For some gardeners, naked is the way to go

Whoa! I had no idea nude gardening was such a popular pastime. I must have been living under a rock all this time. Fully clothed, of course.

I can't link to some of the sites that have been brought to my attention because of the photos on those pages. Though not provocative in any way, for the most part, they do depict gardeners in what many would consider vulnerable states.

The Naked Gardening Association contends, "Second only to swimming, gardening is at the top of the list of family-friendly activities people are most ready to consider doing nude." Family friendly?

A blog by Terra Cotta Inn (a clothing-optional resort) contends that Shakira "loves nude gardening." And a British site reports on a New Jersey man's "bold commitment to inappropriate nakedness" when he supposedly was arrested in September after "a family spotted him having a shower in his front garden."

There's more. The Casual Gardener (www.thecasualgardener.com ) offers "straight-forward techniques" for gardening nude to reveal "the naked truth of your life and doing."

And according to ShobizSpy, actress Eva Mendes is on board, too. The site says "she is so comfortable in her own skin, she even weeds her flowerbeds ... while she's completely naked." It quotes the actress as saying, "I love being naked. I do everything in the nude, even the gardening! We're Cuban, and it's a hot island. Why not go nude?"

So where does this leave the rest of us? Those of us who garden not only fully clothed, but who don special hats and gloves and shoes when we head out to become one with nature? [source]