2018.05.05 Stuff
What are you doing in the garden today? June Campbell-Tong is taking off her clothes, then tending to the rhodos and azaleas.
It's a fitting way for the longtime member of the Wellington Naturists Club to commemorate World Naked Gardening Day, celebrated around the globe on the first Saturday of May since 2005.
"I won't necessarily be naked all the time, especially if it's cold, but I will be making the gesture to say we have participated in a fun, worldwide event," Campbell-Tong said. She has been a naturist since 1963, "and a gardener all my life. I love gardening and being with nature."
Indeed, temperatures at the club grounds just north of Upper Hutt may not encourage day-long participation even from the most dedicated members, which is one reason Kiwi naturists are calling for the establishment of a naked gardening day in September specifically for Southern Hemisphere gardeners.
New Zealand Naturist Federation president Donna Miller, who is also a member of the Auckland Naturists Club, explained that a September date would make better sense for gardeners in this part of the world. "May is springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, so it's perfect for them," she explained. "We are trying to get momentum going for a naked gardening day around our springtime. That's when everything in the garden starts to come to life, the temperature starts to go up and a lot more people are keen to be out in nature then."
To that end, the Federation is also speaking to naturists and like-minded societies in Australia and other Southern Hemisphere communities.
Meanwhile, at least four of the 17 naturist clubs around New Zealand have organised weeding and working bees at their club grounds this weekend in conjunction with World Naked Gardening Day.
"Not all our members have green fingers, but everyone will be doing their bit," Miller explained. "We all have an intense interest in nature and this aligns well with our naturist philosophy."
On a practical level, she added, naturist clubs have private, members-only grounds which always need maintenance and upkeep, so volunteers are always welcome.
Nudity will not be compulsory though it is encouraged. "We are practical too. If it is cold, or people feel they need protection from insects or the elements, then of course they do what is comfortable for them."
For those who feel up to participating in World Naked Gardening Day, first take a look at the fun safety video from NZ Gardener.
