The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

GARDEN GATE: Episode 238-Avian Flu and cleaning feeders (Apr 8, 2022)

Cleaning your feeders is very important. Dirty feeders can spread disease and also don’t operate properly when they’re gummed up with old seed. With the prevalence of the avian flu and conjunctivitis in Ontario, it’s especially important to clean feeders regularly. Cleaning feeders with hot water and a small amount of bleach twice a month … Read more

It’s a challenging time for birds. And bird lovers…

Spring migration is a physically demanding time for birds. Imagine the physicality of flying from Central or South America with the added challenges of unpredictable food sources and confusing high-rise tower lights along the way. This is a time when readily available energy can literally mean life or death. Bird feeders well-stocked with high-quality, high-fat … Read more

Garden Tips: Planting for winter bird use

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

Garden Tips: Is feeding birds helpful to them or a hindrance?

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

GARDEN GATE: Episode 231 -Last minute Christmas gift ideas (Dec 17, 2021)

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

GARDEN GATE-Episode 230: Christmas ornaments (Dec 3, 21)

At this time of year the shop is filled with beautiful gifts for Christmas. One of our favourites are the Stitch by Stitch ornaments. These are hand made in South-East Asia by artisans in their homes. While we tend to avoid items made over seas so we can support our own Canadian artists, these items … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 229-Heated bird baths (Nov. 19, 2021)

Winters in Canada are tough on birds. They spend all their time looking for food, water and shelter. Anything that we can do to help these beautiful little creatures is a good thing and will help them to survive the cold nights. Birds must eat from dawn until dusk just to survive the -30C nights. … Read more

More isn’t always better… birds and windows

Can you guess how many bird species have been documented in the Peterborough region? 307! With a blend of urban areas, lakes and rivers, agricultural fields, and forests, the Peterborough area encompasses a huge variety of habitats. On top of that, we sit in an area know as “The Land Between,” the transition zone between … Read more

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