Dress Up Your Holiday Table

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you may be looking for ways to dress up the table. Sure, the turkey looks great…but what about your centerpiece? There are unlimited ways to impress the guests at your table for your Thanksgiving feast or holiday parties. Consider these ideas to spice up your table this season.

Bedazzle Your Fall & Winter Garden with Sasanqua Camellias

When most of the garden is resting, camellias burst onto the scene with elegant, perfectly-formed blossoms. Sasanqua camellias are the first to bloom, and November and December are the best months to select and plant, since you’ll be able to see them in action.

Fertilize for Winter Protection

Fall and winter are the perfect times to fertilize your lawns and plants for better health and disease resistance through the winter months. Stronger and healthier lawns and plants will endure the hardships of winter much better then weaker plants and lawns. Applying a fertilizer now through the end of December will ensure your plants success. Plants and lawns are expending energy now developing root systems and preparing for winter by storing food to be used during those colder months, so by feeding your pants you can aid in the survival during winter and stronger root development.

Top 5 Trends for Christmas. Holiday Open House Preview

The cider is simmering, lights are twinkling, and the greenhouse is shimmering. That could only mean one thing- HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE at McDonald Garden Center!Despite recent beach-going temperatures, the Christmas season is, in fact, right on our heels. With falling temps and football games comes our annual open house event that features all of the latest trends in the festive fantasyland that is the McDonald Garden Center Christmas Shoppe.

Beauty in Small Spaces with the October Magic Bride Camellia

Want elegant, full blooms but don’t have a lot of room left in your landscape? Squeeze in an October Magic Bride Camellia! Grown by Southern Living (who else would know how to perfect the quintessential southern shrub than the southern experts right?!) this beautiful bloomer produces a profuse amount of dainty, pure white flowers but feels very cozy in a small space.

Decorating with Houseplants for Fall

Decorating with Houseplants for FallOutside, the leaves are starting to fall but in our houseplant departments, our tropicals are thriving. We have some beautiful new additions to help you celebrate fall. Use them as table centerpieces for parties or in combination containers. Displayed with pumpkins and gourds, these plants will be a simple and pretty way to welcome fall.Florist Mums: boast large flowers and come in many different colors. These bright and happy mums make the perfect centerpiece or gift.

Our New Favorite Houseplant: Anthuriums

A houseplant that has the potential to bloom year-round is hard to come by. Luckily, we have the solution: anthuriums. This houseplant really makes a statement…and it is easy to care for. We carry anthuriums in several colors including pink, purple, red, and white. Grow anthurium alone or in combination containers with other houseplants.

Fall Paints Stunning Garden Scenes

Autumn is my favorite time of the year, especially in the garden. For the most part, annoying bugs go away and plant diseases disappear. And, some plants like roses produce their most stunning blooms in the fall, because they are not stressed by heat and pest problems. For me, fall is the time to enjoy the sights of colorful shrubs and trees. Here are some I like:

Fall is Prime Time for Lawn Care

by Kathy Van MullekomIt’s that time of the year – your cool-season fescue lawn looks tired and worn. It’s been a scorching, hot summer, one that’s taken its toll on a grass that prefers cool temperatures and naturally goes dormant in summer. I’ve had fescue grass most of my life, and it’s a turf that needs TLC to stay green and healthy. Which is why I always give it the special care it needs now through December, so it rewards me with a lush-green carpet many months of the year.

NEW Grass Seeds for 2017

“A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.” Michael PolanBeautiful lawns normally don’t just “happen.” They are the result of patience, persistence, and tiresome preparation. Luckily, McDonald Garden Center has figured out a way to take the guesswork out of Hampton Road's lawns.