Lawn Seasons

Quick and Easy Spring Lawn Cleanup

When the highways department deposits a goodly load of gravel, crushed stones or sand on your lawn during the winter (the result of treatments to a nearby icy road to make it less slippery), the best tool to pick the mess is not the traditional lawn rake, but a wet/dry vacuum (sometimes called a workshop vacuum or shop vac).

As soon as the snow has melted and the ground is no longer soggy (and certainly before the grass starts to turn green), put the vacuum cleaner in dry suction mode and off you go. It will pick up all the litter—even the gravel—in an instant!

The neighbors may think you’re nuts, but it works perfectly! You’ll be surprised how quickly they’ll go from smirking to doing the same thing. 

Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

4 comments on “Quick and Easy Spring Lawn Cleanup

  1. whoah this blog is great i love studying your articles. Stay up the good work!
    You already know, a lot of persons are looking
    round for this information, you could help them greatly.

  2. Larry, I have been looking for a variety of milkweed (that feeds monarch butterflies) that might survive in my Zone 2 garden. Any ideas?

    • Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is probably the hardiest one. It’s hardy to zone 3 for sure and would be the one the most likely to try in zone 2.

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