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.

Top dress your garden

Over the winter and early part of spring, the soil in your garden has been exposed to all sorts of temperature changes and weather elements.

As a result, it probably looks rough, dull and rocky.

Give your garden a fresh look (and your plants a fresh source of food, too) by top dressing it with a thin layer of topsoil.

The objective here is to smooth out and level the soil surface, so you don’t need to use a thick or excessive amount.

Other reasons why top dressing is a good idea this Victoria Day weekend:

- Fresh soil bags will combat the appearance of thatch (stems and roots which pile up on the soil surface)

- Provide protection from the extreme summer heat (yes, it’s possible for topsoil to become too hot)

- Give the roots a better place to take hold and grow strong

In order to top dress your garden properly, you need to use the best soil mixture possible, which leads us to…

Download our FREE topsoil guide

There’s a clear difference between topsoil and dirt that isn’t evidently obvious.

By downloading our FREE guide, How to Identify & Avoid Poor Topsoil, you’ll know what to look for (and what to steer clear of) before you spend your money.

Here’s a sneak peek of tip #3 from this FREE checklist:

Before you head on down to Van Beek’s Garden Supplies make sure you download, print and bring this handy checklist with you.

Establish a good place to store your topsoil

After your topsoil delivery has arrived, if you find you have more than you need, you’ll want to store it for future use.

Leaving out in the open isn’t a wise option. Either the hot sun will dry it out or rain and wind will wash and blow it away, respectively.

Instead, prepare a designated area for your topsoil that’s:

- Clean and free of contaminants (like dust or weeds)

- Completely dry

- On high, level ground

- Preferably indoors

If you can’t stockpile your excessive topsoil inside, purchase a large tarpaulin (or other similar product) to adequately cover and protect your soil delivery.

Use a FREE soil calculator to determine how much you need

A smart way to get an accurate estimate as to how much topsoil you require is to use a FREE soil calculator.

You don’t need to be a math major either.

Just grab a measuring tape, measure the length and width of your garden (and estimate how thick the layer will be).

Enter in the numbers and you’ll get a good idea of how much you need.

And when you know how much you need, you can then…

Arrange for soil delivery

Yes, even for the Victoria Day long weekend, you can stock up on the topsoil you need for your long weekend gardening projects.

At Van Beek’s Garden Supplies, there’s two ways to have soil delivered to you.

Choose from:

• Soil bags: Easy and convenient, soil bags keep your topsoil neatly stored in an easy-to-access container

• Bulk soil delivery: Here, the soil is dumped on your driveway. A preferred choice if you want to shovel from the ground instead of in a tall bag.

Let us take care of your topsoil needs this Victoria Day long weekend

Contact us with all your topsoil requirements:

- What type you need

- How much you need

- How you’d like it delivered

And we’ll make sure to bring it to you in time for the long weekend.