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William J. Schroer's avatar

My view on this is to look back at the history of the WNGD. Ostensibly started in Seattle, it was originally created in England by a nudist couple who began gardening in the nude on their isolated property. The date they selected and maintained by the American organizers (the first Saturday in May) does not really work for over half of the country. When considering the USDA Plant Hardiness Map, over 1/2 of the country, (200-250 million people live in Hardiness zones 1-7. Those zones typically have not only colder winter temperatures, but the recommendation is to be very cautious planting prior to Memorial Day...which of course is at the end of May. When I took the Master Gardener course here in Michigan, we were advised we could have a hard frost right up to Memorial Day. My comment for this topic is a suggestion: Change the date of WNGD to the first Saturday in June. While those in warmer sections of the country can start much earlier, the celebration of gardening in the nude should be something all of us can participate in. (I plan to write a longer article on this topic for PN later this month....but thought I'd throw in my thoughts now in advance.)

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Mike Bunner's avatar

Being naked in the garden surrounded by nature is wonderful. But when it comes to doing the actual work, I call the landscapers.

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