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Our Blog

From plant care tips to seasonal inspiration, our blog is packed with expert advice, creative ideas, and practical solutions to help your garden thrive year-round.

Plants

How to Grow Panicle Hydrangeas Like a Pro

Looking to fill your garden with show stopping blooms that thrive in the heat and ask for very little in return? Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are the answer....

Seasons

Your Southeastern Summer Garden Checklist

Late summer in Southeastern Virginia means high heat, high humidity, and long days, but it’s also the perfect time to start preparing your garden for the ths ahead....

Plants

Top 5 Proven Winner Perennial Hibiscus Varieties You Can Plant Right Now

Few plants bring summer drama quite like perennial hibiscus, and Proven Winners® Summerific® varieties take that impact to the next level....

Plants

When and How to Prune Crepe Myrtles for Maximum Blooms

Few things say “southern summer” like a crepe myrtle in full, vibrant bloom. These flowering trees are beloved for their long lasting color, unique bark, and graceful canopy shape....

Plants

How to Help Your Hydrangeas Thrive All Summer Long

Hydrangeas are (in our opinion) one of the undisputed queens of the summer garden. They are reliable bloomers that brighten borders, foundation plantings, and containers alike....

Plants

Best Heat-Tolerant Perennials for Low-Maintenance Summer Color

Looking for a long lasting color that can handle the summer heat without constant care? These heat tolerant perennials are your best bet....

Plants

Don’t Make These 7 Mistakes if You’re Container Gardening

Container gardening is one of the most flexible and rewarding ways to grow plants, but even the simplest pots can lead to frustration if you’re not careful!...

Plants

Gifts That Grow: Our Top Picks for the Gardening Mom

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate the moms who’ve nurtured us with love, wisdom, and a little bit of dirt under their fingernails....

Plants

Top 10 Shrubs That Shine in Spring

Now that it’s April (and almost May!), now is the moment when some of our favorite spring blooming shrubs begin to show off their best features....

Plants

Sweet Success: How to Grow Strawberries at Home

Nothing beats the taste of a fresh, sun ripened strawberry picked straight from your garden, except maybe isfaction of knowing you grew it yourself!...

Plants

Spring’s Showstoppers: Our Favorite Blooms Ranked

Spring is in full swing, and gardens everywhere are bursting with color! From the soft pastels of early bloomers to the bold hues of showstopping flowers, this season is a...

Plants

Spring in Style: The Season’s Top Garden Trends You’ll Love

Spring is officially here! And it's bringing in fresh blooms, warm breezes, and a renewed enthusiasm for the garden. This season, it’s all about blending beauty with functionality and making...

Houseplants

How to Really Care for Succulents

With their captivating shapes, stunning colors, and survival skills that would make Bear Grylls jealous, these desert divas have taken the gardening world by storm....

Houseplants

Houseplant Highlight: Bonsai & Lucky Bamboo

Bonsai and Lucky Bamboo are some of the most captivating plants you can bring into your home. These plants are not only visually stunning, but they also have a rich...

Houseplants

3 Ways to Optimize Your Weekends with Indoor Gardening

Are you looking for a way to add some life and creativity to your weekends? Indoor gardening can not only provide you with a fun hobby but a way for...

Houseplants

7 Things You Need to Know about Dendrobium Orchids

Dendrobium orchids are a true sight to behold, with their delicate petals and striking hues. These tropical flowers seem to fit gracefully into any space, their ethereal beauty captivating all...

Houseplants

Our Top 5 Spooky Succulents & Cacti of the Season

Mums, pansies, and pumpkins line the doorways of homes all across Hampton Roads, especially for this upcoming weekend of tricks and treats....

Houseplants

Solutions for the Top 5 Most Common Houseplant Pests

Part of loving and caring for our houseplants is also keeping an eye out for things that may hurt them. Pests are a part of life, but there are a...

Edible

The Top 5 Tomatoes to Grow this Season

There is nothing like a fresh tomato picked straight from the vine and perfectly placed in your favorite sandwich or tossed salad....

Edible

Spring Edible Gardening

Is one of the most fruitful plantings of the year, with dozens of edible plants to choose from, as well as rising/setting in the perfect course for optimal growing....

Edible

Rosemary, Fresh, Fragrant & Festive

Rosemary, Fresh, Fragrant & Festive 10 Ways to Use Rosemary Rosemary is a must have for every home and garden! It’s one of the most famous, widely grown, and frequently...

Edible

Ornamental Pepper Onyx Red

Ornamental peppers are a great addition to the late summer and early fall garden. With foliage of varying shades, the real shining star of ornamental peppers is the fruit it...

Edible

Plant Premiere, Coneflower Kismet Intense Orange

Coneflower, Kismet Intense Orange Kismet Intense Orange A NEW coneflower introduction, Kismet Intense Orange is just the thing to bring color to an empty spot....

Edible

What’s the Difference Between a Fruit and a Vegetable?

If you’re here to settle a produce aisle bet on matters of semantics where edible plant varieties are concerned 'What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?” you...

Gardening Care

Mulching – Why is it so Important?

We always know that we should be mulching, especially when preparing for the next season of gardening, but why? Mulching is not the most glamorous aspect of gardening, but it...

Gardening Care

Feeding Your Plants This Summer

During the ths of the year, keeping your plants fed is an important part of helping them not only survive but thrive. We love to see our plants looking happy,...

Gardening Care

Learning About Lawn Solutions

Giving your lawn the TLC it needs doesn’t have to be a hassle. Prepping your lawn for fall can be simple, as long as you have the right tools for...

Gardening Care

5 Best Mulching Practices for Spring

One of the most important aspects of spring that is often overlooked is mulch! Keeping your garden beds mulched not only looks good but helps your plants and trees from...

Gardening Care

Fescue – The Grass of Fall

As we approach the end of the summer season, the heat makes us forget the cool weather to come. Along with the mums, ornamental peppers, pumpkins, and so much more...

Gardening Care

Top 10 Watering Tips for the Summer

Summertime is the highlight of the year for bursting blooms and new growth in your garden. During these especially ths, watering becomes the most essential element to keeping your plants...

Seasons

Plant Practices for the New Year

As the new year approaches, it’s time to look around the spaces you are in the most throughout the day and see what needs to be refreshed for the new...

Seasons

Spring in Hampton Roads – Gardening To Do List

Is spring really spring without your favorite garden center? We have been serving Hampton Roads’ needs for over 75 years with our expertise, gardening advice, and unique plant material....

Seasons

Expert Tips You Need to Know to Get Your Garden Spring Ready

Spring is on the horizon and we are gearing up for our favorite season of the year here at the garden center. As these ths warm up, it is important...

Seasons

New Year, New Plants

As the new year comes around, we anticipate the ths full of gardening! At the beginning of the year though, it is hard to realize our gardening dreams in the...

Seasons

The Top 5 Holiday Houseplants

Houseplants can be both the gateway to gardening as well as a way to celebrate plants, even when the weather has gone cold for the season....

Seasons

Holly Jolly Holiday Bulbs

Nothing says “seasons greetings” like brightly colored blooms throughout your home. Holiday bulbs are the perfect way to both easily decorate as well as stun your guests with blazing colors....

Outdoor

Our Top 5 Porch-Worthy Container Ideas

Attention plant enthusiasts and outdoor aficionados! Are you ready to take your porch pot game to the next level? Look no further because we’ve got you covered, bringing you the...

Outdoor

10 Ways to Get Your Yard Ready for Summer

We are finally nier weather here in Hampton Roads ! After a few rainy weeks we are so excited to get back out in the garden to celebrate the warmer...

Outdoor

Landscape Blog Series: Winter Birding

The McDonald Garden Center Landscape Design and Installation division is one of the cornerstones of our organization. Landscapes are a way for gardeners to express themselves, and their space, while...

Outdoor

The Most Haunted Porch on the Block

It’s finally here...the spookiest time of the year! Halloween is almost upon us and it is time to prepare for all the little ghouls and goblins that come to your...

Outdoor

A Real Gem in the Landscape, Baby Gem Boxwood

Boxwoods have been the backbone of Southern gardens for centuries and are one of the most popular shrubs in landscape design....

Outdoor

Get Your Landscape Hurricane Ready

As the threat of Isaias approaches, we’ve prepared a checklist to prepare your landscape for the winds and flooding Hampton Roads may experience....

Wildlife

Pollinator of the Week: Birds, Bats, and Beneficial Bugs

Pollinators are more than just bugs that like flowers. These insects and animals are an essential part of gardening and the greater world when it comes to planting cultivation and...

Wildlife

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hummingbirds

If you live in the America’s, it’s likely that you have seen one of the smallest bird species in existence: the hummingbird....

Wildlife

Tweet-Worthy” Accessories for the Birds”

SquirrelBuster® Feeder Classic SquirrelBuster® Feeder Standard SquirrelBuster® Feeder Mini Nature Creations Birdhouse Unique Folk Art Birdhouses Creations Bird watching is an activity that brings nature to life!...

Wildlife

National Pollinator Week & Pollinator Palooza

Join us for an un BEE lievably fun and educational week as we celebrate National Pollinator Week featuring Pollinator Palooza, an event filled with nesday Sunday, June 19 23, 2019....

Wildlife

The Mason Bee, the Hive-less Bee

Mason Bees endly, non agrgessive bees that are crucial to the pollinator community. Unlike garden variety honeybees, mason bees are non social creatures that nest in holes rather than in...

Wildlife

We’re Over-the-Moon for this One, Asian Moon Butterfly Bush

As fragrant as it is beautiful, the butterfly bush (buddleja) is a must have for ny spot in your garden. The long flower spikes of colorful, nectar rich blooms appear...

Easy Holiday Decorating with Invisilites, with Garden Guru, Mike Westphal

Invisilites are one of our favorite ways to brighten your holiday décor during the upcoming season. Invisilites are micro LED lights on a thin, flexible wire that are super easy...

Decorating with Houseplants for Fall

Dendrobiums and Oncidiums Orchids Mums Air Plants Anthirium Decorating with Houseplants for Fall Outside, the leaves are starting to fall but in our houseplant departments, our tropicals are thriving....

DIY Pumpkin Planters

Perk up your fall porch or table with a pumpkin packed with blooms. Instead of putting a candle in a jack o lantern, hollow out a pumpkin and use cool...

Make a Scarecrow. Make a Difference!

With our 20th annual Make a Scarecrow event coming up this weekend, we thought we'd give you a few fascinating scarecrow highlights to kick fall off with a bang....

GET THIS LOOK!

DO IT YOURSELF STRING GARDENS Some call it string art, some call it Kokedama and some just call it unique. Whatever you call it, these interesting moss covered gardens held...

GET THIS LOOK!

DO IT YOURSELF LIVING VALENTINE This year, give your Valentine a living gift made by your own two hands. All you need are just a few materials and some beautiful...

It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for.

Laxmi Jayaraj (Lux)

Jul 2025

McDonald Garden Center feels like a second home. Plants are always healthy and well cared for. Staff are warm, patient, and generous with their wisdom.

K. F.

Feb 2025

Had a great time at Plantopia HousePlant Adoption Day. Plants are top notch, great selection. Staff are awesome, friendly and knowledgeable, and give great tips.

John Vaquerano

Jan 2023

Marissa and Erin treated us like long lost nursery mates. I got great advice, and will definitely be back. I highly recommend this place.

Elizabeth Cannon

Jun 2025

Associate helped me pick the right planter, fertilized him, and topped with decorative rocks. All for an incredibly reasonable price and caring smiles.

Sebastian Mot

Jan 2020

This place is MASSIVE and has anything you could ever want. The succulent selection is huge, and the staff is very helpful.

Joyce Drakeford

Jan 2019

So knowledgeable. Friendly service each and every time. Find the perfect plant for every spot in your yard. Been a customer for years.