Scenes: A Garden Dream Come True with RYOBI Outdoor Tools {giveaway}

I received a free RYOBI 40V Xpand-It String Trimmer and Tiller Attachment from RYOBI
and a trip to RYOBI headquarters in exchange for writing a review.

 

 

“Mama, can we plant a garden,” Little Red asks me as we rush through the grocery store on our annual pilgramage for fruit snacks, milk and cereal.

 

I ponder his question as I stare at the “food” in our cart. It would be nice to grow some of our own vegetables this year. I’ve always wanted a garden, a place to watch life grow, and blossom in the sun, and the boys always love a good excuse to get dirty. It would be a Pinterest dream come true.

 

“Yes,” I said, “We can plant a garden.”

 

I bought the seeds, allowing my vegetable fate to be determined by the whims of a four year old. His choices included cucumbers and squash. Secretly I think he wanted to grow a jungle.

 

Once we returned home, I awoke from my Pinterest dream and faced reality.

 

Really?

 

Do I have time to plant and tend a garden?

 

Between working full-time, transporting kids to baseball, to school and home again, and cleaning toilets … sure I have time to clear out a space in our yard for a veggie garden {said reluctantly and with a hint of sarcasm}.

 

Then I heard the question “plant our seeds mama,” and all bets were off. I knew I HAD to find the time.

 

So, one night while the hubs took the big kid to baseball practice the little guy and I decided to plant his seeds, and a couple of tomato plants my mom picked up for us.

 

Slowly but surely we have been taming our new yard {aka The Jungle} and during our taming I discovered a small patch of ground in a secluded, yet sun drenched corner. It would be the perfect home for our seeds. However, clearing this spot wouldn’t be without its challenges.

 

Nicknamed “The Corner of Doom”, we believe at one time a tree was in the spot, but now it was just an over grown weedy mess, complete with buried tree roots hidden like corpses in the soil. The Vinca vine that someone so helpful planting throughout our yard was happily taking up permenant residence in the tree’s absence.

 

Little did they know they were about to meet their demise.

 

 

Because this mama has some secret power tools in her arsenal thanks to the folks at RYOBI Outdoors.

 

Earlier this spring {or maybe it was still winter here} I was invited to Ryobi Unversity along with some fellow bloggers to test out their new outdoor tools. I already have the hedge trimmer, which made spring clean up a breeze this year, and I was excited to see what other tools they offered.

 

Enter my secret weapon against “The Corner of Doom”. Meet the RYOBI 40V X-pand It String Trimmer, able to eat weeds in one big bite. Seriously, this thing sounds like a jet at takeoff, and it quckily cleared away the vinca vine, weeds, woody stems from the purple cone flower and the grass. In less time than it takes to load the dishwasher I was left with a barren stretch of packed dirt ready to be tilled and sowed.

 

 

Then enter the weed eater’s sidekick – the Ryobi Tiller attachment. Not only does the Trimmer run on a 40V battery, which eliminates the need for cords and gas, but with one flip of the pin, you can add attachments. Like this tiller or an edger {which I’ll tell you all about next month}.

 

Once the tiller was attached I went to work, sure there were a few of those hidden tree roots, but overall our mission went smoothly, and quickly. After adding more top soil and some compost I gave it another run with the tiller and BOOM! We had the perfect little bed for our seedlings.

 

 

I know I should have had a plan. I should have measured the space between plants and make a perfectly square bed, but when you are a working mom with only two hours to spare and a four-year-old who needs to eat dinner, you just make it work.

 

So we dug holes for tomato plants and scattered the seeds in troughs of dirt, tucking them snuggly in their new bed, with high hopes of a harvest.

 

 

But even if we don’t produce any tomatoes, cucumber or squash, this smile and watching his excitement at the process of creating a garden “oasis” made our Pinterest garden dream come true.

 

 

Would you like a Ryobi Super Power tool of your very own?

 

I’m giving away a Ryobi 40V Weed Eater {no attachments}.

 

Just enter the Rafflecopter below, contest ends on Monday, June 30.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Disclaimer: This post is part of my RYOBI Outdoor Blog Ambassadorship all opinions and love of gardening is my own.