I have dozens of pairs of gloves. I don't believe in cold or dirty hands. Actually, my hands get cold easily. I suppose it is some sort of physiological reaction to being cold onwinter camp outs as a boy scout.

If I don't have gloveswhen I am doing any landscape work, I always end up with blisters, cuts, raw knuckles and dirt jammed undermy fingernails. If I have the gloves on, they take most of the damage and I feel a lot better the next day.

I tried several new gloves this year, and I am happy to report there are some good ones thatwill make great presents or stocking stuffers for anyone who works or plays outside.

The West County Gardener gloves are very well made. I used the thermal-lined waterproof gloves with the Enprotex windproof and breathable liner. I am always sticking my hands in the water of my pond to get leaves out. These gloves are great for that, but they are just as good at shoveling snow and planting in the garden when the soil is muddy.

The cuffs sealuptokeepoutdirt. If the weather is too warm, sweat does build up on the inside more than Iwould like, but I just switch to a new pair. If the weather is too cold, I find warmer gloves.

The rose glove has an elbowlength gauntlet that blocks thorns and branches. It is also useful when pulling out poison ivy.

West County Gardener makes a variety of garden gloves with breathable fabric backs andNitrile rubber or Kevlar palms. Many of the glove's materials are recycled, and each pair takes at least one water bottle out of the landfill. Go to www.westcountygardener.com to find a store near you.

If you work with rough surfaces like landscape pavers, or you climb rock walls, or grip wet surfaces like kayak paddles, then you should try out the Mad Grip Pro Palm glove. At first, it looks like the typical garden glove with the fabric back and the rubber palm and fingers. A closer look will show that the fingers and palm are covered in extra thick gripping rubber treads. The extra grip means you have better control and your muscles work less. I used these gloves on several projects and really like them. Just don't try towipe the sweat off your face with the rubber side as it doesn't slide. Instead of buying a dozen pairs of throw-away, rubber- dipped gloves, try one of these long-lasting gloves. Check them out at www.madgriptech.com.

Many garden gloves have leather palms for strength, but none of the gloves from either of these companies uses leather, so a vegancanwear themingood conscious. The nice thing about gloves without leather is that they can be washed in the sink while wearing them, and if necessary, they can be machine washed. If they don't have a rubber coating, they can bemachine dried.

E-mail questions to Jeff Rugg at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .