CHEX air date: Sept. 19th, 2014 To watch this episode, click link here. Years ago it use to be very difficult for apartment dwellers to find a spot to create a little garden plot! ?But thanks to years of hard work and lots of great volunteers, there are numerous places where you can plant a few seeds. Jillian Bishop of the Community gardening network is the woman you need to contact if you’d like to find out more! I recently visited with Jillian at one of these gardens located near the Liftlocks! ?It’s great to see this land producing food. ?When they started the garden a few years ago they were thrilled to find the BEST soil. Over the years waterways staff had pulled loads and loads of weeds out of the water which decomposed where the garden plots are now located creating wonderful rich soil! While I was there, we decided to try out some weeding tools that we?carry at The Avant-Garden Shop. ?We’ve been selling them since the day the store opened. We have sold 1000’s. They’ve been featured in Fine Gardening magazine and are a BIG hit. ?The Garden Bandit and the Telescoping weeders make weeding so easy. They are simple looking tools. But sometimes simple is better! ?Jillian was even able to weed her garden in her heels and dress! ?Check it out on an upcoming episode of The Garden Gate (Sept. 19th, 2014). The Garden Gate appears bi-weekly on The New CHEX Daily between 5 and 6pm on CHEX-TV.
Garden Gate: Episode 45 – Woodstock Chimes for Autism
CHEX TV Airdate: Sept. 5th, 2014 Watch this episode here. We’ve been carrying Woodstock chimes for years. ?We love the tone, we love the quality and we love the variety! Over the last few years I’ve had a young family drop by about once a year to look at the chimes. ?The two young boys would run around the shop and ring the chimes. ?It could get a little noisy, but we don’t mind. ?How else can you choose the chime you want for your garden!? On the last visit from the family, one of the young sons plunked his “business card” down on my counter and said “That’s me!” ?Sure enough, here was young Tyler’s face on a business card with a special Autism Chime. It’s called the “Woodstock chime for Autism.” Tyler’s dad Sean told me that Tyler hears chimes differently than most others do. He can name all the Woodstock chimes just by listening to?them chime! ?He loves chimes, but they must be Woodstock chimes! ?Sean also told me that he had contacted Woodstock chimes about Tyler and that they were invited to the Woodstock studio?to see how they make the chimes. Tyler was thrilled and became the star of an 8 minute YouTube video. Very cool. Tyler and his family have also been featured on CTV. Check out the video here. Meet Tyler in this episode of The Garden Gate! This special “Woodstock Chime for Autism” is now available at The Avant-Garden Shop and a portion of the sale from our shop will go directly to the local chapter! Plus Woodstock will also donate a portion of profits to Autism research programs and treatments. ? ?
Garden Gate: Episode 44 – Griffins Greenhouses
CHEX TV air date: August 22nd, 2014 Click here to watch this episode online. At this time of year, it’s wonderful to visit a garden centre like Griffins. ?Their plants look wonderful (and there are still plenty), the pond out back is so relaxing and there is always someone around who can answer your questions or just spend a few minutes chatting. Griffins Greenhouses are ?members of Peterborough and Area Garden Route (www.gardenroute.ca). I will chat with them about their involvement with this group and also about some of their beautiful hanging baskets and containers. ?They’ll have some tips on keeping them good looking through the heat of our summer.
Garden Gate: Episode 43 – Trellises
CHEX TV Airdate: August 8th, 2014 Click link to watch this episode. We have a variety of trellises available at The Avant-Garden Shop. ?Besides being beautiful, these are Canadian made and add interest and provoke conversation in your garden. I brought?a few trellises to a local garden centre and picked out a few plants that would work well with them! When buying a trellis, you want to make sure they are large enough (plants seem to grow bigger than we expect!) and also durable. ?Often times we set up a trellis and find out a year later that it’s rusted, falling apart…and now covered with a plant that is dragging it down to the ground. ?How do you untangle that mess?! In this episode, I’ll give you a few ideas on what to look for in a quality trellis and different ways to display them in your garden. ?
Garden Gate: Episode 42 – Plants for birds
CHEX TV airdate: July 25th, 2014 Click here to watch this episode. Birds love seed that you put out in your bird feeders, but in the summer they go crazy for natural berries and seeds that they find in your garden. On this episode I’ll highlight a few plants they you could easily incorporate into your garden. I especially love seeing Cedar waxwings in the late summer devouring the Mountain ash berries. ?I always get customers in commenting on “this flock of birds.” ?They come in large numbers and hang out in one tree for a day or two until the berries are gone. Then they move onto the next one. 
It’s also a great idea to leave some of your plants standing late and through the winter so the birds can pick out all of the seeds. Echinacea is a great plant that the finches especially enjoy. So leave those seed heads standing as long as possible! If you incorporate a variety of plants, trees and shrubs you’ll see more variety of birds. They each have their favourite. This All about Birds website as well as many others can give you lists of plants that birds love. ?Or drop by the store and we can give you some ideas as well. Just remember “Variety is the spice of life!”
Garden Gate: Episode 41 – A visit to The Greenhouse on the River
CHEX TV airdate: Friday July 11th, 2014 Click here to watch this episode. I had the pleasure of visiting Greenhouse on the River to shoot two episodes of The Garden Gate. Peter Green, owner, was my guest for this episode and we talked about their beautiful containers and unique annuals. The Greenhouse on the River is a member of Peterborough and Area Garden Route. ?This is a cooperative of 9 garden related businesses in the area that each specialize in one or two areas of gardening. ?The Greenhouse is well known for their beautiful container gardens. Whether it be hanging baskets, stunning large containers or small succulent gardens, The Greenhouse on the River is the place to go. ![DSC_0586[1]](https://www.avantgardenshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/DSC_05861-300x201.jpg)
Peter and Elyn as well as their staff are very knowledgeable in what plants will do well in your specific situation. And they are there to help you choose which you rarely find at box stores! I loaded my car this spring with beautiful plants and they have been doing tremendously. The fan flower (photo) is spectacular! In July they being their summer sale. So if you need to fill in a few holes, now is the time to visit. Tell them Brenda sent you! Enjoy
Garden Gate: Episode 40 – Concrete Sculptures
CHEX TV airdate: June 27th, 2014 Click link to watch this episode. Concrete sculptures can add charm, interest and surprise to your garden. ?Choosing a quality piece can sometimes be a challenge however. ?Often times we find ourselves lugging heavy concrete pieces into tool sheds or garages for winter protection. But if you choose quality concrete, this isn’t necessary! 
If you’ve been in any long standing classic garden or visited places such as Versailles in France, they have very old concrete sculptures, and you’ll realize that these pieces are too large or numerous to be brought indoors each winter. Also, the longer they live in a garden the more beautiful they become. Moss and lichen begin to grow within crevices highlighting the detail in each sculpture. On this episode of The Garden Gate I provide some tips on what to look for when purchasing concrete pieces for your garden so your art will last for many years.
Garden Gate: Episode 39 – Sugar Bush Fairy Doors
CHEX TV air date: June 6th, 2014 Click link to watch 3 minute video
On this episode of The Garden Gate, I’m joined by Alan Cornfield of Sugar Bush Fairies.
Sugar Bush Fairies is a unique and exciting home based business located in the Horseshoe Valley area that?caters to the decorative needs of the fairy folk realm. ?They create enchanted handcrafted wooden fairy doors for your home and garden. ?Alan suggests that we simply lean the beautiful doors against a tree or rock, place them on a bookshelf, hang them on a wall or set them against a baseboard.? These doors are available in a variety of adorable styles to capture the eye of even the most discriminating pixie, brownie, goblin, hobbit, elf, leprechaun, sprite or other fairy folk.? Each door is a portal allowing the fairy folk to enter into our lives, bringing with them the special magic of their realm.
The chief designer behind the Sugar Bush Fairies is Alan Cornfield.? Alan is very experienced in the design and crafting of wood products.? He has been a design engineer in the furniture industry for the past 20 years.? Alan?s expertise can be seen in the meticulous work he puts into each door?s individual details.? He has the ability to capture the magic that every door promises and create it for your enjoyment.
After the doors are designed, they are then artistically painted by his partner, Sarah.? Sarah discovered her passion for painting several years ago.? She enjoys various mediums of painting, from folk art to nature.? Sarah has always been intrigued by tales of the fairy folk and was very excited to be able to assist in these creations.? Some of the fairy doors have very detailed paintings on them, which makes them one of a kind artisan collectibles.? A lot of thought and time is put into each door.
Together, Alan and Sarah have developed the Sugar Bush Fairies Studio that is located in the loft of their workshop. ?Their home is located in the Sugar Bush of Horseshoe Valley, in Oro-Medonte. ?They are inspired everyday by the nature that surrounds them in their little home in the woods.
Available at The Avant-Garden Shop and online.
Garden Gate: Episode 38 – Fair Traded Beaded Art
CHEX TV air date: May 30th, 2014
Click link to watch this episode
We strive to carry as much Canadian made product as possible as we feel it is very important to support our friends and neighbours. ?We do however know that there are many very talented artists around the world. ?If we find an item we love and it meets other criteria like Fair Trade, we’ll also add it to our selection of offerings.
This episode of The Garden Gate highlights just such a product. ?The beaded art from Beadworx is made by artisans from South-East Asia. ?The supplier works directly with the artists giving them ideas of what items and designs would sell best to their buyers and they pay them a fair wage for what they do.
There are many beautiful beaded pieces that the artisans produce including dragonfly’s, birds, butterfly’s, frogs, grasshoppers and geckos!
The beads are glass and the frames are aluminum which makes them very durable if placed outdoors. ?Aluminum won’t rust and the glass beads don’t deteriorate like plastic ones do.
Chimes, garden stakes and large wall pieces are also available.
Orders usually arrive in early spring. Due to limited supply, shop early for the best selection. ?See some of the items on our website.
Garden Gate: Episode 37 – Hummingbirds and Orioles
CHEX TV Air date: May 16th, 2014 Click link to watch this episode Hummingbirds and orioles are almost here. Visit www.hummingbirds.net to see where they have been spotted! On this episode of The Garden Gate I’ll help you choose a good quality hummingbird feeder that will last for many years.
I often have customers ask me, despite being diligent about filling their feeders,?why they don?t seem to get any hummingbirds. There could be a few reasons. Here are some tips to help you out.
-choose a quality feeder that has red colour on it -hummingbirds will not feed from feeders with insects in them, so ensure your feeder has an ant moat to keep out ants and bee guards to keep out the bees. -avoid feeders with yellow flowers as this attracts more bees -get your feeders out early (May 1st in our region) -fill with sugar solution of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Ensure the sugar is dissolved. It?s not necessary to boil the water as long as the sugar dissolves. -you may also consider a prepared mix as they often include extra?vitamins and nutrients?(like giving the birds orange juice vs. pop) -do not use food colouring -hang your feeder in a visble location but not the full sun -change the liquid weekly (more often in hot weather) -clean the feeder each time -hang a red scarf or red flag nearby initially to attract the bird. They are highly attracted to the red.
Hummingbirds love certain types of flowers. So include a wide variety whenever possible. Here are some of my favourites to attract the hummingbirds: Lantana, Butterfly bush, Lamium, Salvia, Trumpet vine, Morning glory, Columbine, Honeysuckle, Bee Balm, Fushia, Weigela, Petunia?s, Impatiens and even Scarlet runner beans!
Orioles 
Like hummingbirds are attacted to red, Orioles are attracted to orange. They also drink nectar in the same concentration at the hummingbird.? So pick out a feeder similar to the one recommended above but in orange!? Orioles will also eat orange slices and grape jelly!? Feeders are available for both of these options.
Orioles are a little harder to attract and keep around. They don?t cruise through gardens as easily as the hummingbirds do.? They can be found where tall trees exist, at the edges of forests and along rivers. So not everyone can attract the oriole.
Orioles also tend to move with the bloom. So if flowers have finished blooming in your yard, the bird?may continue to move north to find more blooms to drink the nectar from.
I have been able to keep orioles in my garden but not after being very consistent about providing them with a food source. It took them about 4 years of feeding before they finally stayed for a longer period than normal. So far I have been unable to find a nest, but I have seen the young at my feeder.
And one more tip for this time of year. ?Put stickers on your windows to prevent bird strikes.
These Window Alert stickers are made of an ultraviolet product that the birds can see. It acts like a giant stop light for them, but you barely notice the stickers. So if you don’t like those big black bird stickers from years ago, these are for you!
There are 4 stickers in each package. Place them on the outside of your windows. The more you use the better! ?Replace annually.