The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

GARDEN GATE: Episode 300! (Aug 30, 2024)

Celebrating episode 300! For the past 12 years The Garden Gate segments have been showcasing many different features of the Avant-Garden Shop. Many people have told us how much they love these very informative and interesting segments! Thank you! Over the years there have been many guests joining Brenda; local artists, writers, photographers and enthusiasts! … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 299 – Canadian Made Wall Art! (Aug 16, 2024)

You won’t find any empty wall space at Avant-Garden shop! These walls are packed with beautiful Canadian made wall art. These are all quality made pieces, most of which are powder coated and won’t rust if you want to hang them outdoors. New pieces arrived recently but they don’t last long so come have a … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 298 – Messy Moose Socks! (Aug 2, 2024)

  Messy Moose socks! These socks are super fun for kids of ages 6 months to 4 years! The bottoms have rubber anti-slip treads so your little runners don’t slide all over the floors. Lots of new designs just came in! We also have lots of great toys and tools to get your kids outside … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 297 – New handmade glass art! (July 19, 2024)

In this week’s episode Brenda is highlighting some new products that recently arrived at the shop! The first is by an artist named Kathy from Cookstown Ontario. Kathy fuses glass together by cutting, layering and melting it at high temperatures. These sweet little birds on wood bases make a great gift or addition to your … Read more

An appreciation for late bloomers

American goldfinches (spinus tristis) are cheerful birds and year-round givers. Even through southern Ontario winters, we’re fortunate to have sufficient food supply to host goldfinches year-round; you’ll often see and hear families and flocks, with their dull green coats and chippery chirps as they bounce in wavy flight from tree to tree to nyger feeder.  … Read more

The Birds and the Beans

Bird Friendly Coffee If you’re wondering what coffee would taste like if it were Smithsonian approved, we can help you find out. We carry 340g bags of beans and ground coffee from Birds and Beans, all of which bear the gold seal stamp of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, the highest environmental … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 296 – New & Beautiful Metal Art (July 5, 2024)

New art from Asheville North Carolina just came in! These hand painted copper pieces are very unique! They’re crafted by artisans in a 5000 square foot studio that is right near the Blue Ridge Mountains. We received some that are on stakes for the garden and some pieces that hang on the wall. There are … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 295 – The Original Solair Chairs! (June 21, 2024)

Check out these groovy Solair Chairs! You may know them as basket chairs or motel chairs, as these are the same chairs made in the 1970s! We love that these are Canadian made by the same original company from Quebec. These chairs are very comfortable, hold up to 300lbs, and are easy to lift. They … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 294 – Father’s Day Ideas (June 7, 2024)

Fathers Day is this Sunday, June 16th. We’ve got many unique items for Dad in the shop including locally made bat houses! Bats consume a tremendous number of mosquitoes nightly and are a great option for pest control. Ask us for more fun facts about bats in the store, or grab a book on bats … Read more

Oh, Canada!

  We asked our newsletter readers to guess how many provinces and territories are represented by artists whose work we have carried over the years in our Avant-Garden shop. Take a guess and read about some of our unique artists (or scroll down to the bottom if you’re impatient) to see the answer.   Leading … Read more

The Avant-Garden Shop