This Saturday, May 4, marks the 15th annual World Naked Gardening Day, during which people all around the world trim their hedges and prune the bushes … all in the name of being one with nature in the buff.
World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) was founded and organized by Mark Storey from Nude and Natural magazine and permaculturalist Jacob Gabriel as a project of the Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC). In its early days, Storey had a vision of BFC engaging in “guerrilla pranksterism” such as hopping out of a van or showing up spontaneously in an urban environment and engaging in guerrilla gardening, which is the act of people who garden in areas where they don’t have legal rights to cultivate. (Abandoned lots, private property, neglected areas, etc.)
Despite spending very little money to promote the concept, over time WNGD has “grown,” and they’ve collaborated with groups such as the Naturist Society, the Naturist Action Committee, the American Association for Nude Recreation, and Clothes Free International. They claim it’s a fun way to promote wholesome and unashamed acceptance of the human body in a way that’s meant to be funny, lighthearted, and non-political.
Why garden naked? From WNGD.org:
“First of all, it’s fun! Second only to swimming, gardening is at the top of the list of family-friendly activities people are most ready to consider doing nude. Moreover, our culture needs to move toward a healthy sense of both body acceptance and our relation to the natural environment. Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, it reminds us — even if only for those few sunkissed minutes — that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet.”
Will you participate? If you need some inspiration, check out the hashtags #worldnakedgardeningday and #WNGD on social media. Here are a couple posts to “cultivate” some “dirty” ideas:
It’s World Naked Gardening Day!!! What will you be doing to mark the day??? #WNGD
The image is featuring @grubbygardeners pic.twitter.com/uaEbZXFZHL— Kristopher Harper MHort (RHS), MCIHort (@kharperhort) May 6, 2017
Happy #worldnakedgardeningday #wngd hope everyone is having fun and being liberal with the sunscreen. #saturdaymorning #nude #yyc #iloveyyc pic.twitter.com/tNwsvNXm3A
— Colin (@UKgeordieColin) May 6, 2017
Happy World Naked Gardening Day from Anglesey Model Village. Hope you get the chance to enjoy your garden on this fabulous sunny day. #TeamAMV #WNGD #Anglesey #WorldNakedGardeningDay pic.twitter.com/0FFOXNK2w8
— AngleseyModelVillage (@angleseymv) May 5, 2018
We made the national news! This cheeky #wngd #grubbygardeners photo has just appeared on @haveigotnews ! pic.twitter.com/rpaxXNiGGH
— Michael Perry Mr Plant Geek® (@mr_plantgeek) May 16, 2014
Its the first Saturday in May which means only one thing… #worldnakedgardeningday #wngd https://t.co/v8pgsOF3QS pic.twitter.com/fRfnGOWkI6
— Landscape Show (@LandscapeEvent) May 6, 2017
This really can be a fun day to connect with nature whether you’re by yourself or in a group. Should you choose to make it a group event, here are some words of wisdom:
- Make sure you have consent when handling someone else’s tools
- Use protection when handling thorny plants and weed wackers
- It’s OK to be a grower, not a show-er
- Pardon your pansies and wet your plants
- Don’t judge someone based on the size of their equipment or plant sizes
So let it all hang out and have fun … gardening naked is cheaper than a scarecrow! Get back to basics and the simple life, show off the diversity and natural beauty of a beneficial garden and let the sun in to shine!
Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe, is an Iowa-based farmer, public speaker, and writer, who lives and works with her boyfriend on their farm, which consists of row crops, beef cattle, and sheep. She believes education is key in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers.
