Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. All opinions are my own.
I recently showed you my mini backyard makeover, but I thought I would take a minute to share how I prepped our yard for the garden bed we created. I had a general idea of the dimensions I wanted the garden bed to be, but I really needed to visualize the space (particularly the width) and also mark where I wanted to dig with my tiller. Luckily, my Milwaukee 100 ft extra bold large capacity chalk reel came in super handy for this particular task. I just snapped chalk lines to mark where I wanted the garden bed to be located.
I had a little helper who wanted to assist me, so we tested the chalk reel out in other locations too.
I love that this chalk reel has an extra bold line, which makes it perfect for outdoor projects. I did find that it was a little tricky in spots where we hadn’t mowed in a while (totally our fault), but it worked perfectly on the shorter parts of the lawn. It has a planetary gear system which provides the longest gear life, plus a 4:1 retraction ratio which allows you to quickly mark multiple lines. The extra bold line works well in the grass, so it was perfect for this particular use. I love simple tools that make my projects easier, and this one definitely did.
It’s also very easy to refill the chalk, which I liked too. Thanks to the extra large quick turn opening, I didn’t make a huge mess like I was expecting to. There’s an 18 oz capacity which means you can get a lot of use out of it before needing to refill it.
After I marked off where I wanted to dig, I used my tiller and created the garden bed in front of the deck. (You can see the whole project here.)
Here’s a before and after of our garden bed area:
We really wanted to add some plants so that people didn’t see directly under the deck when looking at the back of our house. It was a bit of an eye sore, and this project made a big difference! I am pretty clueless when it comes to landscaping or plants or anything involving the yard, so this was new territory for me, but I’m so glad I did it. It motivated me to do more, which I’m sure our neighbors will appreciate since our yard is looking pretty sad at the moment!
As for the plants, when we planned this project I knew we would have to choose something that would do well in direct sunlight, so we opted for boxwoods and sunshine ligustrum, both of which are similar in size. I like the color contrast between them and so far they’ve done really well in this spot.
We have some other landscaping projects we want to take on within the next year so I’m sure this chalk reel will come in handy for those too. If you want to add one to your arsenal, you can pick one up at Home Depot. I think it would be really useful for visualizing while space planning outdoors too, like marking off where we might want a shed or a playhouse to go, or even planning a patio. What would you use it for? Let me know in the comments!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the promotional program described above (the “Program”). As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Easy to read and understand!! Thanks