Green thumbs bare their bums for Nude Gardening Day as part of National Gardening Week

New Zealand's first National Gardening Week Nude Gardening Day will be held on October 20. Photo / Doug Sherring

Green thumbs will bare their bums for New Zealand's first Nude Gardening Day this October.

The pantless plant lovers will grace their gardens on October 20 as part of National Gardening Week from October 15 to 22.

Along with keeping their nipples away from prickles and their arse off the cutty grass, Kiwi gardeners are hoping for more accommodating weather to support them in their altogethers.

NZ Naturist Federation president Donna Miller said they made the decision to move away from the World Naked Gardening Day, held in the first week of May, as Kiwi nudists were chillingly unimpressed.

"No one wants to be naked when temperatures plunge. It might be great in the Northern Hemisphere but New Zealand's autumn temperatures are not conducive to getting your gear off," she said.

"Moving our nude gardening day into National Gardening Week was a much better idea."

This year National Gardening Week is focusing on helping butterflies flourish. A National Swan Plant planting day will be held on October 20.

The Naturist Federation, which has about 1600 members, is expecting a number of the regional naturist clubs to participate in the nude day.

"We're looking forward to doing our bit for butterflies and we will also take the opportunity to get club gardens ready for summer," Miller said.

"Getting outside in the nude is a great experience and if you don't feel up to a group gardening session, enjoy the privacy of your own garden and soak up nature there."

Fiona Arthur, from Yates, said it was great to have naturists clubs on board this year helping boost butterfly numbers.

"Butterflies, including the much loved monarch butterfly, are key pollinators for our fruit and veggies,' Arthur said.

"The monarch caterpillars in particular have a ferocious appetite and planting swan plants will help ensure they don't run out of food so we're asking everyone to join in and plant one or two."

While butterflies have average eyesight, they do have one advantage over most other insects in that they can see colour.

Their colour vision, however, is shifted towards the ultraviolet end of the spectrum so it might only be the whitest of bums that attract their attention.