The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Back Yard Bird Watching

Garden Gate: Episode 78 – Squirrel Busters

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sb+CHEX TV airdate: December 11th, 2015 5-6pm Squrrel Buster Bird feeders Yes, they really are squirrel proof! Guaranteed! We have been carrying the Squirrel Buster line of bird feeders for MANY years. ?People are initially skeptical about the feeders, but once they see how well they work, they love them! There are 7 different styles available including 5 for mixed seed, 1 for finch seed and 1 for peanuts. You can keep all of your birds happy and even exclude a few that you enjoy less. Squirrels will try to get into the seed but are unable to get anything so give up! You know how smart they are! If they can’t get food they’re going to go someplace else to have their dinner! Watch this episode to learn more about these awesome feeders.

Garden Gate: Episode 71 – Susan Chan, Importance of Bees

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CHEX TV airdate: Sept. 4th, 5-6pm Click here to watch this episode online. honey-bee_shutterstock_56017861_300Sue Chan is an expert on bees. Her life is buzzing all the time! Sue works for a variety of organizations including Farms at Work. (http://www.farmsatwork.ca/about-us) ?It was with that organization that she wrote a booklet about bees called A Landowner’s Guide to Conserving Native Pollinators.(Available at The Avant-Garden Shop for just $10.00) ? On this episode of The Garden Gate , we talked about why bees are so important, how they are affected by neonicotinoids, and also what types of plants they like. We carry bee houses at the shop as well which we also talked about. ?These bee houses are made locally and are meant for mason bees to lay eggs in. ?Putting up a variety of “houses” for the bees will help them to increase in numbers and pollinate your plants!

Garden Gate: Episode 69-Quality suet, with Mark Bennett from Millcreek seed

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SuetFeeder 7506CHEX TV airdate: August 7th, 2015 Click link to watch this episode. You might think that there is no difference in our suet vs. box store suet. ?Well there is! ?A BIG difference. Mark Bennett from Wildbird Trading and Millcreek seed shares his vast knowledge of suet with us on this episode of The Garden Gate. His suet is made with peanut meal instead of corn meal. ?Box stores mostly use corn meal. ?Corn meal goes moldy and birds don’t like it. They prefer nut meal. I’d prefer nuts over dry corn any day! In addition they have studied closely what nutrition birds need and what they love. ?Millcreek seed has devised many different varieties of suet for a wide variety of birds. ?For example the Fruit and Nut suet is an Oriole favourite in the spring. ?The Baby birthday suet is specially formulated for parent birds to feed to their babies. FULL of nutrition. They devour this one. There is also a Summer Nut suet which is very dense and won’t melt in the warm days of summer! ?Many other varieties to choose from. fatball-feeder-ring-bTune in, then drop by to see the wide varieties of suet available.

Garden Gate: Episode 68 – Quality bird food with guest Mark Bennett

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CHEX TV airdate: July 24th 5-6pm Click link to watch this episode. WoodlandI’ve talked about it before. I’ve talked about it with my customers. We’ll talk about it again! ?This time with my bird food supplier. What is different between our bird food (Millcreek seed) and box store brands? The short answer is A LOT! Box store food is usually stale and old. ?Birds don’t like to eat stale bird food any more than you like to eat stale crackers or bread. It smells funny and has little nutrition. In the case of Nyger or peanuts it can even be rancid. Box store bird food can also be years old. ?Often it is “Old crop.” ?This means the seed is from previous years crops. Box store bird food can also contain wheat (which birds don’t eat), way too much corn, tiny sunflower seeds, and other fillers that just end up getting tossed on the ground and causing a big mess. ?Look at the label and see what the ingredients are. Often in poor grade seed you’ll see on the label that it contains oil to suppress dust. Birds don’t like either! Who would!? Our bird food is the freshest you can get. It is “New Crop.” It contains no dust or oil. There are numerous varieties of big plump seeds used throughout the year to offer the best seasonal mixes possible. Top quality – and you’ll know it! Mark PhotoTune in to CHEX TV on Friday July 24th between 5 & 6pm for my interview with Mark Bennett from Wild bird trading and Millcreek seed. Read more here.

Garden Gate: Episode 67 – Neonicotinoids – What are they and why are they bad? Guest Mark Bennett

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bees_chart_neonicotinoidsCHEX TV airdate: Friday July 10th, 5-6pm

Click link to watch this episode online.

We’ve been hearing a lot in the news about Neonicotinoids (Neonics).

This relatively new class of insecticide affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. ?Plants that have been grown using Neonics are harmful to bees, butterfly’s and birds because they ingest the nectar or pollen and the insecticide along with it.

honey-bee_shutterstock_56017861_300My guest, Mark Bennett from Wild Bird Trading and Millcreek seed, discusses Neonics with me on this episode of The Garden Gate.

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Picture courtesy Fred Jennings from Longlac

All of our Millcreek bird food is Neonic FREE! ?So you can be rest assured that when you feed our Millcreek brand of bird food to your birds you are not harming any birds, bees or butterfly’s!

Garden Gate: Episode 63 – Providing water for the birds and butterfly’s

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CHEX TV airdate: May 15th, 2015

Click link to watch this 3 minute video online.

Bipuddlerds and Butterfly’s both need water either for drinking or for bathing. ?On this episode of The Garden Gate I show you a few options available, from bird baths, bird waterers and also butterfly feeders and baths.

 

 

We especially love the hand made pottery bird baths made by Quebec artist Marie-Joel Turgeon. ?Thbath in gardenese stunning works of art will look great either in your garden, on the lawn or in a large container garden.

The birds love them because they aren’t too deep as many other baths can be. Also very easy to clean.

 

Bird watererThe bird waterer is also a popular item. It can be hung on a shepherds hook, set on a stump or table or affixed to a 4X4 post.

Birds can either drink from the cups or jump right in and have a bath. ?It automatically refills from the blue coloured container to keep the cups full. The blue colour also helps to reduce algae growth. Customers (and birds) love this item!

 

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Then we also have a few special items for the butterfly’s. ?We rarely have puddles in our yards for the butterfly’s anymore, so we need to find ways to provide water for them as well. We have butterfly drinkers, feeders and also houses!

 

Garden Gate: Episode 58 – Migrating birds

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Chex airdate: March, 6th, 2015 Click link to watch this episode online. Oftenbrenda (1 of 1)?people ask where particular birds have gone. ?Years ago they would have seen them more often, but it’s only on rare occasions that they enjoy a sighting. Local biologist and instructor at Trent University, Walter Wehtje helps to explain where the birds have gone and what birds we are apt to see this year. Special thanks to Fred Jennings from Longlac, Ontario for sharing his beautiful bird photos.

Garden Gate: Episode 57 – OWLS!

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CHEX TV airdate: Friday Feb. 20, 2015, 5pm Click link to view this episode. For the last couple of years a high number of owls have been spotted in our region. Especially snowy owls. They are so beautiful and exciting to see! I haven’t seen a snowy owl myself but was fortunate enough to have a visit from a very large Barred owl! Right in my backyard.DSC_0693 On this episode I speak with Walter Wehtje, a biologist and instructor at Trent University about owl sightings and migrations habitats. ?Walter highlights one of his favourite websites to track the owls.??www.projectsnowstorm.org The project “Snow storm” began with the historic snowy owl irruption of 2013-14, and is a continuing effort to learn about these majestic raptors. On March 6th, join Walter and I as we discuss migration habits of other birds!

Garden Gate: Episode 56 – The BAD seed

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Woodland ? CHEX TV airdate: Friday, Feb. 6th, 2015 Click link to watch this episode. I knew our bird food was good stuff. ?But it wasn’t until I picked some other “bird food” up at a box store that I realized HOW good! On this episode of the Garden Gate I will show you how to tell the difference between good and bad bird food. ?And the birds will also tell you! ?If you don’t have any birds at your feeders, there is very likely something wrong with the food. Many box store brands are filled with seeds that the birds don’t like. ?If the ingredients list includes “grains”, mostly like that is wheat. ?Pheasants and chickens may eat wheat, but backyard birds don’t. ?Also ingredient lists sometimes note that “oil may be used to suppress dust.” ?Birds don’t like oil and dust anymore than you do! ?The box store bag I picked up felt so dusty I was shocked! Even black oil sunflower varies from store to store. ?It is sorted be weight. ?Lightweight seeds are separated by being blown off a conveyor belt. The light weight seeds go in the cheaper bags and you get more shell than you do seed! ?Birds will toss most of these seeds on the ground because it’s not worth their time and energy to open the shells for little reward. Our bird food is filled with only the good stuff. ?No filler. No dust. No oil. NO wheat! ?You’ll find you have much more activity at your feeders and a much wider variety of birds. The sunflower seeds are plump and fresh! Ask for our most popular blend “Seasons Woodland.” And, finally if you’re thinking quality bird food is more expensive, then think again. ?Depending on the bird food you choose, 10lbs is less than $15.00 and there is NO waste. ?Give ours a try! I’m sure you’ll be surprised with the results.

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