THE BLOG: let's talk gardening

If you think poinsettias are pretty, but too traditional for holiday decorating, consider the Cyclamen. This cool weather bloomer boasts unusually shaped, colorful blossoms and variegated gray-green elliptical leaves. Depending on the variety, the blossoms may be pink, lavender, deep purple, white, or red. So, a perfect match for Christmas decorating.

Cyclamen needs cool temperatures to continue blooming, so be sure to keep this plant away from heat sources and, preferably, in the coolest part of the house.

To prolong the life of your plant, water the soil as soon as it feels dry to the touch. Avoid overwatering, and be careful not to spill water onto the crown (center) of the plant. If it becomes too dry, the leaves will wilt and may fall off, and flower buds may fall off too. You can also keep humidity high around plants by placing plants on a tray of moist pebbles; just don't let them sit in standing water. A McDonald watering tip - is to soak the pot from the base, as in a saucer for a few minutes, then drain the water.

We recommend removing the flower stalks once they have finished blooming as this can promote renewed flowering. To do this, cut the dead leaves and spent flowers off with scissors. Be sure to remove completely, as stalks left on may rot and get gray mold disease.

If you want to keep it for next Christmas try the following:
Once your plant stops blooming, reduce watering, and allow it to dry out. Remove the corn (the bulb-like structure from which leaves grow) from the soil, and place in peat moss, vermiculite, or a mixture of the two to keep it moist. Store it for a few months at 50 degrees. In June, repot it in a mixture of equal parts peat moss, garden soil, and sand, keeping the upper half of the corm above the soil surface to help prevent rotting. Move it to a shady spot outdoors, and water as needed. Fertilize twice a month. Before the first autumn frost, bring your Cyclamen indoors. Place it in a cool, sunny window, and wait for the blooms!

Try a new take on your Christmas blooms this season!

{ Happy Holidays! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, December 14, 2011 }

A must-have holiday bloom for both inside and out. Hellebores are often referred to as the Christmas Rose as they bloom during the holiday season, sometimes even pushing through a blanket of snow. When planted outdoors, they’ll bloom all winter and give gorgeous green foliage the rest of the year. Best of all they are deer resistant. Use indoors with other classic Christmas blooms such as Poinsettias or Christmas Cactus for unique holiday displays.

Give the unexpected this holiday season with Hellebores, starting at $15.99.

{ Happy Holidays! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, December 8, 2011 }

It's the season for giving and we've got an array of thoughtful & unique gifts for everyone on your list. Some of our favorite gift ideas are handmade sculptures by American Artist & Sculptor, George Carruth.

Carruth Studio was born in 1983, in a garage in Cleveland, Ohio. It all started when Artist George Carruth carved a cherub face into a piece of sandstone as a gift for his wife using only a screwdriver. In the beginning, Curruth participated in art festivals and sold his sculptures through galleries. Carruth’s commissions included The National Cathedral in Washington D.C., an ornament for the White House Christmas tree and Home and Garden TV. As time went on, Carruth began smaller and lighter designs. The transition to these smaller cast stone signs provided many new opportunities for displaying these sculptures, since they were light enough to hang on a wall or small enough to place in a windowsill or a special place. For instance, the Veggies Series characters are used as accents in kitchens as well as in the garden. The nativity and Christmas pieces are used on fireplaces and as table accents. These hand cast stone sculptures are the perfect gift for the holidays or any other meaningful occasion. Each design comes in a gift box and is made using quality, weather resistant materials for use both outdoors and indoors.

These unique sculptured pieces will add another dimension to home and garden whether they do so by adding something whimsical or by lending an air of formality and elegance.

{ Happy Holidays! Posted by McDonald Garden Center, December 5, 2011 }