The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Garden Gate: Episode 171 Quality Felco tools (August 16th, 2019)

When we began our shop back in 2002 we carried a wide variety of tools, window boxes, statuary, fountains and so much more! Over the years things have changed a bit, but we’ve always carried quality tools with the best pruning tools being from Felco. We carry a range of pruners, small saws, replacement springs … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 170-Pollinator gardens

Carlotta James from Three Sisters Natural Landscapes (http://www.3sisters.ca/) is my guest on this episode to talk about pollinators and pollinator gardens. Pollinators are very important for our environment. Without them we would have much less food available to us. It is estimated that one of every three bites of food depend on pollinators. The Three … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 169-All that glitters is gold(finches) July 19th, 2019

The Peterborough area is blessed with an abundance of American Goldfinches, which some people call Wild Canaries. Male Goldfinches are a rich lemon-yellow, with black wings, a black tail, and a black “toupee.” Females are a paler yellow and lack the toupee (perhaps the males struggle with male pattern baldness?). Goldfinches alternate between flapping their … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 168 – Recycled plastic (July 5th, 2019)

With the over use of plastic in the news so much lately I thought I’d share some information about reducing or reusing plastic. Use Envirosax cloth bags instead of plastic bags to reduce waste. They hold more than 50lbs of groceries and fit easily into a purse or bag. A line of bird feeders that … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 167 – Tools for gardening (June 21st, 2019)

On this episode we share some great tips on tools you can use in the garden to make the work a little easier. Gloves, the Garden bandit, kneeling pad, all natural sunscreen and lip balm, hat etc. Plus you’ll see that I’m wearing a heat guard. Soak these neat little neck scarves in water for … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 164 – Hummingbirds & Orioles (May 10th, 2019)

Some people refer to hummingbirds (“hummers” to birdwatchers) as “winged jewels,’ which is no surprise, given their small size, the males’ brilliant iridescent colours, and the way they flit about. There are 5 hummingbird species in Canada, but only one, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, in Ontario. Males have bright red throats, iridescent green backs, wings, and … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 162 – Grackles and Starlings

https://youtu.be/LA1hBSbunus Next to Squirrels, Grackles and Starlings are the most bothersome to backyard bird feeders.  They eat so much, come in large flocks and scare away the prettier birds like cardinals. During this episode of The Garden Gate I focus on types of seed and feeders that help to eliminate them from your garden and … Read more

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