Gloved up

Protecting your hands while gardening is essential in so many jobs, from weeding viciously spiny brambles to picking caterpillars off your cabbages. Luckily in our garden centre we have gloves for every occasion, so you can choose the right pair for the job. Here's what to look for:

Heavy-duty: pruning roses and spiny shrubs like berberis, tackling brambles Gauntlets are essential for avoiding injury with these most difficult of gardening job. In our garden centre you'll find thick canvas or leather gauntlets with long cuffs to protect your wrists and lower arms.

General purpose gloves: general weeding, pruning and planting out. With various waterproof coatings from foam Latex or warm Neoprene to soft, pliable grain leather, these snugly-fitting gloves are good all-rounders. Reinforced palms prevent wear and tear from spade handles, and breathable fabrics avoid sweaty hands. Look for Thinsulate thermal linings for winter.

Gloves for fine work: delicate weeding jobs, transplanting seedlings, dead-heading Usually made of stretchy nylon Spandex, many have Nitrile coating for a waterproof coating to palms and fingertips. They're superbly thin, fitting like a second skin and allowing maximum feeling while still protecting.

Please ask the staff in our garden centre in Athlone for more information and advice about choosing the gloves that are right for you.