Deirdre O Meara 
This Saturday, gardening enthusiasts around the world will be celebrating World Naked Gardening Day. The holiday, observed on the first Saturday in May, has gained new fans every year. While some gardeners participate en masse or in public spaces, others, like Texas-based plant mom Chera Perry, prefer the privacy of their own backyards.
Perry, who has been seriously gardening for around six years, considers herself a bit of a newbie “plant mom.” But from an early age, she learned to respect nature. As an adult, plants helped her feel grounded during “a weird and lost place in life.”
“I can feel that connection,” Perry said. Now, she spends more than half the year outdoors, cultivating her plants and her relationship with them. “I garden from spring to mid-fall,” Perry said. “And I like to be outside as much as I can once the average temps get above 65 degrees.”
Perry first heard about World Naked Gardening Day from a Facebook plant group. In a post, she saw photos of an Australian couple participating in the global event. “They had shared some hilarious and cleverly-taken photos out in their garden in the nude,” Perry said.
Though she was nervous, Perry decided to join in on the celebration. She said, “I honestly just wanted to be a part of the movement, to feel natural, naked, and feminine.” So she stepped outside wearing nothing but a smile, and documented the occasion. To create a safe-for-work photo opportunity, she did enlist some of her own macrame craftwork (plant hangers, of course) and creative poses.
While the all-nude uniform of World Naked Gardening Day isn’t so far from Perry’s regular gardening clothes, she does have some sturdier options in her wardrobe. “If I am going to be doing some serious work involving some high grass, tree limbs, and things like that, I will put on a pair of pants,” she said. Cuts and scrapes are an increased risk when you’re gardening in the nude. That’s why Perry advises first-time naked gardeners to pick some lower-stakes plants when they’re heading out in their skivvies.
Perry also warns that insects, particularly mosquitoes and biting flies, love the Texas climate. She advises those celebrating World Naked Gardening Day to have bug spray at the ready, preferably all-natural. “Just, you know, be careful of your downstairs area or rubbing it in your eye,” she said. Sunscreen is also a must-have for naked gardening, and Perry advises gardeners to make sure to get every area the sun doesn’t usually shine.
One thing that keeps Perry from gardening in the nude year-round is the proximity of her neighbors. “I always have to plan this strategically,” she said. But with those potential pitfalls at front of mind, Perry is eager to step out this year, and hopes others do the same. Fellow plant parents or the botanically-curious can find out more about World Naked Gardening Day with a simple Google search.
“There’s so many people around the world involved for different reasons,” Perry said. “Plants have shifted and moved my life so much,” she said, and she loves strengthening her intimate connection with nature. Perry encouraged others to deepen that bond with the earth, and most importantly, “Embrace YOU.”
