We were recently invited by
Ace Hardware to be a part of their first ever
Ace Blogger Panel. It's exciting and new and the reason for my trip to Chicago (their headquarters) a few weeks ago. Ace's whole goal is to create a hardware store experience that makes you feel like
you're getting help from your neighbor. It's sweet and, in our case, couldn't be closer to the truth. Since moving to our new town of about 26,000 people (a lot smaller than any other place I've ever lived), it feels like everyone is our neighbor, including the people running our Ace Hardware--the only hardware store within 30 miles.We'll be tackling a lot of projects (at our place and elsewhere!) over the next few months with their help and a few perks tossed in for you all, too. The first project we chose to tackle was an outdoor one--the last one of the season? You may remember in
this post we referenced our mistake of not keeping up with the exterior of our last house and how we
weren't going to do that again. Since moving in, we've kept up on trimming and mowing, but we didn't want the season to end without putting the lawn to rest the right way to hopefully insure a lush lawn in the spring. The best time to begin to winterize your yard is in the fall after most visible grass growth has stopped but before freezing temperatures have set in--end of October to the beginning of November around here.
First, we raked the thick piles of leaves up. Some leaves left behind to mulch into your grass on your last mow of the season is actually a good idea. You just want to make sure they aren't matted into the grass or blocking sunlight.
Next, we aerated. You can rent an aerator or hire someone to do this for relatively cheap. Aerating opens up the soil in your lawn and allows the flow of nutrients to penetrate the soil. I have heard that some people skip this step when winterizing the lawn, but our neighbors all do it--so we jumped on it, too.
Last thing we did was spread this Winterizer fertilizer over our entire lawn (we have 1/4 acre) using a classic fertilizer spreader. We found this spreader (the Scott's Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader) to be particularly even when spreading with no clogging issues and it was large enough to get our entire lot done relatively quickly.
We are definitely not landscaping gurus, but we're trying to get the hang of a few things while we're ahead. Winterizing--we can do that! The weird thing about this whole process is, well, we can't really see the results until Spring. But we're trusting! Anyone else finishing up the last of the outdoor projects?
Also, (fun!) we are giving away a Scotts® Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader ($55 value) and a $25 gift card to Ace Hardware for one reader (in the US or Canada) so we can have nice lawns together. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway runs through Tuesday, November 19th at 9pm MST, and we'll announce the winner right here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wow! You may not be landscaping gurus but you definitely know how to get the job done. Very well done! Thanks for sharing.
drop spreader
Is there a winner for this giveaway?
Yes, Jessica G. I just refreshed the rafflecopter. Not sure why it wasn't showing up before. Thanks Liz!
We had planned to do that, but a more "pressing" item took that money right out of the budget. Can't wait to see how you feel about it come Spring!
Kudos to you and to Ace!
We live in a small town (as in no-stop-lights small town) and our Ace is about 3 miles away. We were there shortly after we moved in (September) and are back regularly. The folks at our Ace are absolutely the best and the prices are about the same or cheaper than the Big Box stores which are a further drive for us.
All of this reminds me that tonight is Ladies Night at our Ace!
I've been wanting to do this too but wonder about the safety of the fertilizer on my dog - what has been your experience with Charley? Do you just keep her out of the yard for a few days or wipe her paws before she comes in? Would appreciate your insight!
We were told that the Ace brand winterizer is exactly the same as the Scott's in that it is safe to walk on immediately. But it is always a good idea to read the label to double check. No problems with Charly!