This spring I was cleaning up my secret garden with the new raised beds. It was my first spring after installing the raised beds with pea gravel and I had never had to "clean up" pea gravel before. The kids and I did a combo of raking and picking things up by hand. It was a nightmare! Plus I have a birch tree in there and they are messy trees. They drop little seed things all spring. Even after a couple of days of spring cleaning, it still looked gross. In my frustration, I turned to you guys for help on my Instagram stories. Most of you recommended something that I never would have thought of on my own! So for those of you in my same situation, here is how you keep pea gravel clean & tidy!
This post is sponsored by Ryobi Outdoor but all ideas and opinions are 100% mine.
How to Keep Pea Gravel Clean & Tidy
Before adding pea gravel to my landscaping, I didn't even think about the fact that I would have to keep it clean. I didn't think about the pine needles, leaves, and seed pods that would fall and make a mess. So I was grateful that the solution was so simple! A leaf blower! I reached out to Ryobi because I knew they had a powerful, yet quiet blower that would do the job easily without cords to deal with.
You GUYS!!! It took mere MINUTES to clean up the whole space.
Check out my Instagram feed and my stories under "Yard" for a video of the fast process!
I have been considering adding another landscaping project that uses pea gravel but this spring when I saw it all messy, I was having second thoughts. Now I am excited to move forward next year with another pea gravel project because I know how to keep the pea gravel clean!
It is surprisingly light weight and runs on the same batteries as all my other outdoor tools like the mower, trimmer, edger, and cultivator. You can find the blowers as well as the other tool at The Home Depot.
The Brushless Jet Fan Blower is partof Ryobi's Whisper series. I cleaned up the secret garden at 7 am while my kiddos slept in the room next to it and they never heard it at all.
GIVEAWAY!
Ryobi has offered to give away one Brushless Jet Fan Blower! Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Email me if you have any issues and I'll be happy to help :)
You must be at least 18 years old to enter. You must be a resident of the USA to enter. The giveaway will go from July 6, 2020 until July 13, 2020. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen. The shipping of the prize is the responsibility of the company, in this case Ryobi.
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We might put some pea gravel next to our driveway so this blower will come in really handy then!
I planted a vegetable garden but the squirrels have stolen all the tomatoes so far. I need to get some netting but they’ll probably eat through that as well.
I’ve never had a leaf blower but all of my neighbors do and they appear to really enjoy using them. A quiet one would be nice.
Lisa, about your squirrels eating your tomatoes: I read about (and am trying it this year) putting red Christmas balls on the tomato plant before the real tomatoes ripen. Then when the birds and critters try to eat them, they find they can’t. Do this before your tomatoes get ripe. The premise is that they will “learn” that your tomatoes are inedible, and by the time your true tomatoes ripen, they will have given up? Haha, we’ll see. Also, I’ve seen the same thing done with strawberries, but in that case strawberry-shape and sized rocks were painted to look like strawberries.
That's a new one I hadn't heard. Worth a try. After years of trying to outwit the squirrels in all sorts of ways, I realized it was probably the chipmunks that were getting them, at least some. That takes the battle to a whole new level. I gave up. I hope someone tells us if it works.
I have worked on keeping my flower beds weed free...except for one! It’s the thorn in my side! I think a good solution would be to use pea gravel! Never thought about it before till I read this post and now, it’s on my to-do list!
I have been trying to keep the weeds from growing in my landscaping rock
You could always try putting a pre-emergent down in your rocks. I’ve seen a granular type at the hardware store. Last fall we had a pre-emergent (liquid) sprayed in the yard for cheat grass. I gotta say, it did a great job! There’s cheat grass in all the yards surrounding us, but ours is clear. The pre-emergent does something funny to the seeds so they won’t sprout.
Such a great idea! Thank you for sharing, I cannot wait to try it!
Power washing the driveway and sidewalk. It is a lot of work but so worth it.
The Blower is also great for clearing leaves off the mulch, house entrance and of course I use it for the gutters and the garage instead of sweeping. lol A cordless would be awesome though!!! So many tools needing an extension cords, I hate switching them back and forth.
Thanks for the giveaway. We Plan to lay payers going to our backyard. A cordless blower would be great to have to clear off our porch and pathways.
This would be a great tool to have. I have a lot of trees on my property and always a lot of leaves to clean up.
Power washing, painting house and general lawn upkeep. A quiet leaf blower would be great!
A rose garden in memory of my grams~
I have been cleaning up and replanting neglected flower beds!
My husband made me 2 raised beds this year, I am enjoying them. I have been waiting for the local hardware store to get pea gravel back in stock and will be putting that down. I do not have a blower, that would be a great thing to have. I also did alot of landscaping and planting this spring, and put down a mulch for the first time. The blower would sure help with that too.
We are just starting to enjoy our yard.... seem to be done will all the hard cleanup and are in the maintenance part
I have been trying to keep the weeds from growing in my landscaping rock
We wanted to place pea gravel in some areas surrounding our home but the hardware store told us not to....may have to rethink now!
Looks like a beautiful spot to enjoy the day!
We are in the process of building a garage and trying to keep things tidy as we go. We have recently put small gravel in front and along the side of the garage where a small section of grass used to be. What a great idea to use a leaf blower to keep it clean and neat! Thank you!
I love that it is quiet and lightweight. I am working on the ground inside an arched circular trellis. Pea gravel would be perfect and blower would help keep it tidy.
I hope I win!
I am delighted to learn the secret to keeping pea gravel clean. I have used a very thick layer of leaves for paths up until now. Thank you.
Aren't leaf blowers wonderful??? Living with a yard full of trees I have long used a blower (fall is the pits!) but the summer shade is very cooling. Lots of uses for a leaf blower too, as I also use it to blow off my roof & gutters! Wonderful invention!
I would love this blower! We use leaf blowers regularly but they are large, noisy and unreliable. This Ryobi’s Whisper Brushless Jet Fan blower would be perfect for our big yard.
I’ve been working on my vegetable garden and weed pulling.
We built a pergola and now are doing a deck it’s hot here in Fl...
I am currently working on replacing storm doors.
my projects for outside are making raise beds, wood storage rack for the winter
Great idea! I have birch trees also so would love to have a Ryobi Blower.
I have gotten all my plants potted and decorated my front porch.
I would love a tool that could clean up all the seed pods. I have been picking them up by hand.
This is so timely for me. We are thinking of adding a fire pit area to our backyard and put pea gravel around it. This is good advice! Thanks for the giveaway!
This would be a game changer! I’d love to give this to my daughter so they can keep their backyard tidy.
My favorite kind of clean-up, quick and painless!
I have used the lasagna to finally get rid of weeds. I put down mulch, so would love this blower to get leaves off of the mulch!
I’m trying to clean up A stained concrete patio.
I have larger rock around my plants and keeping it clean is a nightmare
I have been doing a lot of yard clean up. Believe it or not, there are still dead leaves from last fall in a corner of my driveway (by a retaining wall)...having a leaf blower would make this clean-up a piece of cake! Thank you!
Hey there! We have tons of pea gravel around our playground. This would be so much easier to clean around it.
I planted a much bigger garden than ever before this year. I guess I was thinking it was a good idea since we will mostly at home this summer. I think I bit off more than I can chew though, lol. At least I will have a lot more to freeze, can and donate to our local food pantry than usual.
Been updating my outdoor patio furniture and couldn’t help notice all the needles and leaves stuck in our river rock! Such an easy idea and the timing is perfect! Thanks!
Oh, I love your garden with those raise beds. We live by the woods and so many creatures/deer that eat our plants - so no garden for us. But I love the idea of adding raise beds for certain "deer repellent plants". And adding those pea gravel is a great idea as well. Thank you for the this idea - will have to try it in our backyard.
This would be awesome! I hate dragging a cord around. I have been working on a pergola/flower bed for my grapevines.
Finally got my tomatoes in pots!
We have worked hard on our raised beds garden. We added 8 new beds in different sizes. My husband has a green thumb and our garden is thriving! I love summer!
I have pea gravel in the flower beds in front of my house and have the same problem. I kill the weeds that pop up with a weed killer, but removing the debris left behind is very tedious. I use a blower too, but I hold it almost flat on the ground, that way the gravel does not get blown into my grass. The last thing I want is for those tiny rocks to catch a mower blade and fly through my windows!!
working on spreading mulch in holes on the lawn. messy now, but will be fine by fall.
My husband has a blower but it is much too heavy for me. I can think of many garden projects for this blower, clean the driveway, blow off my paths,tidy my beds.
I live in 3/4 acre with a pool & 6 live oaks on it. The live oaks drop something every season. I am constantly blowing or sweeping to attempt to keep it all out of the pool. My blower is so loud I’m sure it drives my neighbors crazy. We also have a rental/second home (it’s a double & we rent one side & use the other for personal getaways) that needs a serious backyard makeover. I love following your blog. You always have such creative ideas. Pea gravel may be just the right solution for renovating that yard. I had no idea it would be difficult to keep clean. The Whisper Quiet Blower sounds like a fabulous solution!
We built a shed this year, and now we're working on the yard more so this would definitely come in handy!
I am so out of touch I didn’t even know a quiet blower was available. Sounds like a great idea.
I just bought a house with a small yard and patio. Unfortunately, it wasn't kept up well and has lots of renovation needed.
I haven't been doing much right now, but I will be washing the exterior of my house and doing some touch-up painting.
We have bushes to trim. Also, our mesquite tree needs some of its branches cut occasionally.
I was just hand picking leaves and junk out of my pea gravel this weekend! I need my own blower!
Great idea. I don't have pea gravel, but when I read your secret garden post I wondered if leaves would be a problem. Now I feel inspired to try pea gravel out. My last project was building a storage shed for my two rain barrels. I built it completely out of materials recycled from old projects, except for a handful of new screws and some paint I had on hand. I made the plans up as I went along. I quite enjoyed the challenge. It looks rather slapdash, but it's in the corner of the yard no one will see. In spite of no plans, it is surprisingly sturdy. And it was free.
I work in my vegetable garden almost daily! But I did recently add a new peony bush to the side of my entryway. I have always wanted one and it took a heck of a lot of prep to get that patch ready for it, but I hope the new plant loves the sun and its new home! We'll see next year! ;-)
Love your idea for cleaning up the pea stone!
I took an area where the grass wasn't growing, laid down a bunch of cypress mulch, and added a DIY firewood rack to hold the Live Oak that was recently trimmed back. This blower will help to keep the area clean of debris.
I have the same problem with my Hazel tree and crushed rock around my soft tub. I'd be so thrilled to win a blower.
D
Been repainting our deck.
It's been too hot to work on any outdoor projects here.
I have so many outdoor projects! This would make that load a lot lighter!
I've been working on small container gardens on my deck. I'm hoping to build my confidence & plant knowledge so next year I can tackle some front yard, landscaping.
I have been buidling garden boxes and working on planting.
How did I never think of this!! I have similar pea gravel in our raised bed area and this is a game changer!
Been doing a lot of gardening & painting outside our home.
I've been working on keeping my square foot vegetable garden and asparagus patch weed free.
I have been focusing on fixing up our yard this year. We've put up a fence around our back yard and built a deck on grandma's side. I'm about halfway finished staining the decks and it's starting to look great!
I built a small raised flower bed using pavers from around my property.
We have been tackling many messy rose hedges in our yard and growing/preserving all the amazing fruits and veggies in our garden. Would LOOOOVE to use this leaf blower to help us with all of the leaf and petal messes we have around!
We have been tackling many messy rose hedges in our yard and growing/preserving all the amazing fruits and veggies in our garden. Would LOOOOVE to use this leaf blower to help us with all of the leaf and petal messes we have around! 😁🤩
We are doing lots of planting!
Power washing winters stains.
We have been working on a fence.
Are big outdoor project is removing a tree in our back yard.
Been creating some flowerbeds along borders of house and garage where grass didn't grow well.
We have been redoing a stone path around our garden.
I have been working on the flower beds.
Besides taking care of the flower gardens, we have been working on the front lawn. Reseeding it and fertilizing it and stuff. We thought about using a thatcher but it seems kind of nuts to buy something we would only use a few times a year at most. We want to put up a new fence line but they have been out of fence posts for over a month.
Been working on my deck
What haven't I been working on?? LOL I am alone now and oh my gosh. it IS a lot of work, the yard. I could use this blower, that is for sure- some spots. like a rock wall, some of the beds, wow I would use a blower it would be so much better than raking raking raking... I'm sick of raking. I have been making fences around all my garden beds, with PVC pipe and netting! Learned about it online, natch.... WOW love it. Next project, when i get the money will be to fence in ALL my 16 blueberry bushes from the deer. I used to have dogs, now, I do not, cannot- so the deer eat everything, hence the fencing now..
Would like one for my long driveway.
wish I had a blower for rounding up all the leaves/petals from the neighbor's magnolia tree!
Lately the weeds are taking over so getting rid of them is taking most of my time but my puppy insists that I take breaks to play ball and we just put up a small island pool for my grandkids!
We’ve been gardening like crazy and painting all throughout the quarantine.
Just your constant yard work - mowing, edging, trimming, etc.. this blower will help with the clean up!
Nothing really.
Our latest work which seems to be taking forever especially with the temp being over 115 here in Arizona is a new wooden fence and removing the chain link which they embedded in a concrete half wall. And a new garden area.
We recently made another flower garden in the backyard.
Trying to remove a fallen tree from our yard.
Trying to keep everything tidy
I've been working on my putting stones on my backyard balcony.
I have been cutting brush.
we recently had our overgrown backyard cleaned now were trying to figure out what we want in it but income of course is limited so inch my inch
What outdoor projects haven't we been working on this year? 😂 We're tending to our yard for the first time in the 7 years we've lived here and it is soo much work! Totally worth it though. I just pruned almost an entire bin's worth of branches from my rosemary plant alone over the weekend! We're tackling an overgrowth of morning glory in the backyard too. Next up is finishing our fence and building some raised garden beds just like yours. A little late for spring gardening but we're looking forward to planting Kale and carrots and other late start veggies when we get everything done! This blower would come in so handy to keep our gravel clean, both around the beds and for our driveway. :)
We're planting a garden right now and cleaning out our shed.
We have been putting in a vegetable garden and doing basic flowers outside.
Lots of gardening and my husband is working on a grilling area.
Just the dreaded mowing the lawn
Planting new trees .
I'm working on my vegetable garden
We've been keeping busy relandscaping our yard this year while we're stuck at home
This seems like a good idea for my garden and the blower would help keep it clean!
I have been trying to straighten a peach tree that has started to lean from too many peaches on branches on just one side of the tree.
We spruced up the rose garden. Our next outdoor project is to pressure clean the roof, sidewalk, and driveway.
Gardening and putting together a horseshoe pit area in our backyard.
We've been working on a vegetable garden. Some successes, some failures
fixing my backyard to spend more relaxing time out there
I am hoping to finish a couple of double gates this weekend. Then get back to mowing/edging the yard. Could benefit from this blower as I currently use a broom and dust pan.
very nice blower for around the house
I willbe setting up a small veggie garden in my new house , so my grandkids should see how vegtables are grown,not made in a factory!!!!
I've been working on an area in the backyard where I dug out grass and created an edged area with pavers so I can add flowers and mulch.
making a portion of my backyard bee-friendly
I'm weeding all the lines between the pavers in my patio.
We just started getting into vegetable gardening. This leaf blower would help keep things neat and ruse around that space.
vegetable garden, trying to control the bugs and weeds
Backyard deck and fire pit and grill island.
This whisper quiet blower sounds like a dream come true! Our blower is so loud, I hate to use it, but we need one. We have pea gravel in a couple of places and also lots of leaves. Winning one would be wonderful!!
This looks so useful!
We are working on just maintaining our yard, the grass grows so fast during the summertime!
There are plenty I need to do, but none I've gotten around to.
I have been working on my garden and lawn.
I'm putting up a new deck & cementing the backyard.
I’ve been gardening a lot and working on getting rid of weeds in my yard
My neighbors are so cranky when they hear my use of good old blower. It just so loud. This Whisper Quiet Brushless Blower could change my life!!
I've also been planting my garden and trying to keep up with it!
Me and husband just bought our first house and we want to build an outside hangout! Firepit etc.
Mostly just my garden and yard at this point.
I have been doing some planting around our fire pit area.
I have just restained my deck. I could use a quiet blower. My gas blower is very noisy.
I have been cleaning up huge pine nuts falling everywhere from our 19 palm trees.
I have been working on my vegetable garden.
Trying to get the weeds out of my backyard.
Cleaning my patio
My wife and I are always planting flowers and pulling weeds. :-) Thanks for the giveaway!
Gardening
working on the trimming all the hedges
I've been clearing weeds and bushes from our field and yard.
Growing trees and shrubs, made an above ground bee and butterfly flower garden, made a small deck to hold my various storage units, keeping the local birds (and pesky squirrels) fed
This would be a valuable tool to have for any home.
I've been helping my elderly parents with their yard and flower gardens. We raked up all the mulch in flower beds, laid a new barrier over the old one to stop weeds and put all new mulch down - looks great.
I've been working on my garden. Our soil is like clay so trying to plant is a nightmare.
The eves of my house are all termited out. They literally fall apart. I've got the new boards and am painting them first since its so much easier than after installed.
Planting water wise plants. Succulents and shrubbery that takes less water.
We're redoing our pool. It's been many years needing it. Drained and new plaster and tile. It will look so much better and easier to maintain.
I have been working on building up my flower beds and garden.
My rose garden is getting a makeover. Trimming back and planting new varities.
We pulled up all our trashy grass in the yard and putting down artificial grass. It's just a small area and will be so much easier to maintain.
GREAT PRIZE,HAVE A 40 V WORKS GREAT.CONTESTS
Outdoor projects seem to never end around here. We recently planted our garden, finally! I can hope that the late growing season in Colorado will end up producing something.
CUTING THE GRASS IS ALL I CAN DO TO OLD
painting the front porch
I've been thinking about doing a pea gravel border around a paver walkway in my backyard. This blower would be great to have once I get that finished. Thanks for the giveaway!
We put up shade screen on the decking to t ry and reduce the heat somewhat, and make the area more livable. And we planted a Vitex tree that's loving its new home.
I've been working on my garden :)
The heat has kept me from outside projects, but our plan is too put in some raised beds. My hubby has been busy leveling ground and seeding.
putting out a flower garden and a tomato garden this summer
great idea
I'm trying to clear out some stones and weeds to put in flowers.
We're about to do some major work on our back yard. Last year we had a screened in porch put in. Now we're fixing our drainage issues, trimming our massive oak tree, laying bricks, and building a fire pit. Oh, and we're tearing down the old fence and putting up a new one. The house we bought a few years back has been highly neglected.
flowerbeds and my vegetable garden helps keep us busy and to keep our minds of everything.
I live in AZ and a blower would be perfect to help after our summer monsoon dust storms. The debris and dirt left behind can be immense!
I've been helping me sister around her house. Digging up bushes, poison ivy, getting roof nail off the ground since she just got a new roof. patching and sanding her deck.
I have been working on keeping my flowers alive and healthy.
Cleaning up thousands of limbs at the moment. We had a terrible storm the other night.
Trying to rid my yard of fireants. Little mounds keep popping up after it rains.
I've been working on replacing the wood chips in my flower beds. It's a mess - rotten and missing wood chips everywhere. It's a big project but it's starting to look great.
Alot of gardening and planting! Sealing our asphalt driveway soon and this would come in handy to clean it!
I would have thought the leaf blower would also blow the pea gravel, so I'm glad to hear about this. I think pea gravel is so pretty (and easy to walk on), but have never used it because of the mess.
Added some lounge furniture and outdoor games
I have been working on a potted garden.
When we have the time , we are cleaning the back yard.Arranging the seating, changing the grill from were it is.Planting tomatoes.
We are putting up a hoop house where our garden is usually planted. We sure could use a blower for all the pine needles in our yard.
remodeling the patio
This is really an Awesome Prize!!!
Thanks for a great giveaway! We have been working on our little garden!
I been landscaping my property
We put in a veggie and herb garden this year!
Weeding flowerbeds and planting more flowers. Also tending the garden
Mostly gardening and getting the patio set up for summer.
My kids and I have been working on a garden bed to grow some of our own veggies this year.
I put landscaping rocks all around my house!
I have been working on my vegetable garden all summer.
We just got done doing a perimeter treatment to prevent termites. That was A LOT of digging...but it will be worth it.
God Bless you.
We have been trying to grow food and sunflowers this year.
Our front yard is so unattractive, trying to learn to make it beautiful
I love the look of this! I've tried bark and it is so messy!
very useful prize at my house
I have a 5 acre property I bought in October and right now I'm trying to keep the weeds at bay in and around the gravel driveway. I also want to plow out some trails around my property so I can walk around it in a peaceful sort of way.
We're working on putting up a fence.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY FLOWER GARDEN....BAD SUMMER...TOO MUCH HEAT AND THEN TOO MUCH RAIN.
We've been planting some new shrubs and flowers in our yard.
A lil bit of everything as health allows-I'd love to make the side porch into a nice place for hubby and I to hang out!
Need a blower to remove leaves.
I have been doing a lot of gardening and just picking up outside.
We are helping my mom with her property to plant some trees and stuff. Its a lot of work.
We have been working on a new firepit and flower garden.
WE've been planting more fruits and vegetables in our yard.
The trees and grass are constantly on porch and sidewalks this would be amazing
I need to repair my deck.
I have been redoing flower beds, removed all shrubs and then there is river rock and black plastic, lots of work but gratifying.
This would be extremely useful to clean the yard this fall. Thank you for this great giveaway.
Just finished up a retaining wall between us and the neighbor
working on our flower beds, raking old leaves and cutting trees/bushes
We are working on redoing our yard! It needs a lot of help! I've planted.flowers and finally have grass growing! My veggies are also growing
We just got a new place and it needs a ton of work. I love the pea gravel so at least now I know how to keep clean. Thank you!
Other then my vegetable beds been working on some landscaping around the new generator we had installed. I live in very rural area and woods around our property and ALWAYS have a use for a leaf blower.
With it being so hot I haven't been doing as much outdoor work as I like, but I've been keeping my gardens weeded. I've also been pulling weeds and baby trees from my lawn and patching thin spots.
I have been working on my garden and getting my driveway ready to reseal!
I have been working on garden edging planting flowers and yard work. This will be very useful!
Oh the endless possibilities with this are perfect!
We've been working on making a new flower bed and setting gravel in our back yard garden area as well the blower would be a perfect help for these two jobs.
Awesome Giveaway!
I've been trying to plant more vegetables lately but the sun has been killing all my plants. =(
I recently planted a Corkscrew Willow Tree in my back yard. I love landscaping and gardening!
I've been working on the patio/grill area.
We have been planting flowers
We are getting our garden together while my husband works on the deck.
i have a rose garden,some i order pch so beautiful
My current outdoor project is building a garden from plants that were dying at the hands of hardware stores
Always anoother project to do in the garden! thanks for the chance. looks super handy.
I have been trying to keep the leaves, sticks, etc. out of my two rick gardens in the front of my house.
How easy it would be if I had a blower like this!
I started a small vegetable garden, so I've been working on that & I just purchased a fire pit ring, so digging and area for that and then putting paver bricks around it is my next project
We have started planting flowers.
We fenced in our backyard this summer. Thank you
I have been trying to clean up the leaves and debris around the corners of my house yard and garage. Seems like a never ending project.
Wow..you did a beautiful job!! I love quiet outdoor tools..it seems like we are the yard care capitol of the worse and every time someone uses anything, it sounds like millions of bees are attacking.. This looks beautiful and SO needed!!
We’ve been working on a pool deck
I have been working on my vegetable garden.
The project I have been working on is replacing the railroad ties around my growing bed with interlocking bricks.
Take care of the leaves!
Sandbox for my six kiddos!
I've been working on keeping our little garden free of moles
I've been working on the garden a lot!
Just basically maintaining the lawn.
Cleaning the leaves off of the lawn.
We are putting in stand up flower beds!
Building a new deck.
You got it looking good. This would definitely come in handy around our place. We had a tree fall and have been trying to clean up underneath the area for a while now. Thank you.
working on my garden
Hi Stacy-
So my question is, how do you blow your gravel without blowing the gravel away? Does this Ryobi have a variable speed that's low enough that you don't blow the gravel all around? Looking for tips to clean my 3/8" basalt gravel that has a ton of pine needles and other small debris in it that's not conducive to raking. Thanks!