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.

Trees and bushes

Trees

It’s been a particularly active summer when it comes to high winds, thunderstorms and heavy rain falls.

There could be some dead limbs which are caught or hanging in your trees. If there are, you should remove them immediately, or else they could fall on things like:

- Your home

- Your car, truck or vehicle

- Yourself (or someone else)

- Patio furniture or garden landscaping

Bushes

Untrimmed bushes can pose a few hazards:

- Create an inviting environment for termites (due to trapped moisture)

- Can be used as a potential hiding spot for burglars or other unwanted people (it’s true)

- If located near your air conditioner unit, overgrown bushes may interfere with its condenser

Watering the lawn & garden

The weather out there is scorching. And if you’ve just laid down new sod, you want to prevent it from burning.

So how can you tell if your lawn or garden is getting enough water?

Here are some basic rules you can easily follow:

- You don’t need to water every day. In fact, more plants are damaged or lost through over-watering than under-watering.

- Get to know the soil properties in your garden. Water penetrates differently in different types of soil (for example, sandy soil vs. loose soil).

- Discover how deep water penetrates the soil. After you’ve watered your garden for 30 minutes, dig a small hole in your garden and use your hand to see how deep the water has reached. Ideally, the water should reach 6” to 8” beneath the surface of the topsoil.

Patio care

Interlocking stone pavers are tough and built to last.

But even they could use some love and TLC from time-to-time, especially if you’ve used them heavily over the summer.

In order to give them a good cleaning, here are some very easy things you should do:

- Remove all the furniture (including BBQ and potted plants)

- Give the patio a through sweeping and washing (with a hose or power washer if you have one)

And don’t forget about the patio furniture too:

- Patio cushions and furniture frames: Wash them both with mild soap and clean water, then let the cushions dry fully before putting them back (or else mildew might grow)

- Use car polish on any metal frames to make them really sparkly and shiny

- Use a glass cleaner for glass surfaces and remember to also clean the glass on any outdoor lights or lanterns in order to maximize light

- Clean your grill grates with a degreaser and a strong, sturdy barbeque brush

“Yes You Can!” And we want to help you

Gardening and landscaping is all about having a design vision, bringing it to life and taking care of it.

And because it’s your property, who better to build it and maintain it than you?

You may think it’s daunting, but our “Yes You Can!” series will make the most complex jobs and tasks seem like a cinch.

Whether you need products, support or even more advice, we’re here to help you in any way possible.

Just contact us anytime and tell us what you need.

And remember, when it comes to your landscaping: “Yes You Can!”