While you can still unknowingly come in contact with poison ivy while working the gardens, you can significantly reduce the risk of getting the rash by taking a few precautions.
Here's what you need to do.
Know what poison ivy looks like.
Remove it from the garden as soon as you see it in the landscape.
Put on long sleeves, gloves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes to minimize direct contact with the plant’s oils.
Use a trowel or shovel to carefully dig around the root system, ensuring you go deep enough to extract the entire plant. Make sure to remove all the roots.
Place the poison ivy plant and any soil it came in contact with into a sturdy garbage bag. Seal the bag tightly and dispose of it in the trash. Don't compost!
Immediately wash up with soap, a washcloth, and cold water. DO NOT wash with warm or hot water as that will open your pores and allow the urishol oil to get into you skin.
Follow along to learn more about dealing with poison ivy and the best treament for it.