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The Best Lawn and Garden Deals for Spring

Updated
Three photos, clockwise: an outdoor pathlight in a lawn, a lawn mower, and a person wearing a portable neck fan.
Photos: Wirecutter Staff
Kaitlin Mahar
Dan Kim

By Kaitlin Mahar and Dan Kim

Outdoor-entertaining season is here, so a spring spruce-up of your lawn, garden, or patio might be in order. With the help of these deals on our expert-approved picks, you’ll be able to enjoy your backyard to the fullest this spring, summer, and fall.

We were blown away by this battery-powered blower, which offers a winning combination of power, portability, and ease of use. It’s also bundled with an extra battery—and in our experts’ opinion, the more batteries, the better.

Buying Options

$329 from Lowe's

Other things to know: The benefit of the higher 765 CFM rating is evident only in turbo mode. The additional BA1400T 2.5 Ah battery typically sells for more than $100 by itself but offers only about half the run time of a 5.0 Ah battery (though it does provide the same amount of power).

Whether you're thinking about trimming some lower tree branches or tidying up the top of a topiary, our top stepladder will give you that extra boost of reach and height to make your outdoor tasks easier. It's more comfortable to use and easier to balance compared to regular stepladders, and the project tray that clips to the top provides an invaluable spot to store your tools as you work.

Buying Options

$100 $80 from Home Depot

You save $20 (20%)

Other things to know: 300-pound weight rating. Can get most people to a reaching height of about 10 feet. The top of the ladder is lower than on similar ladders, which is a slight inconvenience. Only available at Home Depot.

Read more: The Best Ladders

Forgo the noise, emissions, and maintenance of a typical gas mower. This battery-powered model runs for over an hour on a single charge and mows down overgrown grass with ease.

Other things to know: Includes an extra battery to cover larger lawns or for use as a backup. Expensive, even on sale. Store pickup required at Lowe’s and Ace Hardware, but Ace Rewards members (free to join) may be able to get scheduled delivery if local stock is available. For Ace Rewards deal, select the on-page promotion on the right, select the free battery, and add both items to cart.

Considerably quieter and easier to maintain than its gas counterparts, this self-propelled mower is a more basic, less powerful version of our top pick. Its smaller battery can last up to an hour between charges, so it’s ideal for smaller lawns.

Other things to know: Minimal maintenance compared with gas models. Less powerful and shorter run time than our top pick, but the bonus battery provides extra run time. Extra Ego BA2800T battery has 56-volt, 5 Ah, 280 Wh capacity and is usually between $200 and $300 when purchased separately. Store pickup required at Lowe’s and Ace Hardware, but Ace Rewards members (free to join) may be able to schedule delivery if local stock is available. For Ace Rewards, select the on-page promotion on the right, select the free battery, and add both items to cart.

Avid gardeners and DIY enthusiasts alike will love these raised bed builders. Simply add boards to these notched concrete blocks to create a simple 6-inch-deep garden bed, or you can stack them to create taller beds.

Other things to know: Designed to accommodate 2-inch stock lumber. Add four blocks to your cart to get the deal price, and opt for store pickup to avoid shipping fees. Pickup availability may be limited.

Our pick for lighting walkways from our guide to the best smart outdoor lighting adds easy, elegant lighting without any wiring thanks to solar charging. Offers scheduling and snooze options, as well as compatibility with other Ring lights and devices.

Other things to know: Requires Ring Bridge (not included) or a compatible Amazon Echo device or Ring Alarm Pro to act as the network bridge. You can control it through an app or via the built-in motion sensor. Intended to light up for less than 15 minutes, so not ideal for constant lighting. To get the deal at Lowe’s, choose store pickup or add to an order over $79 for free shipping.

These budget-friendly smart outdoor string lights have frosted bulbs and offer far more special-effects options than our overall top pick—if you’re willing to invest time figuring out the app.

Buying Options

$100 from Amazon

Other things to know: The app can be overwhelming. The strands have fewer bulbs per foot than on our string-light top pick, and they don’t feel as sturdy. Deal is for the 96-foot length; be sure to clip the on-page coupon.

Perfect for gardening. A sleek design with large easy-to-find buttons, a fancy carrying case, and Bluetooth connectivity make this the nicest neck fan we’ve tested. Its built-in thermal chips heat as well as cool—and the effects of the heating element were surprisingly pleasant.

Buying Options

$200 from Amazon

Other things to know: We don’t think it’s worth its hefty typical non-sale price—it costs as much as our runner-up window air conditioner pick, which can cool an entire room instead of just your face—but this deal helps. Available in black or white, it comes with a 180-day manufacturer warranty. Free (delayed) shipping for Amazon Prime members.

Kids can get in on the fun of beautifying the backyard with this vibrant colored chalk. The thick square pieces are easy for small hands to grip and pointed like pencils for more precise drawing.

Buying Options

$7 $5 from Target

With store pickup

$7 $5 from Amazon

You save $2 (29%)

Other things to know: This jumbo set includes 48 different colors. When your kids make a giant mess on the driveway, it all washes away with a hose or a rainstorm. Opt for store pickup at your local Target to avoid shipping fees.

Don’t let mosquitoes and ticks get in the way of your gardening. This DEET-based repellent offers up to 10 hours of protection if you experience rash reactions to picaridin formulas. It has an even aerosol spray, locking cap, and smells milder and feels less oily than other options.

Buying Options

$6 $4 from Amazon

You save $2 (33%)

$3 from Lowe's
$8 from Walmart

Other things to know: DEET formulas work and are widely available, but they aren’t more effective than picaridin and can damage plastic and synthetic fabrics). Deal is for a single 4-ounce can. Not returnable.

Editor’s note: The photo at the top of this article may reflect previous deals that are no longer valid and have been removed. Check out our Deals page for more great discounts on Wirecutter’s expert-approved picks.

This article was edited by Janie Campbell and Annemarie Conte.

Meet your guides

Kaitlin Mahar

Kaitlin Mahar is a staff writer for Wirecutter’s Deals team. Her byline has appeared in Delish, Esquire, and Town & Country. When she’s not hunting for deals and fiercely defending the Oxford comma, she’s a proud cat parent, an avid yogi, and a co-producer and co-host of the podcast Crime Culture. Please tell your pets and grandparents she says hi.

Dan Kim

Senior Staff Writer, Deals

Dan Kim is a senior staff writer for the Deals Team at Wirecutter and has been covering everything related to deals since 2016. When he’s not hip-deep in the trenches combing through deals on our picks, he enjoys writing about video games, computers, gaming accessories, and tech that he can't afford.

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