THE ROCK FATHER has partnered with Sears as a paid member of the Craftsman Crew.As I write these words to you right now, the cold November rain (GN’R reference) is coming down outside our home, the gutters overflowing and solid sheets of water running down the windows of my office. The harsh reality is that my favorite season will soon come to a close, with Fall making way to Winter. If the preliminary predictions are to be believed, winter 2015/16 in the U.S. is gonna be harsh – and that’s saying something since we’ve lived through a bevy of Hoth-like conditions here in Northern Illinois during the past few winters. If previous years have brought forth those news-worthy catch phrases like “Snowmageddon,” what’s looming in the not-so-distant future might well be the Snowpocalypse, and we must be prepared. Thing is, we need to finish our Fall Clean-up to be ready for winter – and being prepared for both will help everyone get back to normal come Spring, and getting our lawn and garden ready for a new year of fresh growth is something I’m always looking forward to. My friends at Craftsman have all the tools to get you through every season, and to help bridge Fall and Winter, I’m throwing down five helpful tips!
Five Tips for Final Fall Clean-up & Preparation for the Snowpocalypse:
Trim Back the Flower Beds and Perennials, then Compost the Debris: Seeing the first emergence of fresh tips is one of the true joys of Spring, but those Fall Bulbs – Tulips, Daffodils, etc, won’t be their best if they have to come up through inches of muck that was left to freeze and thaw under inches (or feet) of snow during the winter. Trim back those Hostas and other perennial plants, and then toss the clippings into your compost bin. As long as you’re keeping up on maintaining the compost, you’ll have some additional ingredients for some “black gold” next year. Additionally, plant some Fall Bulbs in preparation for some spring color next year. Some fresh mulch will help protect your plants to make it through the deep freeze.
You Vacuum Your Carpet, so Vacuum Your Grass! It’s true… with the Craftsman 4-in-1 Yard Vac, you can take to the yard like you’d take to the living room, casually walking through with 190cc’s of power sucking up the junk to leave a nice carpet of uncluttered grass just waiting for the snow to fall. This is just one of many Fall tools that Craftsman offers.
Get Your Gnome Army Back Inside: Have some Gnomes guarding your Garden? Don’t leave the little guys out in the cold – bring ’em in! Same goes for any other statuesque creatures that might be lurking about. We have a Fairie Garden as well, so bringing the entire Kingdom – residents, castle and all – back into the garage for storage is a good thing. I’ve even got a Gnomefather out there, along with a Gnome-eating dinosaur. There’s also a Garden Jawa from STAR WARS. Judge not.
If You’ve Got Wood, Chop It: We don’t have a fireplace, nor do we have a source of firewood… but we know a lot of people that do. The Craftsman 208cc 27-Ton Log Splitter is a beast, and a proven entry into Craftsman’s impressive fleet of tools for any occasion. It splits logs up to 25″ in diameter either horizontally or vertically with 27 tons of ram pressure.
Remember this? Less than a year ago…
The Sky Will Throw You Snow… be Ready to Throw it Somewhere Else!: New for 2015, Craftsman Pro Series Snowblowers are ready for action, and they mean business. Imagine rolling out of the garage with a Black & Yellow bringer of snow destruction ready to clear driveways and sidewalks fast! One of my friends at Craftsman used the phrase “little white doom flakes” to describe what’s headed our way. It’s not a question of “if,” but “when” the snow will arrive. Will you be ready to fight back?
Want more great tips for Fall, Winter, and every season? Join the Craftsman Club – a free community of like-minded Makers and DIYers with plenty of inspiration to share!
I’m on there, you should be too!
