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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.

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.

At first glance, most topsoil found in soil bags looks the same. Unfortunately in many instances, it’s only until after you get your soil home that you realize it’s of poor quality and won’t be beneficial to your garden. Even more frustrating is trying to return unsatisfactory topsoil. It can be a pain. The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen to you is to know what makes superior topsoil before you purchase.

Finally, the first long weekend of the spring is just around the corner. (Before we forget, we’d like to wish a very Happy Victoria Day to you and your family). The weather’s expected to be perfect; meaning you’ll be able to spend plenty of time outside to work on your garden or landscaping. The most logical place to start is with your triple mix soil. That’s because without fresh, nutrient-rich topsoil from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies your plants won’t look as good or be as strong as they could be. Before you start planting, weeding or watering your lawn this weekend, make certain to take care of these important topsoil jobs.

At Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, one question we hear quite often is “what type of mulch should I use?” After all, we carry both rubber and organic mulch products – and each mulch type has its own advantages and disadvantages. What they all have in common, though, is an ability to protect your triple mix soil and beautify your garden too. So whatever choice you make for your landscaping, you can rest assured it’ll be a good one. On the other hand, if you’re having a tough time deciding between, say natural black mulch or black rubber mulch, take a look at how organic and synthetic mulch compare to each other.

The spring gardening season is here. It’s time to spruce up your landscaping with colourful plants, flowers and more. And because 2017 also happens to be Canada’s 150th birthday, here are some terrific Canadian flowers you can add to your triple mix soil this year.

With the first day of spring just around the corner (Monday, March 20), now’s a perfect time to restore your lawn sod with fresh grass seed from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies. Here’s what happened to your lawn over the winter: Cold wind may cause grass to lose moisture, frozen roots under the triple mix soil prevent water from reaching the grass blades, heavy snow might have “suffocated” or compacted your grass and ice buildup can damage grass due to trapped carbon dioxide. With warmer temperatures on the way, however, your lawn is ready to receive new grass seed. Here then are some tips designed to help you get the most from your grass seed.

It’s bitterly cold out right now. Thankfully, you’re indoors. All warm and cozy. And before winter truly hit in December, you took the time to prepare your backyard for winter by wrapping trees in burlap sacks and bringing fragile plants indoors. Unfortunately, though, your triple mix topsoil from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies needs to stay outdoors all winter long. So what’s happening to it? And how will you take care of it once spring arrives? Read on to find out.

This winter is doing a number on your sod – again. You just know that once the spring thaw arrives, you’ll have dead grass and bald patches all over your lawn – again. And you’re tired of dealing with it – again. If you’ve been thinking about installing artificial grass and turf from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies on your property this year, here are reasons why you should finally make the switch.

It’s almost the end of another year here at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies. And looking back on 2016, there was plenty going on at both our Oakville and Mississauga locations. So as we wish you the best of the season (with an eye towards 2017), let’s take a look back at the year that was. After all, because of great customers like you, 2016 turned out to be a terrific year at Van Beek’s.

Finding a place for your firewood is much more than just sticking it in an unused corner of your garage or shed. There’s an art and science behind it. The art aspect comes from having a nice looking pile (no matter how big or small) that’s easily accessible. The science part involves storing it a dry location (because wet firewood, frankly, is a waste) with plenty of air circulation. After you pick up your firewood from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, make sure it’ll last all winter long by following these splitting, stacking and storing tips.

Traditionally, spring is the busiest gardening season here at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies. The second busiest? Autumn. Planting in fall provides a few benefits which you just can’t get any other time of the year: Cooler air temperatures are easier on plants and gardeners alike Triple mix soil is still warm enough to allow roots to grow until the freeze hits Fall has more predictable weather than spring Pest and disease issues tend to dissipate by fall And perhaps most importantly, autumn tends to be a more relaxing season than spring. If you’re looking to add to your garden before the fall planting season ends (usually around six weeks before Oakville or Mississauga gets hit with the hard frost), here are some great suggestions.

Thoroughly cleaning up your yard this autumn accomplishes three important objectives. Restoration after a very long, hot and dry summer, preparation for spring maintenance once winter is over and presentation to ensure it looks warm and welcoming. A little bit of hard work now (with some friendly help from Van Beek’s Garden Supplies) will make sure your yard is ready for the cool days ahead. The best way to tidy up your landscaping is from the top down. So that’s where we’ll begin.

Tired of constantly watering and fertilizing your sod, only to watch it go brown and die? Thinking about replacing your lawn with artificial grass & turf? You’re not alone. Many people have contacted us here at Van Beek’s Garden Supplies wanting to know more about it. To help you out, we’ve put together an FAQ list on all things artificial turf. If you don’t see you particular question answered here, tell us what you want to know and we’ll be in touch with the information you need.

With summer comes rising temperatures, extra sunshine and more time spent outdoors. It also comes with increased water usage; most of which goes into sod, topsoil and the rest of your outdoor landscaping. This summer, be water wise by following these helpful tips, courtesy of Van Beek’s Garden Supplies.

Sod is sod, right? It looks the same It unrolls the same It grows the same If you don’t know what to look for, then yes, you could say there’s no difference between one piece of sod over another. Upon closer inspection, though, there are 4 characteristics which tell you if you’re looking at high-quality sod or not.

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.