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Most of us associate springtime with cleaning, and that’s true. However, there is more to the season than just cleaning. There’s nothing like the pleasant climate to head outdoors and get your garden therapy on. Gardening truly is relaxing.
Whether you have a green thumb or are just a novice, spring is the perfect time to give gardening a try. Got you on board? The unfortunate part of gardening happens after a run to the garden store. While the florals may be bold and beautiful the mess that happens during loading and transport is no vehicles best friend.
It is the time that a truck bed is your best friend and when cargo space is better than a trunk. Keep reading to discover how you can prepare your vehicle and get it ready for your gardening steps.
How to Prepare your Vehicle for Springtime Gardening Trips
There are things you learn after making great mistakes. One thing I learned is to use my husband’s truck when he’s home. A truck bed is so easy to get clean after a garden supply run. It’s pretty much broom, rinse and go.
However, I have found that my Chevy Suburban is also pretty darn awesome because I love that cargo space in back for flower flats and garden tools as well as bags of dirt, mulch etc. I did a great job selecting a vehicle at my local Chevy Dealer when I chose this vehicle and it probably is the best choice I have made to date.
Relocating Prep
Got everything sorted for your garden? Before you get your car and get your plants and come back home, it makes sense to think over everything smartly. While you are in the garden center, look at what you are buying.
Make a list of how many items you’ll need to get. Can your vehicle haul everything or should you borrow your brother-in-laws Chevrolet Colorado since it has an open bed? One trip is so much better than a few.
Don’t pile floral trays on top of one another that will just ruin your purchases. Rather, place them next to each other, not on top of. Take into consideration a longer ride, and keeping a spray bottle filled with water.
On hot days, you might want to mist everything before you travel. Closed spaces, unwatered flowers, etc are all things to take into consideration. Plants can get stressed out with the journey.
Rope- Plastic- And Prayers
If you’re carrying larger plants in heavy pots, make sure you secure them all together with a rope. Try to wedge the plants in a corner to prevent their movement as much as you can, so that you’re sure they don’t topple or break during the car journey.
Keep it Clean
One of the simplest and easiest ways to make sure your car is at its best condition even when you’re going around getting ready for springtime gardening and getting dirty is this- get your car clean as soon as you’re done.
Once your on and off trips carrying around plants, soil and other gardening essentials is done, give your car a nice deep clean right away instead of waiting and procrastinating.
If you’re planning to transport plants that you purchased from a local nursery with you in the back seat of your car, prepping it a bit is a good idea. Lay some old towels or blankets over the seats, to prevent any possible damage to them, and then load the plants, pots and other items over it. That way, even if something spills, it won’t fall directly on your car seat.
Another idea is to see if your garden center offers plastic. Bag any plants you can that helps too! No one wants to clean a mess after a day of gardening.
Get Some Essentials
It is also a good idea to carry with you some basic cleaning essentials in the trunk of your car, just so that you can wipe off dirt and other spills right away. A portable car vacuum is again, a must.
This can help you pick up traces of dust and dirt. A window cleaner and a wiping cloth are again, absolute essentials you need to carry.
Now that you know How to Prepare your Vehicle for Springtime Gardening Trips, get going, what are you waiting for?