Does your apartment gardening hat make a statement about your apartment? Do you own a gardening store in the building or is it just one of the many tenants? If it is just one of the many, how come you want to be part of what is probably one of the most important issues in anyone’s apartment? If you have decided to become a member of apartment gardening, what do you look for in an apartment gardening hat? What qualities do you look for in a great hat? What do your apartment gardening associates think of your hat?
In order to be truly informed about the apartment gardening hat that you choose, you need to know just what it is. You might hear the term “coat rack” or “garden hat rack.” But they are two entirely different things. The terms simply mean headgear that attaches to the back of your head, but these two words can have very wide variations in meaning.
A “coat rack,” on the other hand, is one that provides a place to hang gardening tools such as spades, forks and hoes. It is typically made from metal – perhaps steel or aluminum – and may have one of several sizes of hooks on each side to accommodate different size gardening tools. In addition, there may be one or more hooks on the bottom to secure the gardening hat to the head. In short, a coat rack provides headgear in a convenient place.
Apart from the obvious style differences, there are a few other things to consider when selecting an apartment gardening hat. If you live in a studio apartment, you are limited in what type of hat you can get since it must fit. One idea is to try a felt hat. You can make this yourself by taking a hatchet and cutting off one third of an inch of the inside of a felt hat. This leaves a little bit of a headspace – enough to allow your hair to flow over it – and allows you to wear a hat with a smaller brim.
Another idea for an apartment gardening hat is to get a visor. These are usually plastic and come in many styles and colors. Some are full visors, others just a slit for the eye to peek through. These plastic visors provide lots of protection and don’t have any excess weight, so they are easily removed and replaceable if needed.
If you live in an apartment or condo where building restrictions limit what can be hung on the wall, you may be restricted to hats with one color. While this will not prevent you from being creative, it does mean that you will have to choose a hat based upon the wall color. This can become time consuming. There are some exceptions to this rule such as if you are renting and living in the apartment on a shared basis with another individual who lives in the same building. In this case it is permissible to hang more than one hat on each wall.
There are also options beyond hats. Using a small amount of tulle or other small garden material to tie into your hat gives you a beautiful streamlined look. This is especially useful if you are planting a bed of flowers that require replanting every year. You can easily remove the tulle and reuse it each year, tying into your gardening hat.
The point of apartment gardening accessories is not to detract from your apartment gardening chores. They simply provide another way to enjoy what you are doing. If used correctly, you can turn apartment gardening from a chore into a relaxing pastime. And who knows, your neighbors may eventually ask you to cater to their gardens.