Beginner Gardening: Pre-Spring Tool Checklist

Getting Ready for Spring with a Lawn and Garden Tool Inventory – (Spotlight on Melnor Products!)

Written by Gingi Freeman | domestigeekgirl.com

Oh man, spring is JUST AROUND THE CORNER!! As a new Washingtonian, I am still getting into the swing of things when it comes to preparing for spring in the Pacific Northwest.

I simply cannot figure out the rhythm of living here. This time last year we had 6 inches of snow on the island. This year it’s been non-stop rain with strange little patches of intense sunlight and shockingly warm days. It’s the warm days that have me getting impatient and hopeful for spring! One thing is for sure – since I went into last year’s gardening season woefully underprepared and lost A LOT of time in the short Whidbey Island spring / summer, I’m determined to get a head start on things THIS YEAR.

Last year I didn’t get my seeds into the ground early enough, the local stores sold out of most live plants I wanted, AND I almost let my lawn die from lack of watering. Never again you guys!!

This year I’m drawing heavily on “Pre-Spring Checklists” on the internet (Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living have a few that I’ve found really helpful!) to best determine what and when to focus on regarding tasks for the garden, so that I won’t lose any time in having the lawn and garden I want this year. According to the vast knowledge of the Interwebs, first things first on most pre-spring checklists is…. *drumroll*….

Inventory Your Lawn and Garden Tools!

This goes beyond just checking to see if you HAVE individual items, you actually need to check the STATE of your items. Pick them up, turn them on, give them a little performance test. Do they still work? Do they work as well as you’d like them to? Do you need something better this year? It’s important to take a full and honest inventory of your items so you can decide what to keep, fix, or replace so that you can order and receive your new products in time for the start of the springtime growing season!

For instance, while checking my garden hose and nozzle, I discovered that my nozzle somehow has a giant leak IN THE SIDE of the handle?!? Like… how does this even happen?!?!?

Seriously… how does this even happen?! o.O

The serendipity here is that I recently acquired a heavyweight metal 7 pattern hose nozzle from Melnor, and even though “there was nothing wrong with my old nozzle” (LOL!), I was excited to replace it with this heavy duty one. Since I do all of my watering in my small side garden by hand, the thought of a metal handled one just seemed like a wiser product to use. Judging by the random leak bursting out of my old plastic sided nozzle.. I was right! Lol!

I like that this new Melnor handle is easy to grip, with good slip resistance. The metal threads and built in trigger lock is a HUGE bonus as well! I anticipate I’ll be using this one for years to come. While I am a sucker for “shower” mode on most nozzles, this one has a great range from fine spray to powerful jet stream.

Shower setting, the setting I generally always use, even when I probably shouldn’t, lol!

So now that we have inventoried our old items and products and determined what needs replaced or upgraded, now it’s time to determine what new additions will make our lives a little (or a lot) easier when it comes to lawn and garden care.

The newest addition to MY lawn care arsenal that I am stupid excited over, is a new oscillating sprinkler! Some back story here: I’ve never had to use a portable lawn sprinkler… I’ve always had in ground sprinklers in the past. Some of you fellow Navy wives know the plight of having to keep our itty bitty strip of front and back lawn alive in the two hot months of Whidbey Island summers. It initially seemed like an easy peasy task here in “it’s always raining” Seattle-land. But gosh darn it, those TWO DRY MONTHS wreak havoc on these thirsty lawns!

Last year I almost lost our lawn (actually DID lose patches in the back.. oops!) during the hot and dry season. So this year an oscillating sprinkler is an absolute MUST. Check out this newest addition to our home:

The Melnor XT Metal Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler with Flow Control

So first off, I just discovered in the process of writing this blog post that Melnor the company was created in 1946 and that they introduced the first successful oscillating sprinkler for the home market. So for someone that gets ridiculously giddy over trying “the original Caesar salad”, “the home of the original deep dish pizza” and other “originals” and “firsts” and “only”, I got a nerdy kick out of having a sprinkler that is one of the “firsts” in paving the way to beautiful home lawns across America. So THAT bit of geekiness aside..

Check out this awesome sprinkler!! While this bad boy is approaching overkill for our small lawn, I am excited to know that it will grow with us for our next move which will hopefully be in sunny Florida on a mini mansion (I’m really only half joking since that is our long term goal, haha)… so this metal sprinkler has 20 precision nozzles which provide a maximum coverage of up to 4,500 square feet. The sprinkler features TwinTouch controls that adjust the width and range of the watering pattern to cover the whole yard, or even just a narrow flower bed.

The really neat thing is that it also has a zoom control, which adjusts the overall watering area. You can zoom in for a small patch of newly seeded lawn or all the way out to cover a large section of the yard. With each half of the sprinkler being isolated in the controls, you can easily avoid watering areas like sidewalks or driveways. The controls are very intuitive and easy to understand for you “I just threw the box and how to manual away” types like me.

Additionally, the Infinity™ Turbo Drive provides a smooth operation for even watering and extended life and provides smooth movements for even coverage that will not puddle. AND each Melnor sprinkler is backed by the Melnor® Limited Lifetime Warranty!

I also like the sturdy and durable construction and the metal frame… since this sprinkler will serve half as an actual lawn watering tool and half as a water park playground for half nekkid kids running around in the summer (we actually have one of the larger lawns in our military housing, so we are the congregating spot for the slip and slides this past summer!) I like the idea that a stray foot or slipping child won’t crunch or crack the frame.

While I haven’t had a chance to put these new goodies to daily use just yet, I am extremely pleased with the quality and performance I’ve seen so far, and I am crazy excited to have these all ready to go at the start of the growing season! Pre-Spring Checklist DONE!

Do YOU have a pre-spring checklist? Have you gotten started on yours yet? Share below!

[Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me initiating contact and incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.]