The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Garden Tips: Marching Into Spring

The days are getting longer, and the Northern Cardinals and American Robins are singing up a storm! Things start getting busier in March in the bird world as our year-round-resident cavity-nesting species start courtship and breeding behaviours. Male songbirds use song to define and defend their territories, as well as to attract females. Woodpeckers use … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 182-Best places to bird in Ontario (Michael Burrell) Jan. 17, 2020

  It’s no secret: Ontario’s rich natural landscape and diverse wildlife provides some of the most exceptional birdwatching Canada has to offer, attracting thousands of bird-lovers each year. In this user-friendly guidebook, local experts Mike and Ken Burrell show us why. Outlining thirty of their personal favorite spots at which to enjoy the province’s birding, … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 180 – Artist Christine McGrath (Dec 20 2019)

https://youtu.be/1Erkdispsyo Bibelot Design Studio was started in 1994 by Christine McGrath and her husband Reid Maltby. They began by designing jewelry, but since have evolved into creating a line of fresh, modern home accents using glass, textiles and wood veneer. Each piece is handcrafted from start to finish with great attention to detail. There are … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 179 – Ideas for Christmas (Dec 6 2019)

On this episode I share a few of our most popular Christmas gift ideas. Michel Design is a company from the US and they have designers working hard to come up with beautiful patterns and fragrances for their line of soaps, napkins, placemats, aprons and so much more. Always a customer favourite! You can find … Read more

Garden Tips: Where are all the birds?

Lots of folks are asking why there are so few birds at their feeders this winter, as compared to last year. The answers to these types of questions are never as straightforward as we might think. To start off, different numbers of birds are here from one winter to the next. A variety of factors … Read more

Garden Tips: Are your feeding efforts helping or harming birds?

Feeding birds can be a source of tremendous pleasure. Whether songbirds at a seed feeder, woodpeckers at suet cage, or ducks and geese by a pond, watching them eat what you offer is at the same time exciting and calming. As the weather gets colder, migrating and overwintering birds can certainly use the extra calories … Read more

The Avant-Garden Shop