Featured Articles
The Ultimate Guide to Growing a Thriving Vegetable Garden in Ontario
This guide is tailored to help gardeners of all skill levels navigate Ontario’s gardening landscape. By mastering each step—from seed germination to building a raised bed—you’ll create a garden that thrives in Ontario’s conditions. Along the way, you’ll discover how the right tools, timing, and techniques make all the difference.
The Best Vegetables to Grow in Ontario: Start Your Garden Today
Ontario's diverse climate offers unique opportunities- and challenges- for gardeners to grow fresh, delicious vegetables. Whether you are a beginner, an experienced gardener, or limited to a balcony garden, choosing the right vegetables ensures success throughout the growing season. This guide covers everything you need to know about selecting the best crops to ensure diverse and bountiful harvests throughout the growing season.
When to Start Seeds Indoors in Southern Ontario for a Thriving Garden
While winter may keep us indoors, it's also the perfect time to begin planning for the upcoming growing season. Starting seeds inside gives your vegetables a head start, helping you grow healthier plants and enjoy better yields. Plus, it allows you to try new and exciting seed varieties that might not be available as store-bought transplants.
How to Germinate Seeds: Soil vs. Paper Towel Method Explained
Germinating your own garden seeds instead of purchasing seedlings is fun and saves you money to boot. However, seeds are delicate and may require coddling during germination and when transplanting them to their final location. There are two popular home gardener methods for germinating seeds: A germination bed made from moistened paper towel or filter paper and planting seeds directly in a small amount of soil or soil-less starter mix
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How Our Bin Services Process is An Eco-Friendly Way to Give Back
Is your summer yard looking a little messy? There are always a few leftover piles of debris from your list of gardening tasks that get pushed off to the side rather than put into bags. Whether you have a small task or a larger project, removing old stone, digging out a garden bed, or disposing of old grass can be a hassle to clean up after. So, what do you do with the dirt you unearth when you’re putting in a new garden feature? What about the concrete, stone or aggregates that you no longer need? You can rely on Van Beek’s Landscape Supply’s bin services. We’ll pick up your landscaping debris and take it all away so you don’t have to worry about it. The most frequent question we receive about our bin services is, “Where does the soil or concrete end up?” You’ll be happy to hear that we are dedicated to responsible re-use or disposal of your yard waste. In fact, your soil may be treated and incorporated into our own soil mix after a few years, which is a wonderful way to give back to Mother Nature. Find out more about what we do with your yard waste in our bin services process below.
What is the Best Type of Mulch to Use?
Choosing the right type of mulch for your gardens is a tough but important decision. The wrong mulch can not only have a drastic effect on how your home looks overall but can also have other negative effects such as being less insulating and not repelling insects as well as other mulches. Use our mulch guide to help you make an informed decision on the best mulch for your gardens and flowerbeds.
How Artificial Grass Can Help Save You Time and Money
For a better-looking lawn find out why artificial grass is a key low maintenance alternative and what tools you need to keep it looking its best. Artificial grass is a key choice for many homeowners and businesses as it’s much easier to maintain than natural grass and requires little cleaning and maintenance. Consider that artificial turf doesn’t need to be watered, mowed or fed anything to keep it looking beautiful and full. Think about all the energy, time and money you could save. Learn more about how simple the upkeep is for artificial grass and why it’s a preferred alternative for many families and business owners.
DIY Ground Prep for Sod Installation from Van Beek’s
With these tips for ground prep for sod installation you can install your sod yourself, like a pro. When it comes to ground prep for sod installation, there are several factors to consider before starting your new sod installation project. Whether you are looking to repair patches in your lawn or hope to replace a whole area, these tips will leave you satisfied with your ability to create a lush green lawn that will thrive throughout the year.
How Early Can You Plant Grass Seed?
If you’re looking to get ahead on planting grass seed, keep in mind that you still need the help of Mother Nature. So, what conditions and temperature does grass seed germinate in? For your grass seed to thrive, it requires the right amount of warmth and moisture. This is why it’s typically recommended to seed in the fall.
Why is Landscape Budget Planning Important?
Like any home project, starting a landscaping endeavour can be a lot of work and you need to have a plan in place to help ensure things go smoothly. A project can go off the rails quite easily, so having a landscape budget can help in a variety of ways, including...
How to Properly Use a Firewood Burning Stove
A wood burning stove can be a lovely addition to any home, something that can be enjoyed year round. But with the colder months drawing in, there’s really nothing better than popping in a log or two, feeling the heat envelop you, and listening to the embers crackle. Of course, it takes a little bit more effort than that! Allow us to give you some simple guidelines on how to effectively and properly use a firewood burning stove.
Get Your Lawn Ready For The Fall
It is sad to accept the reality that summer is coming to an end when we see the leaves change and the temperature starting to drop. While there are months of cozy sweaters and warm drinks to look forward to, there’s one thing you shouldn’t forget: taking care of your fall lawn maintenance. There is a lot to do to get your yard ready for fall, but by following this guide and using our recommended products, you’ll be able to tackle everything on your fall “to do” list.
Grass Seed: What You Need To Know
If you want to plant a brand new lawn or you’re looking to fix dry patches, grass seed is a great way to improve the quality and growth of your lawn. Whether you’re an amateur gardener or an experienced lawn care specialist, grass seed is your companion when it comes to growing a lawn that is robust, healthy and beautiful.
Retaining Walls: How To Know If You Need One?
A well-constructed retaining wall can offer functionality and beauty. They are everywhere, you may not even notice them, but they’re an excellent way to solve a landscaping problem while still keeping your property looking its best. The question is: do you need one? Let’s take a deeper look at retaining walls and what you need to consider before deciding whether it’s time to put one up on your property.
Why You Should Choose Interlocking Pavers for Your Home
If you’re considering replacing a driveway or patio this summer, consider choosing interlocking concrete pavers. Interlocking concrete pavers are a multi-diverse product produced in a variety of colours and styles to work with the existing architectural design of any home. Interlocking pavers offer many benefits to homeowners. Here are a few of the top reasons to choose interlocking pavers for your home this summer.
5 Ways to Improve Your Lawn & Yard
Are you bored of the way your lawn and yard looks? Luckily, your grass can be greener on the Van Beek’s side! There are many ways to alter your lawn look to meet your personal design vision. Here are five ways to improve your lawn and yard.
Top 5 Reasons You Should Get Soil Delivery
Garden season is upon us once again! It’s time to get out our gloves, seeds and tools ready, but what about soil? Nobody wants to make multiple trips to the garden centre to lug around heavy bags of soil. Well, that’s where Van Beek’s soil delivery comes into play. Here are five reasons why you should get soil delivery this spring.
Garden Tips 101: Topsoil, Triple Mix & Mulch
Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time to get our green thumbs ready for some gardening. Whether you’re a novice or experienced gardener, it’s important to know how to get the best out of your gardens, plants and flowers. Using the right materials for the job is a great way to start. With that in mind, here are some guidelines to better understand the difference between topsoil, triple mix and mulch.
How to Protect Your Landscaping From Winter Damage
We all know we need to protect ourselves in the winter. Hats, gloves, scarves and boots are essential during the colder months. But what about protecting our property? Similarly, our lawns, shrubs, trees and stonework need to be properly maintained and protected. Here are some landscaping winter prep tips that will help your landscaped property survive the winter.
Putting Your Garden to Bed for Winter
During the warmer months, many people spend a lot of time working on their gardens and landscaping. When winter arrives it’s important to ensure your garden and landscaping are properly prepared for the cold and snow. Here’s how you can protect your gardens and preserve your efforts:
We Have a New eBook. Download Your FREE Copy of The Advantages of Sodding and Seeding
Early fall is a good time to rejuvenate your lawn. A question we get asked often at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies is whether sod or grass seed is best. The short answer is that both can be effective in growing lush, thick and very green grass around your home. It just depends on what you want for your lawn, how much time you have and your budget.
Tackle These End-of-Summer Landscaping Jobs
September’s almost here at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies and with it comes the unofficial end of summer. (For the record, the actual end of summer/first day of fall is Friday, September 22). In the next couple of weeks, back to school will be in full swing, the busy holiday season will start (Thanksgiving is around 6.5 weeks away), and outside temperatures will gradually get cooler. Which means you won’t have much time to work in your garden. So before things get too hectic, make sure you take care of some small (but very important) end-of-summer landscaping jobs.
Have You Gotten Your FREE Copy of Why Interlocking Pavers are Better than Poured Concrete or Asphalt?
Before summer ends, you’d like to update your patio or driveway. That way, it’ll be perfect when the warm weather in 2018 hits. But you aren’t sure if you should replace your interlocking stone pavers or go with something new, like poured concrete or asphalt. At Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, were partial to the beauty and visibility interlock paving stones offer.
Summer Interlock Cleaning Tips
Will your backyard patio be busy with barbeques and parties this summer? If so, you’ll want to keep those interlocking stone pavers looking sharp, clean and weed-free all season long. Maintaining a good looking patio goes beyond pulling out the power washer every couple of weeks (even though that does help). With just a little bit of extra time and effort (and these easy-to-follow tips from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies), you’ll be able to clean your interlocking stone pavers just like the pros do; but at a fraction of the cost.