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You’ve set aside space for your personal backyard vegetable garden. You have your supply of high-quality, nutrient-rich triple mix soil from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies ready to go. All you need now are some vegetable seeds to plant. In order to have a successful summer harvest, you need veggies which are fast-growing, easy to care for and able to grow and thrive in the summer heat Before you plant, though, you need to…

Here is some patio, driveway or walkway laying pattern ideas for you to get some inspiration from. And whether you plan on doing it yourself or using a preferred contractor to help your project come to life, Van Beek’s Garden Supplies is here to help in any way possible. Click on each image to view a larger size. Pattern links open in a new window. All images and patterns courtesy of Unilock. Permacon & Navascape/Hanson Hardscapes, respectively.

Thinking of redoing your patio or driveway? Can’t decide between interlocking stone pavers, poured concrete or asphalt? Before you choose what material to use, download your FREE copy of Why Interlocking Pavers are Better than Poured Concrete or Asphalt, courtesy of Van Beek’s Garden Supplies.

First, we’d like to wish you a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. The Victoria Day long weekend is the perfect time to start working on your garden (if you haven’t already). But before you start planting, weeding or watering, you first need to take care of some triple mix soil jobs. Fresh, nutrient-rich topsoil is an important (maybe the MOST important) aspect of a healthy garden. Without it, your plants won’t be as strong or beautiful as they could be. So make sure you handle these topsoil jobs first.

Firstly, everyone at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies wishes you safe and enjoyable Victoria Day holiday. In between fireworks and barbecues, do your long weekend plans include working in the garden? If so, the May holiday weekend is an ideal time to get your annuals in the ground because the threat of frost on your triple mix soil has finally passed. And if you aren’t quite sure which annuals to plant, take a look at these popular and colourful flowers

At Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, it’s an ideal time to tackle those projects that can make a big difference in your outdoor landscaping. Give your garden a fresh edge Cuts from the lawnmower and grass trimmer, combined with weather exposure, means that your garden edging is probably ready to be replaced. An easy way to tell is if any triple mix soil or mulch is spilling from your garden onto the grass. In order to complete this task over the long weekend, you may want to use iron garden edging. It comes in all styles and designs and is super-easy to install (all it takes is staking it into the ground).

A majority of the grass seed products we carry at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies carries a germination rating of 90-95%. Now, that’s the percentage of seeds which germinated in laboratory tests. Veteran gardeners know that, once that grass seed hits their lawns, the number is much lower. But it doesn’t have to be. Understanding the germination process and then taking steps to increase it is a sure fire way to get more germination from more grass seed.

Until very recently, we’ve had a mild winter. And that run of unusually warm weather has brought many people to both Van Beek’s Garden Supplies locations asking about grass seed. So we’ve collected all of the common questions we’ve heard over the past few weeks and put them together here for you. Enjoy!

At Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, we provide a wide range of seasoned firewood cords, including birch, hickory, oak, cherry, van beek’s special mixed blend. Why? Because we believe that seasoned firewood delivers a burning experience that’s safer, easier and more enjoyable vs. non-seasoned cords. But that’s just the start. There are plenty of reasons why seasoned firewood is a superior option to unseasoned wood.

It took a while, but the bone-chilling temperatures usually associated with winter have finally arrived. Because it’s been so warm for so long, you may not have picked up your firewood from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies yet. Fortunately, we have plenty of firewood available for you to enjoy all season long. Additionally, we have a brand new eBook for you to download absolutely FREE: Don’t Pick the Wrong Firewood for Your Home this Winter.

The days are shorter. The nights are longer and cooler. The conditions are perfect for enjoying a cozy fire on a nightly basis. Even if your fireplace is clean and ready to do, you can’t just place firewood in it and light it up. You’re firewood, just like your fireplace, needs to be properly prepared before you can put it to work. Before (or after) you pick up your firewood from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, make certain you follow these tips on how to get the most from your firewood.

It’s not too early to begin prepping your yard for the harsh winter that’s just around the corner. Spending an afternoon now working on your property will pay dividends in spring because it’ll be so much easier for your topsoil and garden to come back to life. The latest installment in our “Yes You Can!” series revisits a popular infographic on what you can do to get your yard ready for winter.

Are you growing perennials in your garden? Chances are, you’ll need to divide and transplant them soon because: They’ve become overgrown, they’re crowding the garden or even encroaching on your grass, you want to spread them around to other areas in your garden, or you’d like to share them with a friend Whatever your reasoning is, many perennials will benefit from division once they’re overgrown or crowding. It’s actually quite easy to divide the perennials in your garden without damaging the plant itself. Here’s how to do it.

October is here. And with it come shorter days, falling leaves and cooler temperatures. If you had topsoil delivery way back in the spring, your garden may be looking old and worn out. The autumn weather conditions won’t help improve its appearance either. At this time of year, we usually hear two questions when it comes to putting down another layer of triple mix soil. Should I put down one last layer before the frost and winter arrive? Is it too late to spread down topsoil and should I just wait until next year to do it? Our next installment in our “Yes You Can!” series tells you that yes, you can (and should) spread one last layer of topsoil this year.

The kids are off to school. The summer’s over. Not much left to do in the garden, right? Actually, there’s a bunch of September gardening jobs which you can take care of now – and enjoy the results in a few weeks or months. And if you think because September’s here, you won’t have enough time to work on the garden, think again. These little jobs won’t take much time at all. So, “Yes You Can” keep working in the garden during September!

The next installment in our “Yes You Can” series focuses on something the whole family can do. With back-to-school just around the corner, your kids may be exposed to some general science activities (like planting seeds and watching them grow). Plus, the whole family will be busier, with less time for errands like grocery shopping. So, why not save time – and take advantage of your children’s upcoming science classes – by planting a back-to-school vegetable garden with the kids?

Welcome to Van Beek’s Garden Supplies “Yes You Can!” series. Just as the name implies, the “Yes You Can!” series is going to feature easy and effective landscaping and gardening tips and techniques you can do. There’s nothing that delivers the feeling of pride of doing it yourself. It’s a powerful sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. At Van Beek’s, we don’t just want to be your supplier for great landscape products – we want to be your partner in helping you make your outdoor living space the best that it can be. And a big part of that is providing helpful ideas you can instantly use. Because at Van Beek’s, we believe that “Yes You Can!” First up in the “Yes You Can!” series: end-of-summer yard care tips.

Can you believe that it’s nearly August already? Where has the summer flown by? With the August long weekend coming up, it’s the perfect time to finish whatever interlocking stone project you’re working on: Laying down new patio stones, Building an interlock brick walkway or Creating a brand new interlocking driveway