Most of us at one time or another have struggled to get to sleep and there’s nothing more frustrating than tossing and turning all night before being awoken by the sound of your alarm clock – only minutes after you finally managed to doze off! These sleepless nights can take their toll on your energy, productivity, mood and overall quality of life. Poor air quality from pollution and odors and molds can impact our breathing, making a good night’s sleep seem impossible.

by McDonald Garden Center's Garden Guru, Mike WestphalWhen the temperature rises and our rains are less frequent, it is important to know the 5 W’s of watering (Who, What, Where, When & Why). Efficiency and effectiveness are the two most important things. You want to get your watering done as quickly as you can, so you can enjoy your lawn and garden. You also want your watering to be effective, so your plants get the most out of what you give them.

Summertime - time to get outside with your family and friends and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather in your yard. The last thing you want to do is cover up and spend the whole day checking the kids and pets for ticks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts summer 2017, to be the biggest tick-fest season ever. Why? Because there will be more ticks. The reason - last winter's mild temps weren't enought to kill these little pests.

by McDonald Garden Center Owner, Eddie Anderson The greeting message provided by your home is one of the important considerations when developing the street view. The architect developed the style and function of the house. The builder is often the one who lays out the walk and driveway system to the home. In Elizabeth Lake Estates, the city maintains the sidewalks in front of most homes. The layout of the lawn, trees and shrubs ties it all together. These are the basic factors that work together to compose the entry system to your home.

School’s out and the kids are bored. If you are looking for a fun activity for your little ones (or maybe for yourself), look no further. You can create unique miniature plantings with containers you already have…so dust off those old tin boxes, glass bottles, or whatever else you have on hand and get inspired. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? Quite possibly nature's perfect fruit, blueberries are one of the healthiest foods around, and they require no pitting or peeling. Take advantage of these little blue gems with this delightful blueberry crumb cake recipe created by our very own Chef Manu.

By Michelle Peterson, St. Lucie County Master GardenerPlants produce nectar as a means of attracting insects, birds and other potential pollinators. One of the greatest benefits of gardening with nectar-producing plants is being able to provide an attractive habitat for a great number of wildlife, particularly butterflies, honey bees and native pollinators. A standard nectar garden includes a mix of annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs and trees. Although there are many commonalities in nectar gardens, each has specific requirements when attracting a specificpollinator.

When creating any container, there are several factors to consider that will affect the overall impact. Color, of course, is a high priority when trying to achieve a tropical look. There are other details to consider though such as pattern, shape, texture and movement. Considering these will help you create a container you can’t take your eyes off of all summer!

Featured Recipe Exclusively for McDonald Garden CenterSummertime Kale Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

We’re pretty sure when Jeffery Osborne wrote “On the Wings of Love,” in 1982, he was not belting out romanticisms to his beloved, but instead bragging about his beautiful and blossoming butterfly garden. (Of course we may think all ballads have some sort of tie back to gardening) Whether that’s true or not, we’ve compiled some tips on how you can paint your garden with the fluttering frolic of our favorite pollinators. Here are our must-dos for a successful butterfly garden.