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 […]
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 […]
Garden Gate: Episode 178 – Peterborough’s “One of a kind” shop
Peterborough’s own “One of a kind show” Most of us love unique art and crafts, which is reflected by the ever-growing number of art and craft shows in Peterborough. While these shows can be fun, they’re limited in time and often involve working through large crowds in the hope of finding that certain something. Many […]
Garden Gate: Episode 177 – Suet and seed cylinders ( Nov. 8th, 2019)
Suet, hulled peanuts and hulled sunflower seeds have been formed into fun ornaments which are great gifts for the person in the family who says “I don’t need anything.” They get a little something to share with the birds. Suet and hulled seeds are also a great food source for birds in the winter. The […]
Garden Gate: Episode 176 – Repairing bird feeders (Oct. 25th, 2019)
At The Avant-Garden Shop we carry a wide variety of bird feeders but the most popular and best quality are those from Brome, Droll Yankees and Aspects. These feeders are made from high quality materials that last a lifetime. The tubes are made from a special UV protected plastic that doesn’t yellow or crack. The […]
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 […]
Garden Gate: Episode 175 – For the puzzler!
You might not think of The Avant-Garden Shop as a place to pick up a puzzle, but we have them! And they’re beautiful! Super high quality pieces that stick together well and are vibrant colours. And because we love flowers and birds there are lots of puzzles in those themes. In addition we have puzzles […]
Garden Gate: Episode 174 – Bird migration with Andrew Jobes (Sept. 27, 2019)
As the days get shorter and the nights cooler, birds begin their migration to warmer climates. Andrew Jobes, local ornithologist joins me on this episode of the Garden Gate to discuss bird migration.
Merci, gracias, thank you… on gratitude
“May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it. For one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot […]
Garden Gate: Episode 173 – Toronto graphic designer, Wendy Tancock (Sept. 13th, 2019)
We love to celebrate Canadian artists and support them as much as possible. Wendy thinks it’s time to celebrate Canada…. from the province of Saskatchewan; *easiest province to draw* to The Canadian Flag; *hardest flag to draw*. She’s always on the lookout for new Canadian heroes and retro diners. We carry a variety of […]