Gardening in the Buff? That’s a Hard Pass in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota

As spring takes a foothold in most parts of the country, a lot of us are anxious to get outside to be at one with nature.

For some that includes the thrill and deep satisfaction of tending a garden.

But there are a few gardening enthusiasts who take their hobby to a whole new level, with a whole lot less in the wardrobe department. They even have their own celebration - World Naked Gardening Day - and it's rapidly approaching (May 6).

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Lawnstarter has examined the phenomenon of gardening in the nude in an attempt to find out where it's most prevalent in America.

In their rankings of the Best (and Worst) U.S. Cities for Naked Gardening, they found that in the Tri-State Area (South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota), we prefer to keep our clothes on when we're pruning our bushes.

They ranked the 200 biggest cities in the country in three key categories:

• Nude Garden-Friendliness (Nudists per 100,000 Residents and Local Legality of Public)
• Local Interest (Google Searches for "Nudist", "Naturist", "Naked Gardening," "Naked Gardening Day," and "World Naked Gardening Day")
• Weather

Two of the biggest cities in our area are among the worst places for letting it all hang out while tilling and hoeing.

Sioux Falls trailed only West Valley City, Utah on the list. The Mount Rushmore State's biggest city is actually dead last in weather and 170th in Nude Garden-Friendliness, thanks to the fewest nudists per 100,000 residents in America.

In Minnesota, folks in the capital city of St. Paul are among the most interested in naked gardening (20th out of 200 cities), but still ranked as the eighth worst overall, thanks to a 198 score in Nude Garden-Friendliness and a 189 showing in weather.

WORST CITIES IN AMERICA FOR NAKED GARDENING

1. West Valley City, Utah
2. Sioux Falls South Dakota
3. Fort Wayne, Indiana
4. Worcester Massachusetts
5. Springfield, Massachusetts
6. Laredo, Texas
7. Anchorage, Alaska
8. St. Paul, Minnesota
9. Warren Michigan
10. Newark, New Jersey

So what about Iowa?

Well, the naked gardening frenzy hasn't exactly swept through the Hawkeye State either.

Des Moines is the 22nd worst city, with lousy weather (191st out of 200) and a lack of local interest (143rd), keeping their ranking low.

Not surprisingly, the vast majority of places where gardening in the buff is popular are located in much balmier climates (except Philly and perhaps Seattle).

BEST CITIES IN AMERICA FOR NAKED GARDENING

1. Miami, Florida
2. Austin, Texas
3. Atlanta, Georgia
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Los Angeles, California
6. Orange, California
7. Pasadena, California
8. Seattle, Washington
9. Houston, Texas
10. Raleigh, North Carolina

In case you're wondering, the place that expressed the highest interest in naked gardening isn't known for its tropical year-round weather.

Believe it or not, it's New York City.