The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Kids Just Wanna Play!

Kids want and need to be active. After a full summer of running, jumping, swimming, and climbing, often outdoors, they’re returning to school, where they’ll spend a lot of time indoors, sitting down and looking at screens. Their memories of the outdoor adventures they had with bugs, slugs, birds, and mammals will outlast any experiences … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 171 Quality Felco tools (August 16th, 2019)

When we began our shop back in 2002 we carried a wide variety of tools, window boxes, statuary, fountains and so much more! Over the years things have changed a bit, but we’ve always carried quality tools with the best pruning tools being from Felco. We carry a range of pruners, small saws, replacement springs … Read more

Garden Tips: Yeah, Baby (Birds)!

It’s been a good summer for the birds, and there are baby birds everywhere. Perhaps you’ve noticed more chatter as juvenile robins, cardinals, jays, and sparrows beg for food from their parents. Or perhaps you’ve noticed what sounds like familiar song but a bit off-key? That’s the sound of juvenile birds learning and practicing their … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 170-Pollinator gardens

Carlotta James from Three Sisters Natural Landscapes (http://www.3sisters.ca/) is my guest on this episode to talk about pollinators and pollinator gardens. Pollinators are very important for our environment. Without them we would have much less food available to us. It is estimated that one of every three bites of food depend on pollinators. The Three … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 169-All that glitters is gold(finches) July 19th, 2019

The Peterborough area is blessed with an abundance of American Goldfinches, which some people call Wild Canaries. Male Goldfinches are a rich lemon-yellow, with black wings, a black tail, and a black “toupee.” Females are a paler yellow and lack the toupee (perhaps the males struggle with male pattern baldness?). Goldfinches alternate between flapping their … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 168 – Recycled plastic (July 5th, 2019)

With the over use of plastic in the news so much lately I thought I’d share some information about reducing or reusing plastic. Use Envirosax cloth bags instead of plastic bags to reduce waste. They hold more than 50lbs of groceries and fit easily into a purse or bag. A line of bird feeders that … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 167 – Tools for gardening (June 21st, 2019)

On this episode we share some great tips on tools you can use in the garden to make the work a little easier. Gloves, the Garden bandit, kneeling pad, all natural sunscreen and lip balm, hat etc. Plus you’ll see that I’m wearing a heat guard. Soak these neat little neck scarves in water for … Read more

Garden Tips: All that Glitters is Gold(finches)

The Peterborough area is blessed with an abundance of American Goldfinches, which some people call Wild Canaries. Male Goldfinches are a rich lemon-yellow, with black wings, a black tail, and a black “toupee.” Females are a paler yellow and lack the toupee (perhaps the males struggle with male pattern baldness?). Goldfinches alternate between flapping their … Read more

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