Spring yard work. For most of us, it’s a love-hate relationship. We take pride in our manicured lawns, but often begrudge the time it takes away from living our lives. Chris and Peyton Lambton, professional landscapers and hosts of a national cable landscaping show, offer these tips for making yardwork quick and easy.

“Landscaping is our business and our passion, but we still want to take care of our yardwork in a way that makes life easier so we can spend time doing the other things we enjoy,” said Chris Lambton, a landscaper who became a celebrity after being a contender on The Bachelorette; he met his wife, Peyton, after her appearance on The Bachelor, and they now share a penchant for yard and home beautification.

Early To Rise

Starting your lawn care routine early in the day ensures that you’ll be working in cooler temperatures, and it also leaves time for entertaining and catching up with friends and family later in the day. Don’t worry about waking the neighbors. Today’s cordless outdoor tools produce up to 50 percent less noise than gas-powered tools, zero emissions or fumes, and they’re just as powerful as their gas-powered counterparts, so you’ll finish your lawn and garden quickly and quietly. 

Let The Mower Do The Work

With a battery-powered mower, you’ll barely break a sweat while cutting the grass. These lightweight tools are easier to maneuver than gas-powered mowers, and don’t put off those smelly fumes. Before you begin, make sure your mower blade is adjusted to the right height for your grass, advises Chris.

“The height of your mower blade is determined by a combination of factors, including temperature, season and type of grass,” he says.

Typically, spring seasons are rainy and grass grows quickly, so you’ll be able to set your blade lower than you would in the height of summer or during a drought. Regardless of environmental factors, you never want to cut more than 1/3 of the total grass height as that can leave your lawn vulnerable to weeds and burnout. 

To Edge or Not To Edge?

Edging is a personal preference – one that Chris and Peyton Lambton wholeheartedly endorse. They recommend edging along sidewalks, driveways, patios and garden areas to add a finishing touch to your landscape. Depending on the design, the Lambtons lay hardscape, install landscape edging, or look to the multi-use offered by a strong trimmer. When using a string trimmer, walk in the same direction as your trimmer spins. If it spins counter-clockwise, walk left to right as this will give you the cleanest, easiest cut, and a clearer trimming path.

“Edging is an important landscape design element that transitions one space to another,” said Chris, who works at his family’s landscaping business in Massachusetts when he’s not on location filming. “When done with a cordless string trimmer, it’s a small yard maintenance step that adds huge curb appeal. I recommend the Greenworks 40V String Trimmer for creating clean cuts every time. It recharges within an hour and can be used with other 40V Greenworks cordless outdoor tools.”  

Shaping A Space

While curb appeal is important, Peyton Lambton doesn’t let backyard social spaces stray far from the top of her lawn care list. Tending to the shrubs and bushes around a patio area can be a quick-fix to spruce up a party area. 

“Shrubs can grow into your patio, invading your dining and social areas,” said Peyton, who puts a Greenworks™ 40 volt Cordless Rotating Hedge Trimmer on her list of favorite yard tools. “A mid-powered cordless hedge trimmer is the perfect tool for quick clean-up of the perimeter of a designated party area. It’s lightweight, so with the click of a button and a without breaking a sweat, I can bring a manicured finish to any outdoor space.”

Cut Twice, Clean Once

Don’t get ahead of yourself during cleanup, says Peyton, who likes to make a clean sweep of the entire work area, but not until all debris-creating chores are done.  

“Remember to look beyond the trimmings that are visible on the ground,” Peyton advises. “Use an axial blower behind and on top of the shrubs and hedges you’ve just trimmed to clear the area of the mess, making your carefully crafted outdoor space ready for entertainment.”