Heeman's
20422 Nissouri Road N0M 2P0 London, ON, Canada

Gold Nugget Hens & Chicks are back!! Our best selling variety of hardy succulent, (technically called sempervivum), these stunners start off spring this dark red with yellow tone and slowly fade to more yellow with a bit of green This hardy plant isn't just mesmerizing, it's drought-tolerant, can thrive in sun and heat and is cold hardy too! We have 500 in-store right now and 3x that coming soon. So don’t worry about them running out today! **Note, as they just came out of the greenhouse they are not frosty hardy just yet! If you plant them, plan to protect them if frost is forecasted this month.*

Thinking of tackling some spring cleaning in the garden? Great weather and the perfect time to get some of this prep work done! Here’s your checklist

It’s time to pick our winner! We were blown away by your support of this charity raffle in support of Youth Opportunities Unlimited YOU’s, Youth Action Centre for local youth in crisis (aged 16-24). With your support we raised a whopping $8690!!! Amazing! The lucky winner bringing this Monstera standleyana albo variagata home is Jayson Oh, ticket # 89125. Congrats! Special thanks to everyone across ontario for your support. This money will go to a great cause at the perfect time. The YOU mentioned this is one of their largest fundraisers this year and it’s greatly appreciated during these tough times. You rock!!!

Perennial House = now open!! Lots of perennials now in stock with two huge orders arriving today and out for sale this weekend too! Browse just some of the new arrivals seen in these photos. If you're looking for spring colour that's winter hardy, we've got you covered!

Have visited our greenhouse, walked by our air plant display with 1000+ plants and thought to yourself, 'I wonder how they water all those'? Well, here's the answer! We fill a large flooding table and lay them out, one by one, every week. We let them soak for at least an hour and then transfer them, one by one, to a rack where they dry out upside down. Why upside down? So the excess water can run down and out of the centre of the plants. This prevents them from being put back... on display wet which is a key cause of air plant mortality (they rot and fall apart from the centre). For more air plant care tips you can use at home you can read our Air Plant Care Guide: https://heeman.ca/garden-guides/caring-for-air-plants

Thrilled to update you that as a result of our JOY campaign where we donated $1 for each post with our Joy sign you shared, we presented a cheque for an additional $1278 going to the MINDS of London-Middlesex via the St. Joseph's Health Care London Foundation. We received 221 JOY posts, mentions & stories and our staff contributed an extra $205. The Heeman family decided to triple this donation and so, including the $4000 we donated in November, over $5200 will go to support youth mental health research here in London. Today & everyday mental health matters! #BelllLetsTalk #EndTheStigma #MentalHealthMatters

January can be tough, post-holidays, with spring months away, the winter blah's are real. Add in COVID-19, physical distancing, isolation and so much unknown, it's important to take a minute to focus on our own wellbeing. Here in the greenhouse we miss seeing you and we're working on getting ready for spring and better days to come. Long before anyone had heard about COVID-19, mental health was a serious issue. Today, on #BellLetsTalk Day, as we get through winter AND a lockd...own it's an even bigger issue than ever. We'd like to take this moment to be part of the conversation on mental health. In support of mental health awareness, we wanted to share the newsletter we sent out last night. It has some things you and your family can do to stay healthy at home (see below) and *hint* some include plants! Finding new ways to stay connected with friends, family and loved ones and practicing self-care supports good mental health and well-being for all. Let's get through this, together. ~ Will

Seeds are here! Now usually this wouldn’t be exciting news days before Christmas, but 2020 has been far from normal... If you’re eager to get the seeds for your garden in 2021 or just avoid the shortages the industry experienced this spring, we’ve got you covered! Our full spring selection is in store now from West Coast Seeds & Ontario Seed Company. That means you can find all your favourite veggie, herb & flower seeds including organic & heirloom selections. Coincidence they fit perfectly in a stocking? We’ll let you decide!

Don’t mind me as I relive my visits to some of our friends & growers in Florida. Hard to believe its already been a year since this visit. A different time! Look forward to when we can visit again! While I can’t go in-person we still check in weekly with many of them and next week our fourth truck from Florida arrives with more goodies & 2 more are already in the works! * No, I didn’t get to bring home all of the plants in these photos, wish I could! We’re always hunting for fun new plants to stroke off your plant lust list though!

Ready to kiss 2020 goodbye? This year's days are number and we think that's worth celebrating with some Heeman's Hard Cider. You could even gift a few bottles to a friend or loved one.... or not. Berry Blush, Original, our award-winning Dry Empire or festive special release Mulled Mead. We even hear Ambrosia will be available again really soon...

How sweet would it be to receive a gift of local honey or jams? These perfect stocking stuffers come from our local hives & fields. We even have some cases of our seasonal Mulled Mead (alcohol derived from honey) to treat your tastebuds and savour over the holidays.

How inviting are these dressed up winter Welcome Planters! A great arrangement to sit outside your front door to welcome you back home all winter long. Come spring you can swap out the greens for spring/summer/fall plants to make use of this 4-legged planter 12-months of the year! We have Welcome Planters available decorated and dressed for $89.99 or empty (just the planter) for $39.99.

Introducing Mulled Mead, our newest seasonal release & second-ever mead. Cozy up to a roaring fire to enjoy this fresh take on a traditional winter favourite. We took the best of our fall harvest honey and aged it with our favourite seasonal spices for this heartwarming festive spiced mead. A cup of good cheer to perfectly pair with your holiday memory-making. As a mead (honey wine) it has that smooth and slightly sweet honey undertone but is spiced for strong flavours of cloves, cinnamon, star anise, dried apples, vanilla & ginger. We definitely recommend trying this mead warm or even hot, like you would a mulled wine or cider! Available in 355mL bottles, 8% alcohol by volume. $8.95 a bottle. Available online or in-store for a limited time only!

It’s the last weekend before Christmas, need some last minute decorations or gifts? 40% off winter & Christmas decor, artificial trees, outdoor arrangements & picks. Plus pick up centrepieces, boxwood trees of a grinch tree (not included in Dutch Auction). Take a peek at some of the great things we have in the greenhouse!

The snow flying today has us feeling the winter vibes! If you feel like decorating this week but want your arrangements already done, we have hundreds of planters, ready to go!

Please join us in congratulating Tom Heeman who was selected as this year's OPMA Fresh Award recipient. This award is given to one young individual in recognition of their ambition, spirit and dedication to the produce industry in Ontario and for fervently working to improve the fruit and vegetable chain in and outside of Ontario. Specifically, Tom was highlighted for this award because of his leadership in helping develop guidelines that were adopted by the Ontario Ministry ...of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs that allowed for the safe opening of Pick Your Own farms. This ensured Ontarians could have access to PYO fruits & vegetables across the province. As you might know, Tom's a pretty busy guy on and off our farm. He's involved in growing strawberries and raspberries, our talented cidermaker and beekeeper. In his 'spare time' Tom is the Chairperson for Berry Growers of Ontario, sits on London-Middlesex Food Policy Council, serves on board for ALUS Middlesex, is a municipal councillor for Thames Centre, member of the Thorndale Lions and has lots of other past experiences in the community and at large! We're delighted that Tom has been recognized for his contributions to the industry and lucky to have him helping drive our business forward! Read More: https://heeman.ca/tom-heeman-fresh-award-2020/

Today is a pretty special day, Rudy Heeman, the Berry Boss, lifelong berry farmer and dedicated Dad officially turns the big 6-0! Happy Birthday, Rudy!! Here's to many more milestones & lots of smiles & yummy berries ahead!

Which Grinch Tree would you bring home? Funky and or festive? Dr. Seuss colours or classic red and white?

Good news for air plant fans out there, we just received a HUGE delivery of tillandsia, imported directly from the US! The air plant wall is now bursting with colour and variety as we loaded up on your favourites, including those awesome enhanced colour plants. Air plants are a plant that often doesn't use roots to draw water, they pull moisture from the air! Care Tips:... - thrives when growing in indirect sunlight (in a room near a window is ideal) - water by dunking in water for several minutes then place upside down on a drying rack and leave until completely dry (usually 3+ hours), please don't hang back wet - they'll rot - each variety grows a bit different and some need more water than others (dessert varieties with less white fuzz - the trichomes that are the plants 'tongues' that pull moisture out the air) - watering 1x a week for every plant all year long isn't going to work - each variety has different needs, just like people If given the proper space (and you now have the knowledge to care for them), they can be a great plant to keep inside. Remember, don't put them in total darkness and don't put them away wet & you'll be avoiding the 2 most common 'air plant killer' mistakes!

Looking for a winter arrangement for a smaller space? Our team created these wintery smaller containers to fit the bill. Available decorated for only $39.99 and last for months!

Potted Christmas Trees are a tree you can enjoy this holiday season and then plant outside to enjoy for years to come. A live tree can be purchase ahead of time and brought inside for Christmas before planting it shortly after. Ideally, you'd enjoy it inside for 7-10 days, keep well watered and have a pre-dug hole outside to plant it into. A tree you can enjoy but not cut down, worth considering for this year? You can watch our video on how to care for these trees for more info! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGfzpijfQoY&t=10s

While we can't get together at Heeman's for Winter Workshops that have been a tradition for many, that doesn't mean we can't bring that experience into your home! We're recreating the workshop fun with customizable kits with all the supplies you need, optional add-on's all in an easy to build site. When you're done our team will collect the items for you to pick-up & we'll send a private 50-minute workshop video lead by Will Heeman. You can watch it whenever, pause and replay at your own pace. Watch as Will breaks down how it works & be sure to watch to the end, we were able to make quite the blooper reel from his outtakes Head over to our Online Store to build your kit now!

Creating your own winter planters is a lot of fun but with so many fresh greens to work with it can be hard to know which one(s) are best to add and how to use them. Will broke down each of the winter greens we have (back in 2018) and it's great info for first time and experienced decorators alike! You can see better images of each green and the prices on Winter Online store and can pick out these greens to create our planter in-store or online! https://store.heeman.ca/hee-store-shelf/winter-decorating//

Great news berry fans, the strawberries survived!! Despite some frigid temperatures over the weekend, the strawberry season continues. We will have fewer berries for the rest of the season as some flowers were frozen earlier in the month and the temperatures are cooler, meaning slower ripening. We'll keep picking as many as we can for as long as Mother Nature allows! While the berries are very light in colour, they've ripened for as long - or longer - than summer berries. ...The flavour in fall strawberries is excellent, sweet with a nice crunch. Enjoy them while they're still here! ps - The Drive-Thru is now closed for 2020 but we will be bringing it back next year! Thanks for your awesome support and appreciation of that COVID-inspired pivot :D

Here to help you decorate your outdoor space with a deep selection of fresh-cut winter greens & pre-made arrangements, wreaths and roping!

Well friends, tonight’s (Saturday) frost looks like it could be bad. We hope this isn’t the end of the strawberry season but if it is, we’ve had a good run... Today our pickers stayed later and picked every red berry across the entire farm. We will have (maybe the last) strawberries available Sunday for sale. Whether that’s the end or if we can still pick again later in the week, we’ll that’s up to Mother Nature. Right now, if you have any veggies still growing, like tomatoes, peppers, cucamelons, etc. Harvest them! Even the underripe fruit, otherwise it’s likely to freeze and go bad. You can put all your unripe tomatoes on a cooking tray with a banana in the centre and cover it with a tea towel to create a simple ripening chamber!

While the warm summer weather may be gone, the sweet taste of strawberries is not! We continue to pick fresh raspberries & strawberries from the fields and have them available daily. With cold nights the fruit is less red than before but the natural sugars are more intense (like grapes in the late season produce those sweeter late harvest wines) making for a crunchier but still very tasty berry!

Wearing a mask and practising physical distancing means our front-line healthcare works like the staff at the St. Joseph's Health Care London campuses can spend more time focused on carrying for those in our community who require vital care. During this pandemic, we'd definitely had to get creative and adapt to be there to serve our community and offer that 'happy place' we aim to be for all of you. We continue to be focused on providing a space safe for our staff and for our... guests. Whether it's a fall mum, 6-pack of cider or a flat of strawberries, we've here for ya. If you'd like you can read this short story I did with St. Joe's (the hospital I was born at and where I volunteer as a Board member on the Foundation). Thanks! ~ Will Heeman #BehindTheMask

Houseplant highlight: Today, it's all about the Monstera adansonii, also known as the Swiss Cheese Vine! This is the less common cousin of the Monstera deliciosa, famed for their large split leaves. Monstera grows best during Canadian winters in a space with good light exposure; ideally growing close to a window the has 6+ hours of sun. The iconic holes in the leaves, known as fenestrations, are a sign of maturity. As the plant grows, the holes in the leaves will establish an...d become larger. There are several theories about why they develop these fenestrations, but plant scientists still aren't 100% sure. Our favourite theory is that the holes allow wind to pass through the leaves, keeping them securely fastened to the tree or surface they're climbing in nature! Most Monsteras originate from Central and South America, growing deep into the jungle and climbing up the trees. They have the tendency to trail and love looking for ways to expand. They will climb up a pole or support if you give them one, otherwise, they'll hang down from a basket. A rapid grower, Monstera adansonii is a more hungry houseplant requiring plant food (fertilizer) than other houseplants. We advise feeding these once a season during the dormant growing period (October to March) and then 1-2x a month during the growing season when the sun is more intense and days are longer. If their leaves start turning a bit yellow, it could be a sign that they're not being fed enough. Monstera adansonii is a unique houseplant with multiple ways to enjoy them in your home. With the right space and care, they're a very rewarding houseplant to add to your collection!

Ice cream eatin' weather in late October?? We'll take it! Which sundae would you order from the Beanery, 1 Classic Strawberry Sundae or 2 our Limited Edition Green Goblin?? Strawberry Sundae is made with our famously delicious sundae sauce and the Green Goblin features imported pumpkin seed oil and 2 ginger snap cookies! * Yes, fresh field-grown strawberries are still in season (though this photo was taken in the summer so the berries are a different variety now)

We’re seeing green, evergreens that is! The first two of five entire trailer loads have arrived and our team of cutters will soon be working on creative winter arrangements & bunches of fresh cut boughs! We will have pre-made arrangements, dressed and ready for you to decorate, available just after Halloween. No, we will not be hosting any workshops this year (we’re seriously bummed about that), but will have a take home kit with video tutorial available online & in-store so you can still enjoy the fun of making your own but with our guidance and help!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Reflecting on the year we are most thankful for our family, our friends, our health, our front line health care & public health workers, our Daymakers & our community. Our family and friends for supporting us. We value it now more than ever when it takes effort to stay ‘connected’, our health is something we don’t take for granted. We’re grateful to our public health workers who keep our community safe & our health care workers who take care of us when we need them most. Finally we’re so appreciative of our Daymakers, our team who work hard all year to serve our guests & finally, we’re thankful for all of you! You’ve been there with us, supporting us all year - in-store when possible and online when it wasn’t. We don’t take you for granted & we appreciate your support more than we can put words to!

Need some last minute items for decorating or adding to your thanksgiving feast this weekend? We’re open Saturday & Monday 9-5! Cider, strawberries, pumpkins & more.

Fresh local ginger is in season and that means fresh Ginger Tea is available for a limited time at The Beanery! Made with fresh locally grown ginger from Canadian Ginger Co. in Haldimand County, it sure packs some flavour! Ginger Tea will warm up both your hands and your tummy. Added bonus, ginger is great for boosting your immune system! Try it on your next visit.

Now here's some news worth celebrating! Our own Susan Judd, co-lead on our hard cidery has completed her Level 1 exam for the Certified Cider Professional certification. You've heard of a sommelier, the badge of certified wine experts, while this is the hard cider equivalent that certifies pommeliers! Susan is now only one test away from earning the title of 'pommelier' and with only a single pommelier in all of Canada, she could soon join a VERY exclusive club! Way to go, Susan!! If you'd like to practise your own amateur cider tasting skills we have our Original and Dutch Crumble hard ciders available in-store & online.

Have you enjoyed the beauty of some plants that grow from a bulb or tuber that's not winter hardy? You can save them to enjoy next year by digging them up now and storing the bulbs for replanting next year! Some popular flowers that grow from bulb include canna, dahlias, gladiolus and tuber begonias. Check out our guide with step-by-step instructions on how to save the bulbs and store them over winter for enjoying again next year!

Houseplant Profile: Rattlesnake Prayer Plant, aka Calathea lancifolia. This is one of our absolute favourite plants in the popular prayer plant family. Like all calathea they are pet-friendly and do well in indirect light spaces. This variety has some of the most stunning foliage with dark green spots on the top side and dark burgundy/purple foliage under their undersides. Prayer Plants get their name because they can move and 'pray' or 'dance' as the sun comes up and goes do...wn. In my own home, I have one of these and at night the leaves all point up to the sky, showing off a bit of the dark underside but during the day they relax and give quite a show of the spotted leaves. To best care for this plant, it's important to remember they require high humidity and do prefer to grow in moist soil. During winter months it's a good idea to cluster this plant closer to others so they can benefit from the humidity they give off and not dry out OR if you had a humidifier nearby all your calathea would love you for that. Try not to let the soil dry out between waterings - this doesn't mean drown it - check their moisture at least 1-2" down in the pot and water if it's dry. Keeping them in the nursery pots with those drainage holes is a great idea so they don't build up water and cause root rot over time. ~ Will If you're interested in adding this plant to your collection we currently have them in 4", 6" or 2-gallon pots for $14.99, $24.99 and $39.99 respective.

If you're looking for more local to put on your Thanksgiving plate, we have some fresh produce, preserves and cider to pair with that holiday feast! Fresh apples, berries, hard (and sweet) cider, pickles, honey, and jams. ps - We're open Saturday 9-5, Closed Sunday and open Monday 9-5

Our Pumpkin Wall got a spooky Halloween makeover! Get your camera ready when you visit this weekend!

Say hello to the Ginger Snap Green Goblin Sundae! Made with vanilla ice cream and a pure pumpkin seed oil. The oil is imported from Austria where this unique seed variety is grown and pressed! All topped with two ginger snap cookies. Enjoy this popular European style-sundae this month at the Berry Beanery!

Hard cider, berries & plants; a great combination! Have you read the story in The London Free Press about our hard cidery? Tom and Susan (3rd generation) lead our cider team and have turned out some great ciders already including the award-winning Dry Empire. As we speak they're working to finish off the next batch of Berry Blush with many more ciders in the works, including some new seasonal fruity releases! Have you tried our Hard Cider or Mead yet? What's been your favourite one so far?

We just received a big load of houseplants and had to share a few of the new arrivals in our recent Stories. Can’t wait to have them all ready for you guys this Thursday! We got in some awesome snake plants, hoya, fiddle leaf figs, bird of paradise, Chinese evergreens, red begonia vine, ZZ plants and a LOT more!

While the warm summer weather may be gone, the sweet taste of strawberries is not! We continue to pick fresh raspberries & strawberries from the fields and have them available daily. With cold nights the fruit is less red than before but the natural sugars are more intense (like grapes in the late season produce those sweeter late harvest wines) making for a crunchier but still very tasty berry!

Why do we houseplants so much? Not only do they clean our air, boost our mood, but they can also turn our home office and indoor spaces into a slice of the outdoors and make great home decor accents too! Right now we have a really great collection and we have another truck coming in this week with even more goodies like more snake plants, fiddle leaf figs, ZZ plants, hoya, and more! Does your bungalow look like a jungalow? We want to see your plant collection! Tag us or post in the comments.

Introducing Dutch Crumble Hard Apple Cider. Your new favourite fall cider, perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or those 'just because' evenings. Enjoy flavours of baked apple, with cinnamon spice and vanilla that give you the heartwarming flavour of an apple crumble pie like Grandma used to make. Available now in a 500mL bottle, $5.60 each! Order online or in-store. This seasonal release should be last all fall. Pick some up on your next visit to enjoy this Thanksgiving!

Lookin' for pumpkins? With thousands to pick from, we've got the perfect pumpkin for your front door! From white and orange to warty and pink, we've got you covered. Are you a traditional orange fan or coloured all the way?

When you're about to grab a cart to pick out a Porch Package, some houseplants or other garden items, rest assured that each cart is sanitized by a dedicated staff member after each use. It's just one of many safety protocols we have in place to keep you safe and add peace of mind.