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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

Fall Planting Strategies for a Stunning Spring Garden

Just because the temperatures are dropping doesn’t mean your time in the garden is over. In fact, fall might be one of the best times to get your hands dirty....

Outdoor

How to Style Your Porch with Pumpkins

Pumpkins are the ultimate sign of fall. Their colors, textures, and endless varieties bring warmth and charm to any porch, patio, or entryway....

Wildlife

Feeding the Flock: The Best Seeds, Feeders, and Plants for Virginia Birds

Birds bring color, movement, and music to the garden. From the flash of a goldfinch to the cheerful call of a chickadee, these feathered visitors make outdoor spaces feel alive....

Plants

Top 7 Shrubs to Plant This Autumn

Autumn offers one of the very best windows for planting, and it’s especially ideal for shrubs that anchor your landscape....

Plants

Planting for Fall: The Best Annuals & Perennials for Seasonal Color

As the summer heat begins to fade, fall offers gardeners a fresh opportunity to bring vibrant color and texture back into their landscapes....

Outdoor

How to Create Stunning Fall Mum Arrangements for Your Porch

When fall arrives, one plant takes center stage: mums! With their bold colors, long lasting blooms, and versatility, mums are the perfect way to dress up your porch and welcome...

Plants

Our Top Panicle Hydrangeas: Must-Have Varieties for Your Summer Garden

Known for their large, cone shaped flower clusters, panicle hydrangeas are not only stunning but also incredibly versatile shrubs. Whether you're looking to create a statement piece in your landscape...

Plants

Coneflower Focus: Bringing Bold Color to Your Summer Garden

When it comes to adding a pop of color to your summer garden, few plants can match the charm and vibrancy of coneflowers....

Plants

The Plant-lympics: Celebrating Summer’s Top Bloomers

Welcome to the Plant lympics! Today, we're celebrating the our top bloomers of the 2024 summer season. Join us as we dive into why they’ve claimed their spots on the...

Plants

The Science Behind the Snap: Understanding Venus Flytraps

Venus Fly Traps are fascinating carnivorous plants that are like something straight out of a sci fi movie, but they’re very real and just as cool....

Plants

Exploring Hibiscus: The Origins and Differences Between Tropical and Perennial Types

Which means it’s time to dive into the world of hibiscus. These gorgeous, eye catching flowers are not just a plant you can see on your Hawaiian vacation, but a...

Plants

5 Best Ways to Keep Your Garden Watered for the Season

Gardening is definitely the best hobby out there, but when the weather gets hotter and hotter, it gets harder to tend to the garden and keep your plants thriving....

Houseplants

The Wonderful World of Succulents

Succulents String of Pearls String of Dolphin Assorted Succulent Succulents have never been more on trend than they are right now, and these low maintenance plants make the perfect houseplant...

Houseplants

7 Must Know Tips for Plant Parents: Houseplant Basics

Houseplants are growing in popularity and a new generation of plant parents are visiting our greenhouses everyday. With that, we wanted to give everyone a few tips to be successful....

Edible

Homegrown Herbs

Fresh herbs are easy to grow and can make all the difference between a good dish and an extraordinary dish! Once you begin to use fresh herbs in your favorite...

Edible

Let’s Talk Tomatoes

Check out what's trending in the tasty tomato world. Enjoy a homegrown harvest right from your own yard. Tomatoes are one of the easiest & tastiest foods to grow, and,...

Edible

Plant of the Week: Better Boy Tomatoes

Did you know that a Better Boy tomato plant once yielded more than 340 pounds of fruit, earning it a Guinness World Record?...

Edible

Plant of the Week: Strawberry Eclair

Get your taste buds ready for our newest berry on the block... This new gourmet strawberry boasts a unique taste with a hint of citrus and raspberry flavor to it....

Edible

Portrait of a Pepper

Stuffed, pickled, jelled, roasted, hot, mild, sweet, bell, ornamental, mini, long, red, green, yellow and orange Peter Piper sure had his work cut out for him!...

Edible

Growing Citrus in Containers

Try your hand at growing citrus in containers. We're sure you'll find it fun and rewarding... and of course, you'll definitely enjoy the fruits of your labor when those tasty...

Gardening Care

Got Moles & Voles? We’ve Got Solutions!

Moles have become a major nuisance in this area and can cause damage as well as frustration to any gardener. Here’s some helpful information to help you rid your yard...

Gardening Care

Powdery Mildew Alert

Everyone knows that April showers bring May flowers, but recently Hampton Roads has experienced more than its fair share of rain....

Gardening Care

Blades of Glory: Secrets of a Lush Lawn

Whether spring has sprung or is just starting to peek through the winter cold, now’s the time to get your lawn spring ready....

Gardening Care

Plant Pruning Season

By Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener & gardening writer living in Hampton Roads, VA Oh, happy days , Spring is only 20 days away!...

Gardening Care

Winter Pruning

PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH IN TREES & SHRUBS by Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener and gardening writer living in York County, Virginia There was a time I was hesitant to...

Gardening Care

Rejuvenate your summer-weary lawn this fall

By Kathy Van Mullekom, a lifelong gardener and gardening writer living in York County, Virginia It’s been a weird weather year for lawns....

Seasons

Fresh, Fragrant & Festive

10 Ways to Use Rosemary Rosemary is a must have for every home and garden! This perennial herb boasts lovely fragrant, needle like leaves of silvery green and is native...

Seasons

From Bulbs to Holiday Blooms

AMARYLLIS & PAPERWHITES Looking for an easy way to add color and fragrance to your holiday decorating? Look no further than Amaryllis or Paperwhites....

Seasons

New Year. New Trends.

2015 OUTDOOR TRENDS Hold on to your gardening trowels. Fresh gardening trends inspired by local living and overall well being are sure to make a positive impact on both our...

Seasons

The Countdown to Christmas

LET THE DECORATING BEGIN. Step into a magical Christmas wonderland at the McDonald Christmas Shoppe. Every corner is packed with new treasures and collectible wonders....

Seasons

Goodbye August. Hello Fall.

While we love the summer landscape, we are excited to welcome all the beautiful plants that fall brings us. The weather is cooling off and that means welcoming football, tailgates,...

Seasons

August Garden To-Dos

Tired of that Hampton Roads summer heat and humidity yet? Wondering what to do in the garden in August besides melt? No one would blame you if gardening was the...

Outdoor

Japanese Maples for the Fall Landscape

Looking for dramatic fall color in the landscape? Look no further than Japanese Maples. Our landscape designers love using Japanese Maples for bold, brilliant color all through the fall....

Outdoor

The Philosophy of a Landscape

Ever wonder how a great landscape is born? McDonald Landscape Designer, Tami Eilers, gave us a little insight into the development of one of her recent projects....

Outdoor

Patio Perfect

Whether you're dreaming up a brand new outdoor living space or you're thinking about revamping an existing one, planning ahead is essential to creating a patio that's both beautiful and...

Outdoor

Our Landscape Designers are at Your Service

Seasonal Plantings Patio Design and Plantings Fire Pits & Hardscapes Front Yard Curb Appeal Curb Appeal Pathways & Walkways A professional landscape designer will ensure that your garden is not...

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....

Outdoor

Light Up Your Landscape with Delta Blues™ Vitex

Delta Blues™ Vitex Vitex (chaste tree) is a beautiful, small deciduous tree or large multi trunked shrub. Often mistaken for butterfly bush, this beauty grows to about 15 to 20...

Wildlife

Invite Birds To Your Yard

HOW TO MAKE A BIRDSEED WREATH Invite the birds to your yard and bring song, color and life to your home. Bird watching is one of America's fastest growing hobbies,...

Wildlife

For the Birds…

Bird has become one of America's fastest growing hobbies, and backyard bird feeding is a convenient way to enjoy these fine ends....

Wildlife

For the Birds

Bird watching is one of America's fastest growing hobbies, and backyard bird feeding is a convenient way to enjoy these fine ends....

Wildlife

Helping Birds Survive the Winter

Wintertime, and the living ain't easy for our fine ends. Birds prepare as best as they can for the cold weather but can still have difficulties finding adequate food, water...

Wildlife

The Garden Guru’s Guide to Planting a Pollinator Garden

Butterflies and other pollinators are a beautiful and important addition to any garden. With the right plants and understanding of their needs, you’ll not only have these winged beauties in...

It’s Rootamentary! How to Make a Root Globe…

When walking through our greenhouse, you can often find Eddie Anderson, McDonald Garden Center owner, with his hands deep in the soil potting plants and experimenting with new gardening ideas....

Make A Scarecrow. Make a Difference.

Scarecrows are usually designed ghten away birds or as decorations, but at the annual McDonald Garden Center “Make A Scarecrow” event, they are being made to raise funds for the...

Get Ahead of the Carve, DIY Succulent Pumpkin

Fall is clearly the season for pumpkins pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin candles, pumpkin butter, and of course, pumpkin decor....

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.