It's easy to fall in love with gardenias, the belle of the southern garden, and the queen of fragrant flowers. With their lush, evergreen leaves, snow-white blossoms, intoxicating scent and the ability to withstand the Southern summer heat, what’s not to love?
As fragrant as it is beautiful, the butterfly bush (buddleja) is a must-have for that sunny spot in your garden. The long flower spikes of colorful, nectar-rich blooms appear all summer long and attract crowds of butterflies and other pollinators.
In spring, when brightly colored annuals are getting their (deserved) time in the limelight, there is one standout in the grasses world that deserves a little light of its own (lime tones already included). Enter, Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex by Southern Living.
Satsuki azaleas (pronounced sat’ski) have been bred and selected for over 300 years in Japan and are prized for their prolific and diverse flower colors. With their shiny, green leaves, quick growth habit and the ability to withstand pruning and shaping, these plants are perfect for bonsai styling. Satsuki azaleas break all the rules of traditional spring-blooming azaleas and flower in late May and June while other azaleas flower in March or early May.
Spring is here and with rising temperatures and longer days it's time to shake off winter and get outside. Whether it's planting new blooms, providing a refuge for wildlife, or creating a beautiful and relaxing outdoor retreat, we have some inspiring new products for the spring garden and beyond.
Calibrachoa, also known as Million Bells or Superbells, look like tiny petunias, but there’s nothing petite about their show-stopping color from spring until fall. Known for their superb color, heat tolerance, disease resistance, and oodles of blooms, it’s no surprise why this series is a star performer. With growth habits that range from the small and compact to the cascading, these plants make for colorful, trailing accents in containers or hanging baskets, along walkways, and on garden walls.
Aloe Vera has been used for centuries to heal wounds and soothe minor skin irritations such as burns, minor cuts, and bug bites. Aloe is a good plant to have around if you ever forget your sunscreen. Cut a leaf from your plant and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. When you scrape the gel from inside the leaf and apply it to your skin, it is a cool, refreshing way to soothe a sunburn. Aloe vera is not only useful but easy to grow. Here are some tips for growing Aloe Vera at home:
Set your landscape ablaze with this spectacular flaming-red heuchera variety, Fire Alarm. A real show stopper in any season, this heuchera features big, glossy foliage that is bright red in spring, taking on brown tones for summer and then turns back to bright red come fall. White spikes of pink, bell-shaped flowers rise above the foliage in summer. Heuchera Fire Alarm offers bold texture and color contrast in mixed containers, mass plantings, borders and groundcovers and is evergreen in mild winter climates.
At McDonald Garden Center, we’ve been carrying the rare pilea peperomioides for a while. Their adorable, pancake-shaped leaves and easy-to-grow nature already made them a superstar in our eyes. But when we started to receive numerous phone calls inquiring if we carried them, we took notice.
Who doesn't love an evergreen shrub that offers layers of gorgeous, cascading flowers, striking foliage and provides year-round interest. Pieris, also known as Lily of the Valley, is a charming and versatile shrub that flowers from late winter to early spring. Bloom color ranges from shades of white, pink and rosy-red. But the show's not over when the flowers fade. New foliage emerges in colors ranging from bronzy-pink to fiery-red. Leaf colors last for 2-3 weeks and then turn green as they mature.
