The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Avant-Garden Blog

GARDEN GATE: Episode 308 – Feeding Birds (not squirrels!) in the Winter (December 20, 2024)

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It’s getting colder at night so during the day birds (and squirrels) are busy eating and storing up energy. The Squirrel Buster Plus, (which really is squirrel proof!) is a great feeder to use to keep the squirrels from gobbling up all the seeds before the birds get a chance. When a squirrel gets on the feeder its weight closes off access to the seed. Our Seasons Woodland blend is a great option to use in this feeder, offering a mix of high-quality fatty seeds for all the birds visiting your feeders. This Buster holds over 5lbs of seed and is adjustable to also keep out some of the bigger bully birds.

Feeding suet in the winter is especially tough, as it is VERY attractive to the squirrels. The Squirrel Buster Suet feeder helps to solve this problem! It comes with two suet cakes, can be adjusted for different weights, and like all the Squirrel Busters, has a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage! Stop by the shop and we’ll show you how they work!

Minding Our Business: Happy Feet = Happy Planet

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  Solmate’s successful reduction of waste in textile production reminds us that every company makes a deliberate choice how (or if) they want to be part of the climate change problem or solution. They also prioritize employee wages and benefits. These choices are why we’re featuring them in our Minding Our Business profile series. Minding … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 307 – No Tax on Puzzles!! (December 6, 2024)

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Puzzling is a great past time for cold winter days.

We have the most beautiful puzzles that are sometimes hard to keep in stock! We carry a few different lines. Pomegranate, Galison, The Occurrence and Michael Storrings.

When we’re looking for puzzles (and just about any product) for the shop we try first to get Canadian made, then we aim for high quality. These puzzles fit the bill.

The Occurrence line is made in Canada and all the artists who design the art are also Canadian. Even the boxes are Made in Canada!

Pomegranate puzzles are beautiful works of art. The pieces fit together very well and the colours are stunning. With images from artists like VanGogh, The group of seven, William Morris and more, people often glue and frame the work. Or if you like something a bit more vintage or groovy, check out the Rex Ray puzzle.

We get supply regularly so drop in often for your next project puzzle. From Dec. 14th, 2024 to February 15th, 2025 all puzzles are tax free thanks to the Federal government initiative.

 

Canada’s Got Talent

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As a downtown business owner, it’s easy to see the benefits of shopping local. Whenever we sell ?original art and gift items created by local?, Canadian artists and companies, we see that money going into their pockets; real pockets of real people who are eager ?to re-invest in their own communities by supporting local health, arts, and sports initiatives.   … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 306 – Canadian Made! (November 22, 2024)

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Over the past 22 years The Avant-Garden Shop has been building up a wide collection of Canadian Made items. As much as possible, we will support local and Canadian artists because this supports our local economy and community. When you shop locally and purchase Canadian made items, we are then able to donate to the … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 305 – Suet & Seed Cylinders! (November 8, 2024)

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Suet, seed cakes and cylinders are a great feeding option for the colder months. Birds really love the quick energy boost they get from suet, peanuts and sunflower seeds! There are six different kinds of our premium suet from Mill Creek. They have only the best ingredients that birds love, including mealworms and fruit! Suet … Read more

Fair trade + fair wages = good choices

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artFrom coffee and clothing to fabrics and original arts and craft works, you may be noticing more and more products on store shelves (ours, anyway) that are marked as “fair trade” items. So, what does fair trade mean? Fair Trade Explained The best way to define fair trade is as a movement seeking social, economic … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 304 – Bird Seed Quality Makes a Difference! (October 25, 2024)

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When the birds are happy, we’re happy! To keep them happy and healthy a good quality seed can make a big difference. The seed at the Avant-Garden shop is fresh weekly from Mill Creek Seed Co. This is a family business specializing in wild bird food. Every blend has been specially formulated using only the … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 303 – It’s Comfy Sock Weather Again! (October 11, 2024)

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What’s not to love about a fun pair of socks?! What makes these socks even more exciting is that they’re made with sustainably sourced eco-friendly fabric from a great company in the United States. These socks come in so many themed colours and patterns, it’s hard not to start a collection. New designs will be … Read more

How your Shopping Dollars Work: The Case of the Broken Bird Feeder

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~ In our October 2024 newsletter, we introduced a new series featuring Canadian-made items and local artists to highlight what we offer that big-box multi-national stores and online distributors do not. What follows is one example of how giving your money to local businesses goes a long way in keeping our community prosperous. ~   … Read more

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