From ‘Bachelorette’ to HGTV, Chris Lambton talks storm cleanup and a trip to Raleigh

Bachelor Nation loyalists likely still recall Cape Cod landscaper Chris Lambton from his Season 6 appearance on “The Bachelorette” in 2010, where he was one of two finalists and the guy not picked by bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky. (It’s OK, though. Lambton found love — right here in Raleigh! But more on that later.)

More recently, Lambton has been the host of the HGTV/DIY programs “Yard Crashers” and “Lawn & Order.” Lambton will return to Raleigh this weekend as a featured guest at the Southern Ideal Home Show.

We talked to Lambton by phone Wednesday to get some tips for hurricane-weary readers on how to safely clean up after a storm, how to fix some of the lawn and garden issues caused by flooding and damaged trees, and how to get your property ready for the next storm (and there will be a next storm).

Right off the bat, Lambton mentioned gutters and downspouts. If they’re clogged with leaves from the recent storm, they could clog the next time we get rain. “That’s the first thing I’d check,” he said. “If those overflow, it hurts the house.”

Here are more tips.

Stay safe during clean-up

Lambton reminds us that most injuries from hurricanes happen after the storm, so safety is important. Some of the points he made:

▪ Always make sure you aren’t working near power lines. If you need to trim branches near power lines, call a pro.

▪ Make sure your chainsaw is tuned up before the storm comes. Don’t use a chainsaw with a dull chain, because it can kick back.

▪ Steel toe boots are a must.

▪ Whether checking gutters or trimming branches, make sure you have a spotter to hold the base of your ladder.

▪ Also watch out for stinging insects. Lambton said he has stepped on three or four yellow jacket nests while doing storm clean-up and has been stung. He suggests keeping an EpiPen handy in case someone who is allergic is stung.

(We also asked Lambton what he thought about the floating fire ant phenomenon: “Those are a reminder that nature is amazing and dangerous,” he said. “I wouldn’t know what to do — I’d run the other way.”)

Repair your yard

▪ Rake up leaves and debris and check for bad spots in the grass left by flooding or pooling water. “Now is a good time of year to aerate and overseed, and that will help bring back any areas that got damaged during the flooding,” Lambton said.

▪ When it comes to trees and shrubs, Lambton said we may not know what’s damaged until next spring, but there are things we can do to help shrubs and plants that have been through a hurricane.

“Nature is pretty resilient,” Lambton said. “If you planted mostly native species they’re used to it and they’re probably OK. Hydrangeas may be more temperamental ... Cut off any damaged branches, and with larger perennials, go ahead and knock them down close to the ground and they’ll be back stronger in the spring.”

Lambton also suggests adding fertilizer around the base of any shrubs or plants that were submerged for a long time. “That will give them energy to fight off any diseases,” he said.

Secure before the storm

You don’t want to be running out during a storm to chase a grill blowing across the yard. Here’s how Lambton makes sure his stuff is secure:

“I like to buy 50 to 100 feet of cheap rope. That’s great to tie the grill to the deck posts or to something on your house so it won’t blow across the yard. When the storm is over, just cut the rope and throw it away, and you’ll still have enough left for the next storm. It’s a cheap and easy way to make sure nothing gets blown around the back yard.”

Lambton in Raleigh

As we alluded to earlier, Lambton met his wife Peyton Wright when he was playing at a Jimmy V Charity Golf Tournament in Raleigh in 2010. He’d just finished his time on “The Bachelorette” and host Chris Harrison was trying to convince him to be the next star of “The Bachelor” (he declined). Lambton brought a friend from the show, Jesse Beck, and Beck knew Wright from “The Bachelor Pad” (another spinoff in the “Bachelor” universe). Wright, like Lambton, had been the runner-up when she had been on Season 10 of “The Bachelor.” She happened to be visiting Asheville with her parents while Beck and Lambton were in Raleigh, so she drove over to hang.

“Nine months later, I proposed,” Lambton said. They married in 2012 and have a nearly 2-year-old daughter, Lila James, and another baby due in December. They live on Cape Cod, where Peyton has an interior design company called Wash Ashore Home. The two have worked on several homes together.

Peyton won’t be making the trip to Raleigh this weekend, but Lambton said they have been back since their first meeting here. His father-in-law graduated from N.C. State’s School of Architecture and they’ve visited Raleigh with him for reunions.

At this weekend’s Southern Ideal Home Show, Lambton will talk about his background and give pointers on how to make the most of your backyard and how to get your house some curb appeal.

If you want to catch him on TV, his shows “Yard Crashers” and “Lawn & Order” air in repeats all the time on HGTV and DIY. New episodes of “Lawn & Order” will start next spring.

Southern Ideal Home Show

When: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-22, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23

Where: N.C. State Fairgrounds (Expo Center), 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh

Cost: For adults, tickets cost $7 online and $10 at the door (use the online promo code HOME for $6 tickets). Kids 12 and under get in free.

Info: raleighfairgroundshomeshow.com

See Chris Lambton on the Fresh Ideas Stage at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21; 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23.

This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 10:17 AM with the headline "From ‘Bachelorette’ to HGTV, Chris Lambton talks storm cleanup and a trip to Raleigh."