This year we’re seeing large numbers of finches. American Goldfinch, Common Redpolls, Pine Siskens, House finches etc. These birds love nyger seed. But it needs to be fresh. And they like feeders with the little holes in them. This also help to keep seed dry and bully birds from throwing everything on the ground. Learn … Read more
On this episode of The Garden Gate we’ve highlighted some activities that you could do with the kids during March break. (Originally aired prior to March break) Puzzles, soap stone carving, paint by sticker books, puppet making, embroidery kits, colouring cards, building a bird house or getting outside to identify some birds and play … Read more
Over the last few years we curated many more beautiful greeting cards for our customers. It seems more an more people are writing letters and sending a little note to family and friends. Many of our cards are also made in Canada and some by local artists. Every day we hear that we have the … Read more
It’s hard to understand how little tiny birds can survive our cold winters. They’re just so small! There are a few things that we can do to help and on this episode I talk about some ideas. Suet, peanuts, hulled sunflowers, roosting boxes and heated bird baths all help to make the lives of our … Read more
We’ve spoken before about buying good quality seed. Plump seeds with large kernels. The birds prefer it! But having CLEAN seed is also important. Our seed is cleaned multiple times both by the grower and our bird food supplier. This means there are very few sticks, dust or other debris. Some box store brands include … Read more
March. For some, that means March break. For many kids, it means “MARCH BREAK!” In this month’s e-newsletter, we presented several ideas for indoor activities that kids can do on their own or with some supervision. But, especially with the warming weather, this week offers an opportunity to get outside and offset some of the … Read more
On this episode I share tips on how to attract cardinals to your feeders. I talk about the type of feeders they prefer, their favourite seed and also what trees to plant! Cardinals are a favourite of most customers and it’s the goal to get one to their feeders! We can help. Take just 2 … Read more
You’ve purchased and set up your bird feeding station, filled it with high-quality bird food, sat down by the window with your binoculars and identification guide, and… …no birds! What’s up with that? Birds need food to survive, of course, and feeders can provide them with desperately needed calories, especially in the deep cold of … Read more
In addition to the pleasure that comes from watching birds at a feeder, many people choose to feed birds to help them out. You may have heard the idea that birds become dependent on feeders, and we could end up harming them if we stop stocking our feeders. The scientific literature suggests this may not … Read more
On this episode I share some ideas for last minute gift ideas. Beautiful Stitch by Stitch ornaments are always popular. Hand made and Fair trade. We also have an interesting suet feeder that looks like a cute owl, compressed seed gifts for the birds, beautiful soaps and hostess napkins by Michel Design Works, tea towels, … Read more