At the Avant-Garden Shop we love supporting Canadian artists. Currently there are five different metal artists here at the shop. Some art is for hanging on the wall, some are on a base to display indoors, and some are on spikes to decorate your garden! Pieces for outdoors are powder coated so they won’t […]
Year: 2023
Oh, the birds! The birds’ fall movements have begun
Fall means lots of birds passing through our area as they leave their warm, food-rich northern breeding areas to spend their winters in warm, food-rich, southern climes. These movements have begun. I’ve written blog posts the past two Septembers about migration and how you can support birds as they make these incredibly exhausting and dangerous […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 273 – Drinkware! (Aug 18, 2023)
Drinkware! We have a variety of drinking vessels in the shop including upcycled beer glasses! These are hand made in Ontario from recycled beer bottles and still hold a full beer! We also have clay wine cups that are made in Burlington Ontario. The clay has a natural ability to neutralize acidity which helps […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 272 – Tools For Garden Maintenance (Aug 4, 2023)
It’s the time of year our gardens are blooming and beautiful! However they still need regular maintenance and clean up to keep them that way as long as possible. With a decent pair of gloves and the right tools, the job gets done much easier. We have been selling the ever popular Garden Bandit for […]
What’s up with all the Red-winged Blackbirds this year?
We’ve been hearing a LOT of reports of high numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBL) in the area, even in places where there aren’t any wetlands. So what’s up? Science nerd here. Bear with me… I don’t know what’s up! So, the first thing I wanted to do was find out if there are, in fact, […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 271 – Quilling Cards (July 21, 2023)
New to the Shop this year are these beautiful quilling cards! Quilling is an art form that involves using strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. These cards are a fair trade item from Vietnam. The employees are paid fair wages, and trained for six months as each […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 270 – Dog Bite Steel – Turning garbage into ART! (July 7, 2023)
We had a lot of fun recently going to Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge to pick out some new pieces! The shelves are now overloaded with these unique pieces made with recycled oil and propane tanks. J.P Schoss designs, cuts, and welds everything by hand and his wife Brenda paints them! Come down to […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 269 -Accessories, butterfly feeders, ant moats and jelly! (June 23, 2023)
Accessories! We have butterfly feeders that can make a great addition to your garden. They drink the same simple syrup with a 4:1 ratio as the hummingbirds and also enjoy sliced overripe fruits. The Birdberry Jelly we carry is also a huge hit with the orioles and other fruit eating birds. Ant moats, which you […]
GARDEN GATE: Episode 268 – Father’s Day Gift Ideas (June 9, 2023)
Father’s Day is right around the corner! We have lots of unique gift ideas for all the different Father figures in your life. Only the best – Tilley Hats! We have a few different styles and colors, and you can accessorize with a Dragonfly Wingman! These clip on to your hat, backpack or chair to […]
Just hangin’ outdoors…
We pride ourselves on supporting Canadian artists, including six – four from Ontario and two from B.C. – who make beautiful outdoor wall art made from high-quality metal. Some designs are intended to rust, while others are powder-coated steel so they won’t. Metallic Evolution Based out of Guelph, John and Heather have been designing and […]
