Studies have shown that gardening is good for the body and soul and just being out in the fresh air and sunshine, even if you are not gardening, is good for you. But

with the hottest days of summer still to come, it is a good time to review a few health savvy precautions before venturing into summer gardening. This will help assure that you can do it day after day without being laid low by heat stress, cramps, sunburn, a strained back, or blisters across your palms. Or, worse yet, some tick-borne disease that can keep you down and out for weeks. To safely enjoy your summer in the garden, here are a few reminders about dealing with heat, humidity and other annoyances that can ruin your day.

First, hydrate yourself — before going outside. Plain water or a sports drink are best for this, definitely not coffee or anything with alcohol. Before you begin working, put a chair in a shady spot, with your water bottle. Then if you start to feel dizzy or overheated, you can quickly sit down, remove hat and gloves and have a slurp of water. Take breaks regularly, even if you are not feeling overheated or dizzy.

The sun is our garden’s best friend. But the sun can be our personal worst enemy when it comes to working in the garden. There are a few things we can do to head off the harmful effects of too much sun. Be sure to apply these precautions to any children who might be helping you in the garden.

Our Australian friends deal with the sun by what they refer to as “slip, slap and slop.” In American English, this translates to slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on sunscreen.

At a minimum, the shirt should be long sleeved and light weight. A light color is best to reflect light and heat.

The hat need not be a fashion statement, but should be light in color and wide-brimmed enough to shade your face and eyes and the back of your neck. A strap to hold it on is a good idea.

Sunscreen should be put on thickly to be effective, except for those that spray a thin film on the skin. Check the SPF number — the higher the better. If you are wearing a hat, long sleeved shirt, long pants and shoes with socks, the sunscreen is not as critical. But if you take your gloves off often, don’t forget to put sunscreen on the backs of your hands.

Of course, it goes without saying that you do not wear shorts and flip-flops for gardening. Mosquitoes, ticks, even ants and spiders, just love bare legs and feet. To keep the bugs at bay, spray insect repellant on your hat, gloves and shoes — not directly on your skin.

Keep those tools sharp. Sharp edges on shovels, clippers and hoes will cut handily through tough roots, stems, weeds and heavy ground.

Poison Ivy is another danger that frequently lurks in the garden, particularly if you have lots of seed-eating birds around. The seedlings seem to pop up everywhere and they grow quickly so it is important to remove them promptly. A good way to do this is to slip a plastic bag, such as a bread bag, over your gloved hand, grasp the plant, pull it up roots and all, carefully fold the plastic bag around the plant, tie the top and dispose of the whole thing in the trash. Do not put it in your compost or burn pile. Be sure to teach your young helpers to identify poison ivy and poison oak and to avoid them.

With the dog days of summer still to come, make gardening safety a habit. And teach youngsters to slip, slap, slop, slurp (and sharpen) their way to many more years of safe and happy gardening.

JACKIE FAIRBARNS is a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener and has been gardening for some 75 years. She gardens in Buckingham County and can be reached at jfairbarns@aol.com.