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This beautiful and exotic winter bloomer has deep orange flowers emanating from sunshine-yellow centers. A member of the amaryllis family, this evergreen boosts deep green, strap-like leaves that arch 2-3 feet above the crown. These arched leaves provide graceful structure making Clivia an attractive foliage plant, even when it's not in bloom. Elegant and striking, it’s easier to grow than an orchid and more unusual than an amaryllis. Clivia, also known as a Kaffir Lily, has a well-earned reputation as a rugged houseplant that demands very little attention. It grows best in bright, daylight, but not direct sunlight. Clivia prefers to be kept on the dry side. This long lived houseplant forms a clump and will produce several flower spikes each winter. Add this tried & trued houseplant to your home today!

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, January 31, 2012 }

Helebores are truly winter's most captivating bloom. They are evergreens, meaning they will keep their leaves year round. But, it's their beautiful, showy flowers that really steal the show! Hellebores produce flowers at a time when nothing else seems to be blooming... in winter. This year, everyone is talking about the new Rosemary Hellebore that produces rose pink buds that open to a pale pink saucer shaped flower. They start blooming very early in the winter season and as they mature, their color gets richer and becomes a nice rosey pink.

Caring for Hellebores requires planting in a rich, fairly moist soil that drains well. Hellebores do not like to be disturbed or moved, so it's best to find a good location and plant them permanently in one spot. In the early winter, the older foliage turns brown. When this happens, we recommend simply trimming away the old foliage to keep the plants looking its best.

Hellebores mix well with all kinds of spring-flowering bulbs, as well as shade-loving perennials like hostas, ferns and even columbines. They even looked great planted beneath a shade tree or mixed with deciduous shrubs and ornamentals. They are even deer resistant for an added benefit.

This beauty will add surprise and delight to your garden all year long!

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, January 25, 2012 }

Bird watching is one of America's fastest-growing hobbies, and backyard bird feeding is a convenient way to enjoy these fine-feathered friends. Surveys reveal that nearly half the households in the United States provide food for wild birds.

What has made watching birds the fastest growing hobby in the country second only to gardening?

The attraction is obvious - feeding birds brings them closer, so we can see them more easily. Their colorful and entertaining presence is fascinating to observe, especially through the long, dreary days of winter. Setting up a backyard bird feeder can make birds' lives easier too. Winter is a difficult time for birds, and finding food can be especially challenging during periods of extreme cold.

What should you serve your bird visitors for dinner? If you want to attract many different species of birds, you need to offer a variety of foods.

In most areas, black-oil sunflower seed tends to attract the greatest variety of birds. It has a high meat-to-shell ratio and a high fat content. Since it is small and thin-shelled, it is easy for small birds, like the Tufted Titmouse, to handle and crack. Striped sunflower seeds, which are larger, have thicker seed coats.

Although sunflower seeds are the all-round favorite, especially for tree-dwelling birds, some birds prefer other types of food. Blackbirds enjoy corn, whereas many ground-feeding birds, like doves, prefer white millet or red milo.

Be wary of commercial seed mixes. They are often a mixture of sunflower seeds plus a high proportion of less appealing "fillers" such as millet, oats, wheat, flax, buckwheat seeds, and red milo. Birds tend to pick out the prized sunflower seeds and leave the rest. Instead, try making your own birdseed mix. Pour about 25 pounds of black-oil sunflower seed, 10-pounds of white proso millet, and 10 pounds of cracked corn into a clean trash can. Use a broom handle to mix it up.
Be sure to store your bird food carefully. Keep seed in a dry, cool place, in a rodent-proof, metal can. Be sure to check the seed often for mold, and throw out any seed that is questionable.

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, January 20, 2012 }

In this age of technology, we all need to stay in touch with nature. Houseplants help fulfill this, as well as adding attractiveness to the décor in our indoor surroundings. Even more importantly, the ordinary houseplants may be one of the best solutions to help improve your indoor air. The plants listed below have been found to filter certain pollutants from indoor livings spaces according to studies at the National Space Technologies.

• Spider Plants
• Peace Lily
• Golden Pothos
• Chinese Evergreen

These air cleaning plant varieties appear to have two things in common ~ they all require relatively low light and they do not bear flowers. As home insulation has been improved to help save on winter heating costs, concern over indoor pollution is becoming more important. Plants using tiny leaf openings called stomato cleanse the indoor air found in ordinary households. According to studies, when a spider plant was placed in a sealed chamber, the concentration of formaldehyde (emitted naturally by plastics and building materials) had an 85% reduction from the starting level after only 24 hours. Houseplants already plant an important role in our lives, but perhaps we are just beginning to really appreciate how important they really are!

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, January 16, 2012 }