy your weekend and I do hope the weather isn’t too bad there. (My pond’s still frozen solid!!)
Carol, wish I could squat but alas I can not. I can bend touch palms even elbows to the ground but the lower joints do not flex well.
So in the middle of a public garden with walks all around what is one to do? I wear long shirts and jeans with pockets. Distract,stand tall frequently and when possible kneel…LOL
That is exacty why I got myself one of those kneeling benches, the kind that flips over to make a seat!Between the two ways, I can get my work done without bending over, and still being comfortable.
I thought I was the only person who thought about that! As I’ve grown older, that “cute ass” has totally disappeared and I can’t even pretend. Bring on the tunic tops!! (I feel our butts should get nicer looking as we age – it’s only fair…)
I’m sorry, but I could really care less if the neighbors don’t like “the view.” Surely they can find something more pleasing to look at as they walk by.
Assuming that we’re paying attention to basic modesty, and not flashing our plumber’s butt streetside, why should we really care if our rear end appears twice the size that it really is when we’re bending over tending our gardens, and minding our own business?
If my neighbors are really getting their noses out of joint because my appearance is less than pleasing to them as I strive to maintain my property, well, gosh, I sure hope they move to a better neighborhood, because it sounds like I really need some nicer, and less superficial, neighbors.
Maybe she couldn’t afford the cutouts?
Eleanor… I’m getting you a cutout for your yard!
Xris… thank you for the editing of your pictures!
Kate… happy to hear you laughed, sorry to hear of your real life experience!
Gloria… we’ve got to do what we can with what we’re given! Thanks for the comments.
Sandy… I guess it is true, necessity is the mother of invention.
Alyssa… I agree, “it’s only fair”!
Ellen… I’ve heard no actual complaints in the neighborhood. Do you have a blog? I’d love to visit it.
Molly… your comment made me laugh out loud. I think that’s it!
Your post really made me laugh, Carol! After spending some frustrating minutes fumbling with the garden hose connection the other day, I finally straightened up to find my neighbor staring at me. I wondered what his problem was till I realized that my well-worn gardening pants seem to have ripped at an important back seam. Hey, I was in my own yard!
What? You calling me fat?
Well, with women wearing all those low-riding jeans these days, it’s butt cracks galore!
How did women lose about 5 inches in the rise in 10 years? That’s 2 inches of extra butt crack a year!
And here I had just convinced myself that worrying about my neighbors view bordered on paranoid…now I’m back to square one.
Oops. That’s 1/2 an inch per year. My powers of calculation are astounding!
Yikes! Something else to worry about! I hadn’t given it a thought…before…I suppose I should look for one of those bench things…except I have almost no flat ground to put it on! What to do!
Hmmmm….maybe someone else could do the weeding?? I’m liking that…
I’m not getting the cut-outs…but then, there’s lots of garden ornamentation I don’t get.
Lost Roses… I agree, if you were in your own yard, you ought to be “safe”, but I do hate when a favorite pair of gardening pants just “go” like that.
Crunchy Chicken…Nope, not calling you fat at all, but it does seem harder to find pants that come up to your waist, doesn’t it?
Lesslie… Sorry to take you back to square one!
Gotta Garden… The garden ornament might distract the neighbors and then you can do whatever you want to do in your garden!
Thanks all for the comments and ideas!
Hahahaha….yea, no cut-outs OR “crack show” for ME, even if most of the time nobody can see me in the yard! I find gardening most comfortable while seated…I got a couple old patio furniture cushions at the local dump, and I either sit or kneel on those-very comfy, and the price was right!