Pull into Country Gardens RV Park in Petersburg, Ontario, Canada, and something dramatic happens. You cross over into a tension-free zone; at least that’s what many guests tell Peter Bingeman who, with his family, owns and operates this “home away from home.” In fact, they own two campgrounds, a long stone’s throw from one another, Landings and Country Gardens.
Located a few miles from Kitchener with a population well over 200,000, the campgrounds are less than a 15-minute drive from two large universities and several small colleges, and Toronto is little more than an hour away.
Its close proximity is especially convenient for seasonal campers who may spend the weekend or even all week at the campgrounds. Their stay can be highlighted by a stop to nearby St. Jacobs, said to be one of Ontario’s favorite rural destinations. Visitors can shop and eat, learn about the Mennonite story, or even visit the Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario.
But it’s not location that defines Landings and Country Gardens; it’s the people and the place. “I’ve always enjoyed providing an environment where guests can relax,” says Peter, who has 40 years in the industry and is past president of both the Ontario Campground Association and the National Campground Association. “There’s a sense of freedom and safety here, and a mix of all different cultures and ages.”
The family purchased Landings four years ago, and they’ve owned Country Gardens since 1999. Both sites offer an array of activities, including swimming, paddle boating and fishing. A walking tour will uncover a horseshoe pit and miniature golf course at Country Gardens, along with a favorite amenity for youngsters, a koi pond.
Daughter, Laura Dietrich, who manages Landings, mentioned that her mother, Jan, raises koi fish and maintains the pond filled with about 100 colorful inhabitants, the oldest approaching 18 years old. A quarter, she demonstrates, will net observers a handful of fish food and front seats to a feeding frenzy. “Each
campground also has a snack bar, recreation hall and, at Country Gardens,” she adds, “we’re also constructing a new pavilion just in time for Canada Day celebrations.”
Behind the Curtain
Landings sports 125 seasonal campsites and three that can accommodate overnight camping. Country Gardens has space for 225 seasonal sites and 27 overnighters.
“We provide full service for our guests,” Laura points out. “We prepare sites, locate trailers, and construct porches and patios. For those interested in upgrading their units, we sell three different types of RVs with models for viewing across from the Country Gardens office.”
Driving around, she points out several different sites, including one leased by a camper who has been a seasonal guest at Landings for 50 years. Laura waves
to her brother, Alan, who was busy preparing a new site. The siblings recently bought into the business, one that keeps 19 employees and the four family members busy all season long.
“It takes a lot of work to stay on top of everything that goes on around here,” Laura emphasizes. Her father agrees. “It’s a big challenge just maintaining the properties, not to mention providing upgrades like the pavilion that our seasonal guests appreciate. Last week we finished treating the last of 140 ash trees for the Emerald Ash Borer. Our staff is constantly cleaning up the grounds, trimming back the landscape, and, in the fall, removing leaves. You can only imagine how many leaves we move.”
Turf Talk
There’s plenty of grass to mow, as well, approximately nine acres of turf at each campground. That includes common areas at both and 33 cut ‘n’ charge sites at Country Gardens and 18 at Landings. Guests have the option to maintain their sites, but they are required to keep them looking neat.
The campgrounds own two Walker Mowers, one for each site. Peter purchased the first one in 2007, a diesel with a 48-inch GHS deck. He brought the second one on board, an EFI gas model with a 52-inch GHS deck, two years ago. Both were purchased from Connect Equipment in Kitchener, two miles down the road.
“Walker Mowers are a perfect fit here,” says Peter. “The machine’s maneuverability and out-front deck design are ideal for mowing around obstacles, and we have to collect clippings. You can’t side-discharge with trailers and families so close by.” He mentions that the clippings end up as compost in Jan’s garden, her second passion next to raising koi fish.
Operator John Heimpel puts the machines through their paces, spending two days a week at Landings and the other three at Country Gardens. He checks his routing slip to ensure he catches all his cut ‘n’ charge accounts for the day.
“This is the schedule through fall leaf cleanup,” Heimpel explains. “At the end of the growing season, we don’t pick up all the leaves with the Walker Mowers, but instead use a dump truck and 10-inch vacuum to pick up most of them. The mowers come in for the final cleanup around the sites.”
December, then, ushers in a quiet time, although the owners don’t go dormant like the grass does. Additional upgrades, tree work and wood splitting are all on the winter agenda. So, too, is getting their equipment ready for spring. In addition to its Walker Mowers, the campgrounds have a mini-excavator, two loaders, a wood chipper and splitter, a pump for emptying the ponds and swimming pools, a couple of utility vehicles and a garden tractor, which is used to mow the road sides between the two sites.
Not to say the owners don’t have time in the offseason to find their own form of tension relief. They share a cottage four hours north where snow and snowmobile trails abound. Jan also encourages a trip or two to anyplace south, and she’s not talking about a two-hour drive to Buffalo.
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