Who is celebrating Naked Gardening Day?

World Naked Gardening Day is an annual international event celebrated on the first Saturday of May by gardeners and non-gardeners alike to celebrate weeding, planting flowers and trimming hedges in the buff. The day is dedicated to those who like to dig around in the dirt, and not get their clothes dirty: a day filled with beaming sunshine (hopefully), some exposed skin, and plenty of healthy gardening productivity.

Now in its 12th year, the day aims to encourage people to beautify the world's gardens — "whatever their size, public or private," as the website puts it — totally naked. While it's linked to a movement of nudists who promote wholesome and unashamed acceptance of the human body, the day is meant to be funny, lighthearted and non-political, say founders Mark Storey and Jacob Gabriel.

Award-winning gardeners at RHS Malvern Spring Festival in Worcestershire marked the occasion by being photographed as nature intended. More 90,000 people are expected to have attended the festival over the course of the four-day event.

"The gardening-naked connection is pretty natural," founder Mark Storey told NY Daily News. "There's not much body acceptance around, so the idea is to get people to try it. Maybe they will realise that the human body is OK, and also beautify the Earth a little bit. It's fun, costs no money, runs no unwanted risk, reminds us of our tie to the natural world, and does something good for the environment."

The founders hope that this day will help develop a sense of community among 'people of every stripe.' They hope that those participating today will help solo gardeners, naturist groups and gardening club develop a sense of 'au naturel joie de vivre' toward becoming a community.