At the end of January each year we visit the gift shows in Toronto to seek out new and interesting products for the shop with an eye always towards Canadian made. This year we saw a fair number of Peterborough artists at this national show. Annie Scherz from reVerra glass, Blake Richardson with […]
Garden Tips: The Woodpeckers, Chickadees, & Nuthatches come Marching in
You may have noticed a loud, sweetly-whistled “Spring’s here!” in recent weeks. This is the song of the Black-capped Chickadee (as is the three-parted “Cheese-bur-ger!”). Many of our year-round bird residents are cavity nesters. Chickadees, nuthatches, and some woodpeckers stay here through the winter, and they’ll start their courtship activities in March. Chickadees Black-capped Chickadees […]
Garden Gate Episode 158 – Where have all the birds gone (Feb. 15, 2019)
This year has been a very strange year for our birds. Early in the season we heard that we’d be getting a lot of finches, redpolls and grosbeaks due to a poor seed supply in the north. But that didn’t seem to happen. Tune in to this episode for a few ideas on where are […]
Garden Gate: Episode 157-Bird count with Martin Parker
On this episode I welcome Martin Parker who is a long time birder and also member of the Peterborough Field Naturalists. Martin shares with us why it’s important to count birds, how it is done and the trends we’re seeing. Did you know we’re beginning to see Peregrine Falcons again!?
Garden Tips: Helping Birds through Citizen Science
Birds are in Trouble! The populations of many bird species are declining. The number of individuals of many species is half what it was 4 decades ago and is expected to decrease by another half in the next 40 years. Local Ornithologist (professional bird nerd), Andrew Jobes, has written the blog posts for our monthly […]
Garden Gate: Episode 156 – It’s for the birds
The majority of the contents in most bird seed mixes available at large stores is a blend of “fillers” that are low in nutritional value, such as wheat, red millet, and flax. The seeds in these bulk bags are often poorly cleaned, which leaves them dusty, and oils are then added to reduce the dust. […]
Garden Gate: Episode 155 – Thank you! (Jan. 4th, 2019)
A quick two minutes to say how much we appreciate our customers support and how much we love to support our community.
Garden Gate: Episode 154 – Supporting local and Canadian made
2018 was our 16th year in business. In those 16 years we have shared the wonderful work of so many artists with you! And every year we add more and more of their beautiful work to our offerings. It so important to support local artists. These artists are your neighbours and friends. When […]
Garden Tips: It’s for the Birds (the Importance & Nuances of Bird Seed)
Seedy Business The majority of the contents in most bird seed mixes available at large stores is a blend of “fillers” that are low in nutritional value, such as wheat, red millet, and flax. The seeds in these bulk bags are often poorly cleaned, which leaves them dusty, and oils are then added to reduce […]
Garden Gate: Episode 153: Blue Jays (Dec. 7th, 18)
Many people who love feeding birds dislike Blue Jays, because they can be loud and aggressive. Although this is true, there’s so much to love about these intelligent and charismatic creatures! Jays are in the Corvid family, which includes ravens and crows. They are very intelligent, capable of problem solving and mimicking the calls of […]
