Erma Bombeck Would Have Loved This!

Welcome to the 405th Metamorphosis Monday!

Imagine you arrive home one evening an hour or so before nightfall. As you pull into your driveway, you glance over and see something rather shocking. Your next-door neighbor is outside in her front yard, merrily vacuuming the lawn while grinning and laughing maniacally.

Do  you:

A. Smile, wave, and act like everything is normal

Or

B. Call the authorities

Fortunately, my neighbors chose option A. 😉

You may remember a while back when I blogged about a unique way of removing acorns from the lawn during those years when you have a bumper crop. (See that previous post here: Gardening Challenges and A Wacky Idea That Just May Work.) Some years are definitely worse than others and the oak tree in my front yard was especially prolific this year.

easiest-way-to-remove-acorns

 

Unfortunately, when the grass gets cut, it never gets up the majority of the acorns. I know it’s not good for the grass to just leave the acorns laying there. Plus, it’s dangerous. I have slipped so many times trying to walk down the hill along the side of my house over the last few days. It’s like trying to walk on a bed of big, fat marbles.

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Two years ago, I saw a YouTube video where a guy used a shop vac to vacuum up acorns. Actually, I found two of those videos online, one where a guy was vacuuming them off his driveway and another where a woman was vacuuming them from her lawn.

It was another gorgeous day here today so I got wild hair and decided to give this vacuuming thing a try. I grabbed a really long extension cord from my garage and retrieved the shop vac from the basement where I keep it for vacuuming up sawdust when I’m working on a woodworking project. You can see it there in the background in this photo taken when I was building a cubby organizer. (DIY Cubby Organizer Tutorial can be found here: Build a Cubby Organizer, Pottery Barn Inspired)

Cubby Organizer, Pottery Barn Knock-off_wm

 

I did a little test vacuuming in this spot on the side of the house and dang, if it didn’t work great! See how clear that little area is below? I was amazed! The grass is already going dormant here from lack of water (we need rain badly) so it was pretty easy to vacuum them up.

vacuum-up-acorns-from-lawn-with-with-shop-vac

 

I decided to start up in front of the house where the Trick-or-Treaters who visit tonight will most likely walk as they cross my yard to visit the neighbor’s house next door. After vacuuming for a few minutes, I opened up the lid and peered inside. Yep, working great! I dumped the acorns into a big trash bag and kept going.

shop-vac-up-acorns-from-grass-lawn

 

I completely filled up the container during the next vacuuming session. I know it doesn’t look full, but it really was. The shop vac has a huge filter attached to the lid and it fits down inside the container when the lid is in place. When I removed the lid, the filter came out with the lid (since it’s attached) and the acorns settled down into the container.

I dumped all the acorns into the same trash bag where I had emptied the others. I soon regretted that. It was really heavy and a challenge to drag over to my outdoor trash can. If you try this, I recommend dumping each full container of acorns into a new trash bag. If you don’t, you may have trouble lifting the bag to get it into your outdoor can.

vacuum-acorns-up-from-lawn

 

I was actually sad when it started getting dark outside and I had to stop. There is something so satisfying about hearing those acorns clang their way up and into the container, not to mention the satisfaction of seeing a smooth, grassy lawn reappear.

Also, I was really enjoying listening to Bill Bryson’s book, The Road to Little Dribbling with my Sony, Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headphones. I found myself laughing out loud so many times, thus the “maniacal laughing” while vacuuming the grass. So far, I think this book is funnier and more interesting than, Notes from a Small Island, which was the first of his books that I read and enjoyed.

the-road-to-little-dribbling-by-bill-bryson

 

My neighbors came home in the midst of all this vacuuming craziness. Their driveway is just on the other side of the oak tree. As they pulled in, I glanced up just in time to see them wave.

I confidently waved back and then resumed my vacuuming as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Hey, if you’re gonna do crazy, ya gotta own it! No telling what they were thinking at the sight of their next-door neighbor out vacuuming the front lawn. Ha!

I couldn’t help but laugh as this scene reminded me way too much of Erma Bombeck’s book, The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank. In Chapter 10 titled, Super Mom, Erma talks about her new neighbor with the always perfect home, perfect children, and perfect life. Erma writes, “The moving van hadn’t been gone a minute when we saw her in the yard waxing her garden hose.” Think Bree from Desperate Housewives. lol

This was the last batch I sucked up right before calling it quits for the night. I’ll get back out there tomorrow, I’m on a roll now! 🙂

fastest-way-to-remove-acorns-from-grass-lawn

 

Tips for Shop-Vacuuming Up Acorns from Grass, aka, What Worked for Me

If you also have a tremendously prolific oak tree that has blessed you this year with an abundance of acorns, here are some tips I would recommend if you decide to try this. Please note: I can’t be responsible if you break your shop vac. Mine handled this very well, but your mileage may vary.

  1. Cut the grass reasonably short before getting started. It’s much easier to suck up the acorns when you’re not having to deal with tall grass.
  2. Empty the container into a new trash bag each time it fills up. I found the bag was too heavy to carry if I dumped in more than one shop vac container of acorns at the time.
  3. I always keep my grass higher than most folks do because I feel like it tolerates our hot Georgia summers better than if it were cut short. Also, the type of grass I have (Zeon Zoysia) is really dense. The taller grass made vacuuming up the acorns in some areas a little harder. In the really lush, dense areas, I found it easier to sit down on the lawn and use the hose without the wand/floor attachment. The floor wand is just harder to pull through tall, thick grass. It worked great on the areas where the grass was shorter and less dense, though.
  4. This is actually a pretty enjoyable activity if you have a great book or music to which you can listen while vacuuming. I use and can highly recommend THESE headphones that I’ve had for a couple of years now. They are super comfortable to wear, block out a lot of noise and connect to any Bluetooth-compatible device. I always listen to Audible books that I’ve downloaded to my phone while vacuuming inside and they worked great for this job, too. It probably goes without saying, but read the instructions that come with any headphones you purchase. Don’t ever wear noise-canceling headphones if you’re going to be working near a road or someplace where it would be dangerous to block out outside noise. Definitely never wear them while driving.

In case you wondered, there are plenty of acorns left in the islands for the squirrels this winter. I’m also going to dump a bunch of the acorns I vacuumed up into the wooded area of my yard in case deer or some other type of animal wants to eat them this fall/winter.

 

Up Next: 5 Tips for Waxing the Garden Hose

Kidding! 🙂

 

Spray & Forget Update

Over the years I’ve had a hard time keeping the steps on my front porch clean. They would always get moldy and green as seen in this older photo below.

Cost To Add On Front Porch

 

This area on either side of the front door has always been a problem, too. About a year or so ago, I cleaned both areas with a solution of part bleach and part water, then sprayed both areas with a product I’d read about called, Spray & Forget. (I purchased it here: Spray & Forget)

Before using Spray & Forget

 

It’s been about a year and the steps still look great. I haven’t had to clean them once! In the photo below, I had just watered the Green Mountain Boxwood planters and the Chrysanthemum, so that’s why the brick is darker in some spots. It’s just wet.

decorate-your-porch-for-fall-halloween

 

Here’s a photo that I took today, love how they are staying so clean! I forgot to take a picture of the wood molding on either side of the door, but it’s still nice and clean, too. I’m very pleased with the results and wanted to update you on how it had worked.

If you buy/use this product, be sure to read all the directions and keep pets, animals, etc… away from the area you spray while it’s wet. Animals aren’t supposed to walk on it while it’s wet. Again, read the directions before using it. I’m very pleased with how it has solved the moldy issue problem I was having on the steps each year, which was actually dangerous since it could be slippery.

spray-and-forget-works-greats-on-porch-steps

 

Bulb Planting Time

A packaged appeared on my front porch a few days ago.

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I was wondering what it could be until I read the return address.

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When I visited Keukenhof Garden in South Holland this past spring, I placed an order for some of their tulip bulbs. I wanted to bring a bit of Holland back home with me.

They had an entire binder full of choices so it was agonizing trying to choose which bulbs/flowers to order. After much angst and deliberation, I chose this collection which includes: 20 Lily-Flowering Mix, 20 Double Mixed, 20 Darwin Hybrid Mixed and 20 Parrot Mixed. Now I just need to decide where I’m going to plant them.

 

mixed-tulip-bulbs-from-keukenhof-gardens-holland

 

In Georgia, either our summers are too hot or our winters are too mild (not sure which) but tulips never come back the second year. The foliage comes back, just no flowers.

So wherever I plant them, it needs to be in a place where I can easily dig them back up once the foliage turns yellow. They may end up in planters and/or an annual bed I have in front that’s been dug so many times, it should be pretty easy to retrieve them when the time comes.

Maybe when I dig them back up, I can stick them in the fridge and replant them again the following year. Need to read up on how that’s done. Does anyone know?

Can’t wait to share these flowers with you next spring!

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Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and Afters for this Met Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Your story is hilarious. If you do it again, be sure to make your own video to post to YouTube. It probably would be a hit.
    I listen to podcasts when I clean or run. It really takes the grind out of things.
    Your freezer trick might work. Certain plants won’t grow without a hit of cold. Even certain seeds–freezing makes the exterior break so the seed can germinate.
    BTW, I LOVED Erma Bombeck.

  2. Claudia A. says

    I’ve always wanted a Billygoat Yard Vacuum, but the Hubs has always been well cheap, lol. He always reminds me of the cost, storage and why do we need to purchase an additional item we have a Shop Vac. Yep that’s my husband running that noisy infernal thing, I hate the sound of a Shop Vac and yes I’ve bought the muffler thing for it and a handle attachment to make it easier to use. He uses it from sun up to sundown, kidding but it seems it. He rids the cracks of the decks of those helicopter things from the trees and the buds that fall in the Spring and all the leaves in the Fall. I guess it ranks right up there with hearing the leaf blower.

    • I didn’t know they made mufflers for them…interesting! I hadn’t thought about using it on the deck…good idea because stuff gets stuck between the boards.
      Happy Halloween, Claudia!

  3. I am sure the squirrels would love to collect their nuts this way! LOL I hope you keep them supplied. Recycle!

    • lol I was thinking today, I’m going to put a few piles of these under the deck in back…that’s where the squirrels all hang out, well the ones the hawks haven’t gotten. I’ve had a lot of hawks this summer hanging out in my backyard. Yikes!

  4. I have the acorn thing going on, too. However, I have a hickory nut tree that is going to be the death of me. I have a problem walking because of knees and back that need surgery. Sometimes, it is like being on roller skates when I walk outdoors. I took the filter off the shop vac to vacuum water and someone helped me by tossing it. I wonder if I can vacuum acorns without the vacuum. St Augustine definitely does not need to be cut low. A guy did that despite my instructions. Now, I have to kill weeds in the St Augustine grass.

  5. Genius Susan, we have a bumper crop of acorn this year too! Thanks for the info on Spray & Forget, the front of our house faces north so an area of the siding and steps has mold and mildew constantly. I read it’s activated by moisture/rain to work…we’re so dry, I’m starting to wonder if it will ever rain again!

    • I know, we are desperate for rain, too. I don’t like rain but we def need it.
      You know, my house faces north, too. Wonder if that’s why I had such a problem on those steps. I’m going to respray it about a once a year to keep it working…really happy that I didn’t have to get out there and scrub the steps today before the trick or treaters came. That’s normally what I have to do every Halloween, but not this time. 🙂

  6. Thanks for the funny story…great way to start the day;–)

  7. That’s funny about the acorns. I’m imagining you doing this and neighbors thinking “she’s gone over the edge” LOL… Dan uses our backpack leaf blower to blow them to the woods edge but yours aren’t near the woods. I miss Erma Bombeck. I always looked forward to her fun little stories on the morning news show.
    Tulips need 12 to 16 weeks of chilling (no higher than 40º during that time- so refrigerating does work). I did that many years ago when someone gave me potted tulips as a gift in the hospital. After the green plant material died back I removed them fron the dirt and cut off the foliage. I put them in a brown grocery bag and then put that in another paper bag. (They can get dehydrated because of self-defrosting so you have to protect them but I don’t know if it’s ok to use plastic). I stuffed them in the fridge (a 2nd refrigerator like a dorm fridge wold be ideal) until the fall and planted them. I didn’t have to remove them from the ground after that so I can’t speak for how that would work, but I imagine I’d put them in planters so I could plant and remove them easily in order to do this. There are articles if you search “how long do I chill tulips” that may help. That Spray and Forget sounds like a nice find. I’ll share that with Dan. Happy Halloween!

    • lol Exactly!
      I miss Erma, too…she was a hoot and I love her columns/books.
      Thanks for those tips, Liz! I’m going to try and save these since they came from a place I actually visited in Holland. Hope it works!

  8. Oh Susan! You are something else! And I mean that in a good, kind way! I’m always amazed at all your clever ideas & wonderful stories to go with them. I often share your post with my husband. He thinks you’re pretty clever as well! You’ve given us some great ideas; he really liked the post a while back, on the outlet you installed that had USB ports on it. We got one of them and love it. Keep the stories & ideas coming!

  9. I will have my husband shop vac-ing the backyard! Thanks for the idea!!!

    We have huge oaks along the property line. At least 8 of them….over 40 feet tall so we get pummeled with acorns! They hit the sliding glass doors when it’s windy or raining. Sometimes when walking the dog and there is a slight wind it sounds like rain with all the acorns falling off and hitting the leaves. LOL

    Some trees are going to have to come down in order to put up a fence. What dope thought to put the property line THROUGH a close (and I mean CLOSE! …a few inches apart!) clump of trees!!!!!???? There is a big oak and 3 other thinner trees. The tin ones all have to be at least about 20 years old.

    Our house was built in 2003, and the property belonged to the farmer behind us, so it’s not like the trees were not there when they subdivided his property. So now we are going to have to pay to take down not only our few trees but ALL of HIS to get our fence up because they are right on the line and making a huge hill! WHAT? They are mostly all HIS trees. The property line is on an angle. A weird angle in the back…by just a few feet. It’s totally weird.

    I’m wondering if they drew up the subdivision plans while having a few drinks. Either that or the guy had a crooked eye. hahaha

    • I shouldn’t complain about my one tree. I can’t believe how many bags of acorns I have now from just 1 tree, can’t imagine with 8!
      Good luck with all those trees, Robin. I had to have some removed a few years ago and was glad when it was over.

  10. Thanks for hosting!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  11. Too funny, that must be some book Susan! I am going to pass your vacuuming tip along to my husband, he is always bemoaning the acorns! Your neighbors are probably not too surprised as you are always busy doing something! I have been meaning to try that Spray & Forget, thanks for the review and the party today-

  12. Linda Page says

    I wish I had a picture of you vacuuming the yard!!!!! So sorry I missed that experience! I wish I had known about doing that when I lived in Dallas because I had a tree near the street that rained acorns by the tons each year and the sidewalk and yard were covered with them. I constantly swept the acorns off the sidewalk but didn’t think about using a shop vac to get them off the grass. Loved the shade the tree provided but hated the acorns! Thanks for sharing. Now if I could just shop vac the Magnolia pods in my yard!!!! My mom got bulbs from Holland (they lived there for 2 yrs) and planted here. I remember her digging them up every year and keeping them in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer. She had a 2nd fridge in the garage and that is where she kept them. Wish I could remember how she stored them but it seems she left some dirt on the bulbs and placed them in paper bags with tiny holes punched in them so they wouldn’t hold too much moisture. That was a long time ago and my memory isn’t what it once was!!

  13. Hahaha, you are a riot! It must be a bumper crop of acorns everywhere because I’ve seen friends post on FB about your issue also. Some are saying put the acorns in wooded areas for the deer and other wildlife to forage through winter, but I would throw them away too. Who wants deer near their property, esp if you’re planting tulips (can you say candy?)! I hope the squirrels don’t dig up your tulips. You may want to consider a wire mesh over the plantings to discourage them.

    • That’s a good idea, maybe I should dump a few on the back of my property. I know we do have deer in this area because a few years back when we had some snow, I saw their hoof prints in the snow.
      I haven’t had issues in the past with them digging them up, probably because they are all fat and happy from raiding the bird feeders. lol

  14. I LOVED Erma Bombeck! And Bill Bryson. We listen to so many BBC programs, I fully expect to hear a British accent coming out of my mouth and not a Southern drawl! You should have been holding a glass of wine while vacuuming to really really get the neighbor’s talking!!! Do the excess acorns mean we will have a cold winter? It was 85 yesterday here in Clemson, SC!!

    • kim domingue says

      How about, holding a glass of wine while wearing a frilly apron, heels and a pearl necklace? Kind of a cross between Erma Bombeck and June Cleaver? Lol! I loved Erma Bombeck’s books.

    • lol That’s awesome! That would def get the neighbors talking! I’m afraid it was more like a tshirt, sweat pants and tennis shoes. lol

  15. Love the story, and yes I could just imagine the neighbors and the looks on there faces as they wave…lol. I always wondered if those nuts could be eaten?..my mother in law has one of these trees and yes the harvest this year was horrific/terrific depending on how you look at it. On the bulbs definitely put them in the freezer, down here in the south it does not freeze hard enough for the bulbs to regenerate a flower. Therefore you only get the green part every year. Much love and keep the crazy’s going!!!

    • So that’s what it is, the winter’s aren’t cold enough. I’ll definitely dig them up and try to save them in the fridge. Thanks, Cindy!

  16. What a brilliant idea! We’ll have to try it – we’re blessed with 7 gorgeous oak trees, but the amount of acorns this year (and last) is a little intense. Sounds like hail on the roof sometimes!

  17. So glad you posted this solution for all the acorns. My deer and squirrels have been overwhelmed and haven’t been able to keep up. We are having our driveway refreshed this year and this post is most timely for me. Thank you!

  18. Hilarious … and genius!! I cannot believe how many acorns you have in your yard. There must be a craft .. or 100(!) that you could use them for. LOL Thanks for sharing and for hosting! Cynthia

    • lol Really! They make good vase fillers, although my acorns aren’t the pretty kind since their little hats always fall off when they fall.

  19. Oh, you made me laugh so hard! I can just see your neighbors reactions! This story really made my day! As always thanks so much for hosting.

  20. Susan, If she weren’t gone, I’d swear Erma wrote this post. You had me laughing out loud. Having laughed about it, I have to admit it’s a great idea. Your steps look great! Can you use the Spray and Forget on wood too? Our front porch gets mold on the wood. I can’t keep it clean. Thanks for the laugh today.

    • Yep, you sure can! I use it on the molding near the porch floor on either side of my front door and it has stopped getting mold there. I don’t know why that area always tended to have mold appear, but it’s kept it off now for a year. I should probably retreat all the areas again. It also works on decks, too.

  21. I imagine that each fall more and more folks will be out vacuuming acorns as this genius tip is passed along. And I really, really look forward to your blooming tulips post, since that would mean that the upcoming winter is over!!

  22. Oh my goodness, that is hilarious! I could see your scene played out in a movie – a comedy, of course. Can’t wait to see your tulips next spring, although I’d like to enjoy a little fall weather first! It’s holding out on us.

  23. I love Erma Bombeck too! Her books are so funny and so true! Down here in New Orleans it is too hot for Tulips to rebloom too, but I love them. There is a lady down here that plants Tulips, they bloom for 5 – 7 days and she keeps the bulbs in a refrigerator in her garage. She has had success with the bulbs reblooming, but she does have to dig them up & replant each year.

    • Now that is dedication! She must love her tulips because like you mentioned, they don’t bloom very long. So that’s a lot of work each year for that short blooming season. I’m going to try and dig these up at the end of the season…hope I don’t forget!

  24. Marlene Stephenson says

    This was co cute, maybe you need to do it Halloween night.

  25. I think we are often so similar! I have been using the shop vac to do detailed leaf and crud cleanup around our front door area for years and I know the neighbors are looking askance. This year my husband bought a blower that reverses and sucks up leaves and mulches them so will be trying that. The shop vac does a great job of getting under bushes, etc. I love tulips…my favorite flower. We planted scores of them, so pretty. Then last year voles came in and ate almost all of them. My husband watched one literally pull a tulip under ground…just like a cartoon. A little discouraged at this point.

    • Regality (aka The Quing) says

      I had one of those reverse blowers and it was great. But it died fairly soon. One year I planted tulip bulbs and as I was putting the last one in the ground, I saw a squirrel coming behind me, digging them all up. Furious? Uh, yeah I was!

  26. I would love to have you as my neighbor, and would invite you over to work on my yard too. ha ha
    Happy Halloween!

  27. Anne Shaheen says

    I use my shop vac every Fall, and suck up the acorns so I don’t slip on them and fall. Then I put them in a nice pile so the squirrels and chipmunks can
    take them away. Never really thought it so unusual, but now I do!!!

  28. That’s a lot of acorns Susan! 😉 Thank you for hosting!
    Rebeca

  29. That was great. Thanks for making me laugh! I love Erma Bombeck, too. I have been crushing on your pine cone lamp with the tartan plaid shade since last year. I have looked online and never seen it. Does it have a brand name on it?

  30. Ha, ha! “If you are going to do crazy you gotta own it!” I love it!

  31. “A few have nuts, a very few;
    Poor withered ones, I ween
    An’ these when burning, two and two,
    Tell tales at Halloween”

    “And some have acorns—these once graced
    By fairy king and queen
    Upon the low back hob are placed
    For luck, at Halloween”
    Author: B.M. Teggart in 1898

    Wishing you lots of treats and no tricks tonight!

  32. My husband and I worked all day yesterday getting all the acorn’s up so that the little trick or treaters won’t fall tonight. We used the leaf blower to get them to the end of the yard then loaded them into our truck and took them to the land fill. We were so sore last night. We had almost a full truck bed of them. I fell three times and my husband a couple of times. What a job. We also hope with removing the food supply we won’t be over run with squirrels this winter.

  33. Many years ago as a new wife trying to impress the hubby of my money management skills, I dug up bulbs, put them in a brown bag and into the crisper drawer of the fridge. A few weeks later he yelled that he was going to make himself a sandwitch, quickly followed by another yell requesting me to come into the kitchen. (You’ve guessed it right!) He showed me how our onions had rotted in a most unusual way. After a short conversation it was decided that it would be thriftier (and healthier) for me to buy new bulbs every year. Fortunately we had no oak trees……

  34. Patrice Durham says

    Great minds. I use my Shop Vac all the time to vacuum up spent bird seed shells. One day a light bulb went off and I’m very happy with how easy it is.

  35. Oh, dear…Susan….I fear you may be suffering from the “DTMFC” syndrome…it’s been going around… (drank too much fermented cider.) It’s been raining acorns here for weeks too…gaaaa!!! franki

  36. That is a ridiculous story, Susan!! Thanks for the tip, the laugh and the memories of the great Erma~ loved her.

  37. Well your so-called “hare brained” ideas have struck again! What a great idea to vacuum your acorns. I like how you do what you have to do, but especially when an unconventional but good idea strikes you! I could use a little push in that area! And I’m also so envious of the success you’ve had with your huge conical boxwood trees in containers! I think they would die in containers over our long chicago winters (or so Ive been told). Or I’d have to pay someone to pull the heavy containers into the garage for cold weather protection- just not worth the $$/time/effort to put boxwoods in permanent containers here:(. You’re so lucky. Today is a good day for you….courageous, creative, genius, and lucky!!!

  38. Penny L Holder says

    Several years ago my kindergarten class gathered acorns for a nearby nature center that was caring for two orphaned black bears. I remember trying to hurry so we could go back inside because it was so cold! Not like the 80+ temps we had in Rome, GA today! Where is Fall?

  39. Love that story! Could just see you shopvac in hand. Wonder if you could corral them with a leaf blower into little piles and then just suck up the piles instead of vacuuming the entire yard?

    Also, you are spot on with the pet warning on spray and forget. Used some last fall, loved it, works grear! But had set the container in a tub while i washed my hands….cat jumped into tub, container had leaked a little….kitty spent all day at ER vet with very painful paws. She recovered very quickly, fortunately didnt lick the stuff off, and is fine, but was very expensive lesson. Now i keep the spray and forget well away from pet accessible areas.

  40. Will you going to give this to the deer, squirrels, groundhogs, birds etc? Please do not throw these away. At least please go dump this in a wooded area. Otherwise it’s a complete waste. 🙁

    • There’s still plenty left in the islands, but I’ll take a lot of these and put them in something in my back yard for the squirrels or chipmunks.

  41. Regality (aka The Quing) says

    I’ll be interested to hear how your bulbs turn out. When I was there and put in orders for myself and a friend, they didn’t do well at all–bloomed at a very short height. And we were in completely different zones. I’m 9b and he was…er…something much colder.

    • Keeping my fingers crossed that they will work. I’m going to try and get them in the ground this weekend. Will share how they do in the spring.

  42. Cyndi Raines says

    Hi Susan! Happy for you with you new found time saving Shop-vac discovery. I’m that happy about our new blower/reverse vacuum-mulcher with a bag. Loved it! It did such a great job on the row of piled up leaves I raked last Saturday in the front yard. Not sure how it will do with the TON of leaves I have in the backyard. We usually have to rake them onto a large tarp and drag them to our woods to decompose on the trail – many, many trips – a good workout though! lol Happy Fall!

    • I know that is a huge job, I’ve done that before in the past. Good exercise, but a big job! I should look into the reverse vacuum mulcher…sounds interesting!

  43. Cyndi Raines says

    p.s. Where did you purchase the Spray & Forget mold spray remover? I need to do my front porch steps. Thanks!

  44. Excellent tip Susan for those experiencing the same problem. For myself, it is tiny pinecones that require constant picking up which on the grass my husband just uses our lawnmower that mulches however those around the in-ground pool require sweeping up so shall try the Shop Vacuum. Thank you so much for the idea and loved your amusing story as it brought a smile. -Brenda-

  45. We too, have soooo many acorns on a small hill we put in stairs so I would not fall on natures marbles. Sometimes the DNR will take acorns for planting in our neck of the woods anyway. Funny story with valuable info. Thanks

  46. Barbara Casali says

    I enjoyed reading about your success in vacuuming the acorns. I have four oak trees on my property and this past fall was the worst acorn season ever! I thought my lawn care person was going to address this matter but he never did. So this spring I raked and plucked as many as I could from the lawn. Here’s my concern, I dumped large piles of the acorns onto a vacant lot next to my backyard thinking I’ll make it easy for the squirrels. I have recently learned that voles (field mice) and deer love acorns and they carry ticks. I’m thinking of removing the piles of acorns.

  47. Brittany P says

    Oh my goodness!! This is the first page that was brought up when I searched: how to clean up acorns in your yard, on Google. At first I thought it was hilarious!! I could just picture someone vacuuming their grass, and what looks they may get LOL!! But it’s totally genius!! When I saw the first picture you posted, of all the acorns in your yard, I thought “Woww! That looks exactly like what’s in my front yard!” I have a huge oak tree in my rather large front yard, and what seems like a thousand acorns that fall every year, it has made it sooo hard to have nice grass! I live in Michigan, and have lived at our first house here for almost 8 years, and we’ve NEVER had nice grass because of these darn acorns! And that just bums me out so much… But I tell you what, I WILL be out there THIS weekend with my shop vac!! I’m just so excited that I found this blog!! Thank you so so much!! I’ve also thouroughly enjoyed reading all of your other projects as well. Keep up the great work!

    Sincerely,
    Brittany P
    Sparta, MI

    • Good luck, Brittany! It’s actually kinda fun if you have a good book or some great music to listen too while vacuuming. Also, be sure you have a filter in the shop vac. It will get pretty dusty so I purchased a couple more in Home Depot so I could replace mine after I was done.

  48. I too was searching for a way to clean up acorns from the yard when along came your story on vacuuming them up and do we have the acorns AND walnuts! Lord, try walking around here. Gonna go for that shop vac!!! A few acres and several trees make for a rolling ground. lol Thanks for the chuckles! I’ll be back for more reading 😀

  49. Please donate your acorns rather than destroy them. Donate them to the local forestry or a wildlife rescue.

    • This post was written back in October 2016 so they are long gone now. I ended up spreading them in my back yard for my squirrels where they ended up rotting and the squirrels never ate them.

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