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How-to classes, seminars, and make it/take workshops for both kids and adults from our garden experts.
Get ready for a summer full of adventure at Camp McDonald! Join us at our year-round locations for four themed weeks of in-store activities, each paired with a special Saturday event. Each Camp McDonald week will also be featured across our social channels, through in-store displays, special sales, and free craft activities, bringing the theme to life in every corner of the garden center. Each week at Camp McDonald offers fun opportunities to learn, create, and explore gardening together as a family, with something new to discover all summer long!
Themed Week Line-Up:
Join us for a dino-sized opportunity at our year-round locations July 6th-12th for inspiration, discovery, deals and great finds to bring home and grow in your own garden. During Dino Week, we’ll dig into the fascinating world of prehistoric plants and the landscapes dinosaurs once roamed. Discover how plant life has evolved over millions of years and explore ancient-inspired varieties that still influence today’s gardens.
This week's workshop is: Venus Fly Trap Workshop for Kids
Travel back to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth at our Venus Flytrap Workshop for Kids! Join us on Saturday, July 11th at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location for a prehistoric plant adventure that's millions of years in the making. Our Green Team will share care tips and instructions while kids plant up their venus fly traps. Then, each young paleontologist will decorate their own container with paint, googly eyes, and a little dino friend to take home, creating a prehistoric habitat for their new plant companion.
Recommended for ages 3 and up. Parental assistance is required. Cost is $20 and includes instructions and all supplies. Register in-store or online. Walk-ins are welcome while supplies last.
Get ready to use the savings you've been growing all season! Join us July 17th-19th, 2026, for our Bloom Bucks Redemption event and redeem the Bloom Bucks you've earned through your gardenRewards purchases.
This special three-day event is your opportunity to turn your spring and early summer shopping into even more savings on the plants, gardening supplies, outdoor decor, and garden favorites you've been eyeing. Your Bloom Bucks balance will be emailed to eligible gardenRewards members before the event, so be sure your email address is linked to your account and that you're subscribed to receive our emails. Don't miss this chance to cash in your rewards and enjoy a weekend of blooming savings!
Adventure awaits during Wilderness Week July 20th-26th at both of our year-round locations! This week highlights how the right garden choices can turn any space into a thriving habitat. Discover details on birding essentials, along with featured plants, shelters, and garden accessories designed to support backyard visitors year-round. Explore products and inspiration that help you create a more wildlife-rich garden right at home.
This week's seminar is: Camp McDonald Wildlife Encounter: Birds of Prey
Get an up-close look at some of nature's most impressive hunters during this exciting Birds of Prey Seminar & Live Demonstration. Join our special guests from Nature's Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation July 25th at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location as they introduce a variety of live birds of prey and share fascinating facts about their unique adaptations, behaviors, and important roles in our local ecosystem. This educational experience is perfect for nature lovers of all ages and offers a rare opportunity to see these magnificent birds up close.
Admission is FREE, however, seating is limited.
Grab your magnifying glass and get ready for a week of tiny discoveries! During Bug & Butterfly Week, August 3rd-9th at our year-round locations, we’ll explore the fascinating world of insects and pollinators that help our gardens thrive. This week highlights pollinator-friendly plants, nectar-rich blooms, and garden solutions designed to attract and support beneficial insects all season long. Discover inspiration for creating a garden that is not only buzzing with life, but also built to thrive with the right plant selections and pollinator support essentials.
This week's workshop is: Pollinator Watering Station Workshop for Kids
Help out hardworking pollinators with a perfect place to take a rest! In this workshop, kids will transform a terracotta pot and tray into a colorful pollinator watering station. Using bright colors that butterflies, bees, and other pollinators love, participants can paint their watering station to resemble a whimsical mushroom or create their own unique design. This workshop is happening Saturday, August 8th at 11am, exclusively at our Independence Blvd. location.
Recommended for ages 3 and up. Parental assistance may be required. Cost is $15 and includes instructions and all supplies. Register in-store or online. Walk-ins are welcome while supplies last.
Put on your lab coat and get ready to experiment during Science Week! This week is all about uncovering the real science happening in every garden, from plant growth and soil health to water movement, nutrients, and the living systems that keep landscapes thriving. Join us August 17th-23rd at both of our year round locations to learn science-backed solutions and expert essentials that turn curiosity into results right in your own garden.
This week's workshop is: Mini Greenhouse Workshop for Kids
Watch your garden grow right from the start! In this hands-on workshop, kids will create their very own mini greenhouse using a 6-inch terracotta pot, matching saucer, and a recycled soda bottle dome to help protect and nurture new seedlings.
Participants will plant seeds during class and learn how greenhouses help plants sprout and grow. Once finished, each mini greenhouse can be taken home to continue the growing adventure, offering a fun way to observe plant life up close day by day. This workshop is happening at our Independence Blvd. location exclusively on Saturday, August 22nd at 11am.
Travel back to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth at our Venus Flytrap Workshop for Kids! Join us on Saturday, July 11th at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location for a prehistoric plant adventure that's millions of years in the making. Our Green Team will share care tips and instructions while kids plant up their venus fly traps. Then, each young paleontologist will decorate their own container with paint, googly eyes, and a little dino friend to take home, creating a prehistoric habitat for their new plant companion.
Recommended for ages 3 and up. Parental assistance is required. Cost is $20 and includes instructions and all supplies. Register in-store or online. Walk-ins are welcome while supplies last.
Help out hardworking pollinators with a perfect place to take a rest! In this workshop, kids will transform a terracotta pot and tray into a colorful pollinator watering station. Using bright colors that butterflies, bees, and other pollinators love, participants can paint their watering station to resemble a whimsical mushroom or create their own unique design. This workshop is happening Saturday, August 8th at 11am, exclusively at our Independence Blvd. location.
Recommended for ages 3 and up. Parental assistance may be required. Cost is $15 and includes instructions and all supplies. Register in-store or online. Walk-ins are welcome while supplies last.
Watch your garden grow right from the start! In this hands-on workshop, kids will create their very own mini greenhouse using a 6-inch terracotta pot, matching saucer, and a recycled soda bottle dome to help protect and nurture new seedlings.
Participants will plant seeds during class and learn how greenhouses help plants sprout and grow. Once finished, each mini greenhouse can be taken home to continue the growing adventure, offering a fun way to observe plant life up close day by day. This workshop is happening at our Independence Blvd. location exclusively on Saturday, August 22nd at 11am.
Get an up-close look at some of nature's most impressive hunters during this exciting Birds of Prey Seminar & Live Demonstration. Join our special guests from Nature's Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation July 25th at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location as they introduce a variety of live birds of prey and share fascinating facts about their unique adaptations, behaviors, and important roles in our local ecosystem. This educational experience is perfect for nature lovers of all ages and offers a rare opportunity to see these magnificent birds up close.
Admission is FREE, however, seating is limited.
Get ready for a summer full of adventure at Camp McDonald! Join us at our year-round locations for four themed weeks of in-store activities, each paired with a special Saturday event. Each Camp McDonald week will also be featured across our social channels, through in-store displays, special sales, and free craft activities, bringing the theme to life in every corner of the garden center. Each week at Camp McDonald offers fun opportunities to learn, create, and explore gardening together as a family, with something new to discover all summer long!
Themed Week Line-Up:
Join us for a dino-sized opportunity at our year-round locations July 6th-12th for inspiration, discovery, deals and great finds to bring home and grow in your own garden. During Dino Week, we’ll dig into the fascinating world of prehistoric plants and the landscapes dinosaurs once roamed. Discover how plant life has evolved over millions of years and explore ancient-inspired varieties that still influence today’s gardens.
This week's workshop is: Venus Fly Trap Workshop for Kids
Peach season is right around the corner, and we're excited to host the Georgia Peach Truck once again at our Independence Boulevard location. Enjoy farm-fresh peaches delivered straight from the orchards of Georgia.
Celebrate a star-spangled week of savings during our Red, White & Blooming Sale, July 1st - 7th at all McDonald Garden Center locations!
Summer gatherings, backyard barbecues, and Fourth of July parties are right around the corner, and there's no better time to refresh your outdoor spaces. Find special savings on plants, gardening essentials, outdoor decor, and more to help your landscape look its best for the holiday and the rest of the season. Add colorful blooms to your porch, freshen up garden beds, or give your backyard a festive touch while taking advantage of great deals throughout our stores. Join us for a week of red, white, and blooming savings!
Flutter into our Independence location for a fun and family-friendly experience this June 22nd-28th, 2026. Wander through our butterfly tent and get up close with beautiful monarch butterflies and hungry caterpillars munching away, forming chrysalises, emerging into stunning adults right before your eyes.
Our friendly Green Team experts will be on hand to answer questions and guide you through this incredible journey of transformation. This is a FREE experience, perfect for the whole family to enjoy, learn, and connect with nature.
Space inside the tent is limited, so please be prepared to wait your turn for entry. Don’t miss your chance to witness the magic of monarchs in action!
Celebrate National Pollinator Week with us June 22nd–28th, 2026 at both of our year-round locations and select garden markets! It’s the perfect time to give your garden a boost with special savings on pollinator-friendly plants that help attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other essential garden visitors.
Throughout the week, enjoy family-friendly activities, interactive displays, and helpful tips from our Green Team on how to create a vibrant, pollinator-friendly landscape at home. Plus, don’t miss the Monarch Butterfly Tent at our Independence location for a special up-close look at one of nature’s most beloved pollinators.
We’re cookin’ up gratitude with a side of chips and a drink! Join us for Grillin’ in the Garden on Saturday, June 13th from 11am-2pm at all of our year-round locations for a customer appreciation celebration you won’t want to miss. We’ll be firing up the grill and serving FREE hot dogs, chips, and drinks as our way of saying thank you to the incredible customers who have helped us grow for over 80 amazing years.
We're showing our appreciation to all our wonderful customers during Customer Appreciation Weekend with our IN-STORE giveaways at our year-round locations and you could be one of the lucky winners!
It’s time for our Customer Appreciation Weekend, happening June 12th-14th, 2026, at our year-round locations and seasonal garden markets. We’re showing our thanks to you, our amazing customers, by offering exclusive deals, exciting giveaways, and seasonal fun made just for you.
Be sure to stop by on Saturday, June 13th from 11am-2pm for our special Grillin’ in the Garden event at our year-round locations, where lunch is on us with a FREE hotdog, chips, and a drink while you shop.
Join us on May 23rd at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location for a watercolor painting workshop set right in the garden center. Led by Carly Melvin, a Virginia Beach native and lifelong artist with a BFA in Illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), this hands-on class focuses on capturing the beauty of the garden through watercolor and ink.
With Carly’s guidance, you’ll learn techniques to paint from real-life garden scenes, build confidence with watercolor, and develop your own artistic style in an inspiring outdoor setting. Perfect for both beginners and experienced artists, this workshop includes personalized instruction and plenty of creative freedom.
Get ready for a weekend of creativity you can take home! Our Green Team has turned iconic works of art into living, breathing container gardens and we’re handing you the “recipe” so you can recreate the masterpiece yourself.
From May 22nd–25th, 2026, stroll through our year-round locations and garden markets to discover container combinations designed by the pros, inspired by legendary art, and ready to spark your next planting project. Plus, enjoy special savings on plants, pottery, and accessories to bring your own work of art to life.
Love the taste of a fresh, homegrown tomato? Join Mike, the Garden Guru, for a hands-on Tomato Masterclass dedicated to helping you grow your best crop yet.
From choosing the right varieties to mastering planting, feeding, and season-long care, Mike will share his go-to tips for producing strong plants and incredibly flavorful harvests all summer long. This in-store seminar is perfect for gardeners of any experience level looking to grow tomatoes with confidence.
Join us on May 16 at 11am at our Independence Blvd. location for a hands-on veggie gardening experience made just for kids! Each participant will plant up three 4-inch veggie starters that are perfect for growing at home in a sunny spot, then they can get creative by painting their own rock markers to label each plant. It’s the perfect mix of planting and creativity, giving kids something they can care for, watch grow, and feel proud of.
Cost is $30 per participant, all supplies are included. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Parental supervision is required.
Welcome to McDonald Garden Center’s Veggieland, where everything is growing, glowing, and ready to inspire your best garden yet. From May 13th-19th, 2026, enjoy a full week packed with veggie-focused fun, great deals, and plenty of garden inspiration.
Our Green Team will be on hand all week long, sharing tips and tricks to help you grow a thriving, homegrown harvest, from first-time planters to seasoned veggie gardeners.
Get ready to shop, save, and celebrate at Bloom Bash, a redemption event happening July 17th-19th, 2026! This event is your chance to redeem the Bloom Bucks you earn while shopping with us this spring. From Mother’s Day (May 10th) - July 4th, 2026, gardenRewards members will earn $1 in Bloom Bucks for every $10 spent in-store. It’s our way of saying thank you for supporting local and shopping with us during our favorite time of year.
No need to track your purchases, we’ll do that for you! Just make sure your email address is linked to your gardenRewards account and you're subscribed to our emails, so we can send your Bloom Bucks total before the big event. Questions or need to update your info? Reach out to us anytime at info@mcdonaldgardencenter.com.
This Mother’s Day, skip the standard bouquet and go full bloom. Flower Bomb Mom with fresh color, creative gifts, and garden inspiration. From May 4th-10th, our year-round stores and seasonal garden markets are celebrating with handpicked selections, special pricing, and thoughtful ideas that make it easy to treat her to something meaningful.
She deserves more than breakfast in bed. She deserves something that lasts. Here are just a few ways to make her feel special:
Dive into the season during our Spring Fling sales event! For one weekend only, enjoy fresh deals on annuals, perennials, garden tools, accessories, and more. Refresh tired beds, expand a pollinator patch, or finally plant that show-stopping container you’ve been dreaming about. All of our locations are bursting with color, the selection is at its peak, and inspiration is everywhere!
Visit any of our Virginia Beach year-round locations at Great Neck or Independence, or stop by one of our Garden Market pop-ups to take advantage of this limited-time event happening April 24th - 26th.
Join us at our Independence Blvd Location on Sunday, April 18th at 11am for a FREE seminar on ridding your yard of moles and voles! These small but mighty creatures can wreak havoc on your lawn and garden, but with the right knowledge and techniques, you can keep them at bay.
Mike Westphal, the Garden Guru, will share his expertise on effective and organic solutions to managing moles and voles, ensuring that your lawn and garden stays healthy and safe for you and the environment. With his expert guidance, you'll learn how to effectively identify and prevent mole and vole damage and learn about deterrents to keep them under control.
Step through the looking glass and into one of our biggest spring sales events, A Garden Party, happening April 10th-12th, 2026. Our year-round locations and exclusive pop-up markets will transform into a storybook-inspired wonderland filled with vibrant blooms, exciting deals, and a touch of springtime magic.
Discover incredible savings across our beautiful selection of flowers, plants, garden accessories, and more. The deals are so good, you might feel like you’ve tumbled right down a rabbit hole. Get ready to paint the roses red, or any color your garden dreams of, with an amazing variety of plants at prices worth celebrating. A Garden Party is every gardener’s wonderland, filled with color, inspiration, and savings you won’t want to miss.
Get ready for a berry fun adventure in the garden! One of our most loved kids’ workshops is back, Strawberry Pots. Join us on April 4th at 11am for a hands-on activity where little gardeners can paint and plant their very own strawberry planter.
With a parent or guardian lending a helping hand, kids will enjoy getting creative while learning a little about how strawberries grow. It’s a great way to spend time together and leave with something sweet that will keep growing at home.
Hop in-store this Easter for a fun-filled opportunity to save on spring plants & products! Our Bunny Day Bucks Scavenger Hunt is happening April 4th-5th, exclusively at our year-round locations.
Here’s How to Play:
Spring is in full swing, and so is Bird Fest at McDonald Garden Center! For three days, we’re celebrating the joy of backyard birding with special savings on birding products, favorite seed mixes, bird-friendly plants, and more. Explore ways to attract local birds to your garden and learn from our experts along the way. The weekend will also feature a lineup of events designed to inspire your birding journey, exclusively at our Independence Blvd. location:
Shake off some stress and spend a little time with some of our furry friends! Join us on March 22nd at 2pm at our Independence Blvd. location for our Greenhouse Goat Snuggling event. Cuddle, pet, and snap photos with adorable goats right in the heart of Plantopia.
Our Green Team and the Fun with Goats team will be there to guide the fun and ensure everyone (goats included!) has a safe visit. Cost is $10 per person. Spaces are limited, register online or in-store to save your spot!
Celebrate spring with a hands-on wreath-making experience! Join us for our Spring Wreath Workshop on March 21st at 2pm at our Independence Blvd. location. Create a beautiful, seasonal wreath using faux and dried florals, perfect for your door or indoor decor.
Enjoy freshly brewed tea and crumpets while our Green Team guides you step-by-step through designing your 18-inch grapevine wreath. By the end, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind creation to brighten your space. Cost is $50, all supplies included. Register online or in-store, spaces are limited!
What’s better than pizza? A pizza you grow yourself! Bring your little chefs to our Pizza Garden Workshop for Kids, where they’ll plant their way to delizioso garden-to-table goodness. Designed for kids ages 5 and up, this hands-on workshop will have young gardeners getting their hands in the soil as they plant their own mini herb gardens! Our Green Team will teach the basics of planting and caring for fresh herbs, so they’ll be all set to create their very own pizza masterpiece at home from the container they build in-store.
And because no Italian-inspired gathering is complete without a little something to eat, we’ll be serving up a hot, cheesy slice of pizza after all that planting. Buon appetito!
Get your garden in the game - Mulch Madness is back! From March 20th-22nd, 2026, it’s your chance to pile on the savings and give your landscape the MVP treatment it deserves.
Mulch isn’t just a finishing touch, it’s a game-changer. It locks in moisture, smothers weeds, regulates soil temperature, and instantly levels up your yard. For three days only, stock up on top-quality mulch at unbeatable prices. Score big this season and give your garden the edge it needs. These deals won’t last long, so hustle in and load up!
Have questions about your yard or outdoor projects? Stop by our McDonald Landscapes info kiosk on the weekends of March 14th & 15th, 9:00am-2:00pm at our Independence Blvd. location to get expert advice directly from our designers.
Our team will be available to answer your questions about plant selection, hardscapes, lighting, layout, and more. You’ll leave with practical tips and ideas to make your outdoor space look and function its best. Drop by anytime between 9:00am-2:00pm and bring your ideas, questions, and inspiration!
