THE BLOG: let's talk gardening


NOVEMBER 23 2010	Rocking Rosemary! Cooks know Rosemary as the perfect flavoring for chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or shellfish. Gardeners know Rosemary as a graceful topiary that can be placed on a table top, or in a window as a holiday welcome. Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea." A reference to its Mediterranean roots. Rosemary is an ancient symbol of fidelity, friendship and remembrance and Rosmary’s association with the holidays goes back to the 16th century. There are three fundamentals for successfully growing rosemary: Sun, Good Drainage and Good Air Circulation. Sunlight: A bright sunny window is best, and be sure to turn the plant so that it gets sun on both sides. The more light your plant receives; the more dense it will stay. In low light it will grow thin and sparse. Be sure to keep it away from temperature extremes like a cool draft or intense heat. Good Drainage: The soil needs to be well-drained so it is best to place the plant in a saucer with a layer of stones or broken pot pieces. Do not over water your topiary. Let the soil surface and top inch or so of soil dry between waterings (the top half inch for a small pot.) Water may remain in the saucer to provide humidity for the plant, but you do not want to let the water touch the bottom of the pot or let the pot stand it water. Good Air Circulation: Ensure that the room isn’t stuffy and is well ventilated. If your rosemary topiary needs repotting, wait until spring to do that and hold off on fertilizing until spring, too. Plan on setting your rosemary outside during the summer. This holiday season be sure to enjoy this fragrant, ornamental and delicious herb. TIP: To use rosemary, snip the stems and strip the needles from stems and chop before adding to dishes. Store fresh rosemary up to one week in the refrigerator, place stems in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. { Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 23, 2010 }
NOVEMBER 10 2010	The White House has them... you can too! The White House has them ... you can too! Three beautiful, handcrafted ornaments celebrating Hampton Roads history are now in route to 1600 Pennsylvannia Avenue to adorn the President's Christmas tree! Inspired by history, community, and a love for the land, local native Eddie Anderson has put together a one of a kind ornament collection for locals in Hampton Roads. Growing up in this community, Anderson became quite familiar with the important role our home has played in developing this great nation, and developed a photo collection of some of the regions most valued treasures. Whether it's the Virginia Beach’s Thoroughgood House or Hampton’s fishing fleet, Anderson has captured each scene and incorporated his impression into a one-of-a-kind handpainted ornament. In an effort to celebrate Virginia’s 400-year anniversary, Heirloom Ornaments were first introduced in 2007. With the overwhelming demand, McDonald Garden Center has grown the collection each year since. Ornaments include the old Coast Guard station in Virginia Beach, St. John’s Episcopal Church, the bandstand at Fort Monroe, Hampton's historical Carousel, Virginia Beach's Cape Henry Lighthouse, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, and many more. In 2009, partnering with the Hampton History Museum and local artist, Gail Duke, we introduced an ornament illustrating the first recorded Christmas celebration in America. This ornament featured a 360° view of Captain John Smith and crew arriving in Hampton, Virginia, originally called Kecoughtan, in 1608. It was during this adventure that Captain John Smith recorded the first account of a Christmas celebration in English North America. This year, we added two new ornaments inspired from Duke's paintings; "Living in Elizabeth Cittie" and "Kecoughtan Indian Village". Visit us to see these and our entire collection of ornaments, sold exclusively at McDonald Garden Center! See a clip from the Hampton Roads Show earlier this week! { Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 10, 2010 }
NOVEMBER 1 2010	How to Force the Issue As the red and gold leaves of autumn fall, the landscape becomes dull and colorless. But, there's one way you can add color to lift your spirits during the long, dark days of winter. Forcing spring bulbs into early bloom can create an indoor garden, infusing color and fragrance into your home. Daffodils, narcissus, tulips, crocus, and hyacinth are perennials that are perfect for blooming indoors. All it takes is a little planning. Select Healthy Bulbs - choose fat, firm, and heavy bulbs. Chill - Before potting, chill bulbs in a cold, dark garage or storage area. Check the label on the bulbs for the required chill time. Most bulbs require between 12-16 weeks chill time at 38-45° F. Check-Up - once bulbs are chilled, pull a few out to check for root development. Once you see roots with about 2 inches of shoot growth, bulbs are ready to be potted in containers and placed in sunlight. Choose Your Container(s) – plant in bulb-potting containers (bulb pans) or use whatever clean containers you have. Be sure the pots used have adequate drainage since bulbs may rot if kept too wet. Provide Potting Mix - use a potting mix, but don’t worry about fertilizing until the bulbs break the surface. Once up, fertilize with Espoma Bulb Tone following the directions on the package. Pot-Up - place bulbs on top of a shallow layer of soil close together, leaving just the tips peeking out. For a full and beautiful blooming container, place bulbs so they are almost touching. Water - water container occasionally to prevent them from drying out. Once flowers have bloomed, move the plants out of direct sun and away from heat sources to last as long as possible. After the blooms have faded, let the bulbs die back naturally. Plant them in the garden, where they may bloom again, although it may take a year to recover. { Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 2, 2010 }

NOVEMBER
23
2010

Rocking Rosemary!

Cooks know Rosemary as the perfect flavoring for chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or shellfish.

Gardeners know Rosemary as a graceful topiary that can be placed on a table top, or in a window as a holiday welcome.

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea." A reference to its Mediterranean roots. Rosemary is an ancient symbol of fidelity, friendship and remembrance and Rosmary’s association with the holidays goes back to the 16th century.

There are three fundamentals for successfully growing rosemary: Sun, Good Drainage and Good Air Circulation.

Sunlight: A bright sunny window is best, and be sure to turn the plant so that it gets sun on both sides. The more light your plant receives; the more dense it will stay. In low light it will grow thin and sparse. Be sure to keep it away from temperature extremes like a cool draft or intense heat.

Good Drainage: The soil needs to be well-drained so it is best to place the plant in a saucer with a layer of stones or broken pot pieces. Do not over water your topiary. Let the soil surface and top inch or so of soil dry between waterings (the top half inch for a small pot.) Water may remain in the saucer to provide humidity for the plant, but you do not want to let the water touch the bottom of the pot or let the pot stand it water.

Good Air Circulation: Ensure that the room isn’t stuffy and is well ventilated.

If your rosemary topiary needs repotting, wait until spring to do that and hold off on fertilizing until spring, too. Plan on setting your rosemary outside during the summer.

This holiday season be sure to enjoy this fragrant, ornamental and delicious herb.

TIP: To use rosemary, snip the stems and strip the needles from stems and chop before adding to dishes. Store fresh rosemary up to one week in the refrigerator, place stems in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel.

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 23, 2010 }

NOVEMBER
10
2010

The White House has them... you can too!

The White House has them ... you can too! Three beautiful, handcrafted ornaments celebrating Hampton Roads history are now in route to 1600 Pennsylvannia Avenue to adorn the President's Christmas tree!

Inspired by history, community, and a love for the land, local native Eddie Anderson has put together a one of a kind ornament collection for locals in Hampton Roads. Growing up in this community, Anderson became quite familiar with the important role our home has played in developing this great nation, and developed a photo collection of some of the regions most valued treasures. Whether it's the Virginia Beach’s Thoroughgood House or Hampton’s fishing fleet, Anderson has captured each scene and incorporated his impression into a one-of-a-kind handpainted ornament.

In an effort to celebrate Virginia’s 400-year anniversary, Heirloom Ornaments were first introduced in 2007. With the overwhelming demand, McDonald Garden Center has grown the collection each year since. Ornaments include the old Coast Guard station in Virginia Beach, St. John’s Episcopal Church, the bandstand at Fort Monroe, Hampton's historical Carousel, Virginia Beach's Cape Henry Lighthouse, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, and many more.

In 2009, partnering with the Hampton History Museum and local artist, Gail Duke, we introduced an ornament illustrating the first recorded Christmas celebration in America. This ornament featured a 360° view of Captain John Smith and crew arriving in Hampton, Virginia, originally called Kecoughtan, in 1608. It was during this adventure that Captain John Smith recorded the first account of a Christmas celebration in English North America. This year, we added two new ornaments inspired from Duke's paintings; "Living in Elizabeth Cittie" and "Kecoughtan Indian Village". Visit us to see these and our entire collection of ornaments, sold exclusively at McDonald Garden Center!

See a clip from the Hampton Roads Show earlier this week!

{ Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 10, 2010 }

NOVEMBER
1
2010

How to Force the Issue

As the red and gold leaves of autumn fall, the landscape becomes dull and colorless. But, there's one way you can add color to lift your spirits during the long, dark days of winter. Forcing spring bulbs into early bloom can create an indoor garden, infusing color and fragrance into your home. Daffodils, narcissus, tulips, crocus, and hyacinth are perennials that are perfect for blooming indoors. All it takes is a little planning.

Select Healthy Bulbs - choose fat, firm, and heavy bulbs.

Chill - Before potting, chill bulbs in a cold, dark garage or storage area. Check the label on the bulbs for the required chill time. Most bulbs require between 12-16 weeks chill time at 38-45° F.

Check-Up - once bulbs are chilled, pull a few out to check for root development. Once you see roots with about 2 inches of shoot growth, bulbs are ready to be potted in containers and placed in sunlight.

Choose Your Container(s) – plant in bulb-potting containers (bulb pans) or use whatever clean containers you have. Be sure the pots used have adequate drainage since bulbs may rot if kept too wet.

Provide Potting Mix - use a potting mix, but don’t worry about fertilizing until the bulbs break the surface. Once up, fertilize with Espoma Bulb Tone following the directions on the package.

Pot-Up - place bulbs on top of a shallow layer of soil close together, leaving just the tips peeking out. For a full and beautiful blooming container, place bulbs so they are almost touching.

Water - water container occasionally to prevent them from drying out.

Once flowers have bloomed, move the plants out of direct sun and away from heat sources to last as long as possible. After the blooms have faded, let the bulbs die back naturally. Plant them in the garden, where they may bloom again, although it may take a year to recover.

{ Happy Gardening! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, November 2, 2010 }

THE BLOG: let's talk gardening

Rocking Rosemary!

The White House has them... you can too!

How to Force the Issue

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