It’s so unfair that toiling away to bring beautiful flowers into the world should leave your hands all dry and cracked and unpretty. But since gardener’s hands are inevitable for most green thumbs, it helps to know that at least there’s no shortage of natural skin-soothers out there.

One of the richest and thickest salves I’ve ever tried: CamoCare’s Soothing Cream, which dermatologists in Europe have used for decades to treat skin conditions. A little less intensive but soooo yummy, Alba’s Papaya Mango Body Cream has lots of tropical fruit enzymes to turn your hands nice and smooth again. There’s also kukui and macadamia nut oils, as well as that papaya and mango with their mouth-wateringly fresh fragrance.

But the ultimate treat for de-roughing gardener’s hands just might be Carol’s Daughter’s Lemon Ginger Mint Manicure in a Jar. Not only does the stuff soften you up with shea and cocoa butters and sweet almond and soy oils - it exfoliates with sea salt to slough off that dreaded dead skin. And with the vanilla scent and lemon, ginger, and peppermint essential oils, it’s sort of like dessert for your hands. Bon appétit.