Gifts, Gloves and Social Media

Last week I posted an Instagram picture of yet another pair of gardening gloves that have bitten the dust and asked for recommendations for better quality ones.

I used to be a bare handed gardener until I was pulling out weeds in the front garden and discovered the hard way (ewww) that our dog had started pooping in the flower beds… needless to say from that moment on I’ve worn gardening gloves and preferably intact!

Within a short space of time I received a response. The Secret Garden Centre (@irishsecretgardener on Instagram) informed Paula (@palulac) and myself that the pair of gloves she’d purchased from them were Showa gloves. Meanwhile Brian from The Secret Garden (@_secretgarden_ on twitter) tweeted to Showa that I was looking for gloves and within minutes I’d had a reply from them offering to send me a sample. Margaret from Oldfarm replied to my initial tweet and informed us all that she had a pair of gloves she was delighted with and lo and behold they were from Showa too! (Notice a pattern here…..)

@greensideupveg my gardening gloves are ‘showa’. Have them a year. Longest I’ve ever had a pair!

— Oldfarm (@OLDEFARM) April 5, 2013

followed by:

@greensideupveg @showa_retail they should be! Usually only get one season out of gloves, so this is a record! And love the range of colours

— Oldfarm (@OLDEFARM) April 5, 2013

So ever since I received the kind offer from Showa, I’ve been eagerly awaiting my sample gloves to arrive. Imagine my surprise when I opened the post box and found a large parcel stuffed into it which was quickly followed by delight when I opened the package and found not one but five pairs of Showa gloves from their large range.

The samples above are from the Floreo 370, Opti Grip 340, Thornmaster 350R, PVC Grip 600 ranges which will definitely keep my hands protected from all my gardening jobs! Unlike other presents I’m occasionally sent by suppliers, I wont be giving these away as a competition win, I’ll be putting them through their paces (sorry).

If you’re looking for a decent pair of gloves, not only were the Showa range recommended by two other gardeners, Globus the suppliers of them are jolly nice people too – thank you Globus!