The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

bird food

Attracting Hummingbirds and Orioles

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  Sweets for the Sweet In May, we begin to see the arrival of hummingbirds, orioles and warblers. The beautiful but elusive warblers are generally happy within the safe cover of trees to provide a healthy diet of insects, but hummingbirds and orioles will come to gardens and feeders if we provide what they love … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 225 – Beautiful fall themed soaps, napkins and art (Sept 24, 2021)

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Fall is a beautiful time of year when all the colours of the leaves and flowers are so glorious. It’s also a great time of year to decorate with oranges, reds and yellows. Many of our napkins, flags, soaps etc. are these beautiful colours right now. Drop by to see our selection before the time … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 202 – Compare the quality (Nov. 6th, 2020)

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Customers often talk about the price of bird food when they should be considering the QUALITY! On this episode I dissect a bag of box store bird food. Even I was shocked at how poor the quality was. Birds don’t eat wheat or milo which is in high quantities in box store mixes. Even the … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 177 – Suet and seed cylinders ( Nov. 8th, 2019)

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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 … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 156 – It’s for the birds

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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. … Read more

Garden Tips: It’s for the Birds (the Importance & Nuances of Bird Seed)

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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 … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 97 – Answering your questions (Sept. 9, 2016)

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CHEX TV air date: Sept. 9th, 2016Click link to watch this episode online   My Garden Gate episodes are often inspired by what birds we’re seeing, products that have recently arrived or questions from customers!  So on this episode I will answer two timely questions. First off, how to keep wasps and yellow jackets out … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 67 – Neonicotinoids – What are they and why are they bad? Guest Mark Bennett

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bees_chart_neonicotinoidsCHEX TV airdate: Friday July 10th, 5-6pm

Click link to watch this episode online.

We’ve been hearing a lot in the news about Neonicotinoids (Neonics).

This relatively new class of insecticide affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. ?Plants that have been grown using Neonics are harmful to bees, butterfly’s and birds because they ingest the nectar or pollen and the insecticide along with it.

honey-bee_shutterstock_56017861_300My guest, Mark Bennett from Wild Bird Trading and Millcreek seed, discusses Neonics with me on this episode of The Garden Gate.

redpolls
Picture courtesy Fred Jennings from Longlac

All of our Millcreek bird food is Neonic FREE! ?So you can be rest assured that when you feed our Millcreek brand of bird food to your birds you are not harming any birds, bees or butterfly’s!

Garden Gate: Episode 56 – The BAD seed

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Woodland ? CHEX TV airdate: Friday, Feb. 6th, 2015 Click link to watch this episode. I knew our bird food was good stuff. ?But it wasn’t until I picked some other “bird food” up at a box store that I realized HOW good! On this episode of the Garden Gate I will show you how to tell the difference between good and bad bird food. ?And the birds will also tell you! ?If you don’t have any birds at your feeders, there is very likely something wrong with the food. Many box store brands are filled with seeds that the birds don’t like. ?If the ingredients list includes “grains”, mostly like that is wheat. ?Pheasants and chickens may eat wheat, but backyard birds don’t. ?Also ingredient lists sometimes note that “oil may be used to suppress dust.” ?Birds don’t like oil and dust anymore than you do! ?The box store bag I picked up felt so dusty I was shocked! Even black oil sunflower varies from store to store. ?It is sorted be weight. ?Lightweight seeds are separated by being blown off a conveyor belt. The light weight seeds go in the cheaper bags and you get more shell than you do seed! ?Birds will toss most of these seeds on the ground because it’s not worth their time and energy to open the shells for little reward. Our bird food is filled with only the good stuff. ?No filler. No dust. No oil. NO wheat! ?You’ll find you have much more activity at your feeders and a much wider variety of birds. The sunflower seeds are plump and fresh! Ask for our most popular blend “Seasons Woodland.” And, finally if you’re thinking quality bird food is more expensive, then think again. ?Depending on the bird food you choose, 10lbs is less than $15.00 and there is NO waste. ?Give ours a try! I’m sure you’ll be surprised with the results.

Garden Gate: Episode 3 – Choosing quality bird food

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Seasons Woodland Bird food CHEX TV air date: Fri. Jan. 11th, 2013 Click here to watch this episode of?The Garden Gate. Episode 3 of The Garden Gate discussed the difference between big box store bird food and Mill Creek bird food, which we carry. Birds don’t like stale food any more than you do. Tune in to learn the difference! ?

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