The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these gardening safety suggestions:

• Dress in long pants, safety goggles and shoes with good support when mowing the lawn or using other yard machinery.
• Protect your hearing when using motorized machinery.
• Wear gloves to prevent cuts and irritation to the skin.
• Apply an insect repellent that contains the chemical DEET, wear tall boots, and keep pants tucked inside socks/boots to ward off ticks and mosquitoes.
• Protect yourself from the sun with long-sleeved shirts, a hat with a wide brim, sunscreen and sunglasses.

-- Diana Kohnle