This is a post sponsored by Roundup®, however all opinions are my own.
Remember last week when I talked about getting my lawn ready for spring and summer? Well, I am back with part two! I am right in the middle of my annual outdoor overhaul, and since there is so much going on I wanted to spotlight a few things that I have been able to check off my list. This is going to be a regular subject here throughout the season, so please follow along for updates, ideas, and even a few fun tutorials!
The first thing I want to talk about is my general lawn maintenance and cleanup. We obviously don’t have to mow the lawn in the winter, but it seems like once April hits, the grass begins to grow quickly. Do you know what else comes with it? Weeds! Weeds are a big pet peeve of mine, and since they generally sprout up in large numbers, I need a large scale solution that kills them without harming my grass. There are so many lawn products out there that it can seem overwhelming, but I like to stick with what I trust. I grew up watching my parents use Roundup®, and since they have been the #1 weed killing brand for over 40 years, I went with their new Roundup for Lawns.
I sprayed my lawn on a day that we weren’t going to be outdoors, and let it sit overnight before we went back out on it. I was able to get a nice, even coverage, and I love that this premium product is an all-in-one, killing over 90 different weeds, so I don’t have to go back over with other brands and types of sprays. They offer both Northern and Southern formulas, and depending on where you live, your local retailer will carry the version best-suited for the grass types in your area.
The other main outdoor work I did this week was to build a garden box for the kids. They love helping me tend our main garden, and over the past few years they have learned to be very nurturing to our plants so I decided that it was time for them to have one of their own. It was super easy to put together, and since I love documenting my projects, here is a quick how-to if you want to make one of your own.
This planter box is super easy to build, and is perfect for four small plants or a single large one. I chose a dwarf raspberry bush because we buy a ton of raspberries in the summer, and this is the perfect way for them learn to produce their own. Raspberry bushes require very little maintenance, they won’t die if they go without water for a few days, and they thrive in just about any summer weather conditions. Traditional raspberry bushes can get very large, but the dwarf versions typically stay within a 2-foot width/height radius which makes it a perfect container plant.
Here is what you need:
- 12 two foot cedar boards (I used 8ft boards at $2 each and cut them down)
- 4 wooden posts
- one bag mushroom compost
- one large bag organic topsoil
- light sprinkling of mulch
- nails
- your chosen plants
First, prepare the spot you are going to build on. Our yard slopes a little, so we used a shovel to level out a 2×2 foot square. If you have weeds in the area, spray it with some Roundup for Lawns and let dry completely. Next, shape out your square and drive your posts into the ground about 5-6 inches.
Once you have all four posts set, take your boards and nail them to the sides one at a time so they form a shallow box, then stack the second and third row up and do the same.
After that you can fill in your box with a 50/50 mix of mushroom compost and topsoil and then add in your plant. The kids loved planting their bush, and every day they have happily taken turns watering it. I doubt this peace will last long, because siblings eventually squabble over everything, but for now I am loving how zen they are about the whole thing.
That’s it for this week’s tasks, but next week I will be ready to do all my planting. Stay tuned for an update on how that goes!
