For the third spring, Home Depot brings a "Black Friday" sale to welcome spring. This year Lowe's joins the celebration too. Menards isn't observing Black Friday until November, apparently, but no matter. It advertises selected items on sale each week anyway, unlike Home Depot and Lowe's.

The deals are hardly the loss leaders we've come to expect the day after Thanksgiving, but they aren't bad.

The Depot's sale items include a 7-piece sling back patio set for $299, regularly $599, 50 percent off select Bonnie vegetable plants, a Brinkmann 4-burner grill for 4169, regularly $279, and Kingsford charcoal 2-pack for $5.88. Check the website too for online-only deals such as 40 percent off certain patio sets (free shipping too), and discounts on rain barrels and outdoor lighting.

Lowe's is also offering deals online as well as in the store, including a Never Kink garden hose for $25, regularly $29, 4 for $10 Miracle Grow garden soil bags, free delivery on patio furniture and free grill assembly.