Blogs by Year

Chunk is FINALLY a Monarch Butterfly! See his story.

Is your garden looking a bit dull? High temperatures have taken a toll on just about everyone’s garden. But no one needs to finish out the summer with drab outdoor surroundings. There’s a wonderful group of plants that provide late summer color (and into fall) that are not only beautiful but drought tolerant too. Keep in mind when planting any perennials, trees or shrubs at this time of year, no matter how drought tolerant they may be, you’ll need to provide regular watering to get them established. After they have rooted in, you can gradually cut back on watering.

Mosquitos are an issue in Hampton Roads every summer. This year, with the dangers surrounding the Zika Virus, McDonald Garden Center has taken action to find the solutions that will help our customers enjoy their normal gardening and outdoor activities. Here’s what we discovered:

Linger outdoors a little longer thanks to the mosquito plant! If you love being outdoors in the summer, make sure you pick up a few of these! Nicknamed the mosquito plant, the citronella geranium is a drought-tolerant, vigorous grower, with thick, lacey-green leaves that give off the fresh scent of citrus. Some believe that mosquitoes will avoid the strong citrusy scent at all costs. It is grown more for the foliage and the scent, not the flower, although in spring you will see small, lavender flower bloom.

Crêpe Myrtle Crêpes

There’s just something about a crepe myrtle. Vibrant blossoms that radiate elegance on lengthy, artistic limbs that seem to beckon the summer sun. And although we struggle to find a favorite, we’ve compiled a list of our most prized varieties of Hampton Roads’ “favorite tree.”

Staff Pick: MikeCrepe myrtles “The Locals' Favorite” have two standouts “Ebony Flame,” a black leaved variety with brilliant red blossoms and “Ebony Ivory,” also with black leaves and pure white blooms. Both of these will provide the pop of contrasting color one needs to create colorful focal points and screens in the garden.

R.J. | Store ManagerEven though the gardenia is famed for its intoxicatingly sweet, fragrant flowers, the Chuck Hayes Gardenia is my favorite plant for a variety of reasons. First, it was developed right here in Virginia Beach by Mr. Chuck Hayes, at the Virginia Tech test site. It has superior performance and is more cold hardy and heat tolerant than other varieties.

Strawberry TiramisuOh the sweet taste of summer! Chef Manu is taking us to Italy this week with a McDonald Garden Center twist on tiramisu. Meaning “a pick me up,” this coffee confection is primed to perk with bold flavors of cocoa and espresso with mascarpone cheese and ladyfinger biscuits. With Chef Manu’s addition of our very own private label strawberry butter, this silky smooth sensation is sure to satisfy your summer sweet tooth. Perfect for those fourth of July BBQs, our strawberry tiramisu will say arrivederci to your culinary woes! Ingredients:

When most people think of hibiscus they think of a tropical plant that grows in warm climates like Hawaii or Florida. Well, if you love the look of hibiscus but think it can only be grown in very warm climates don’t fret. If you crave a touch of the tropics, perennial hibiscus is a must. The perennial hibiscus should not be confused with the tropical hibiscus, which will not survive a winter freeze. Perennial varieties are true, cold hardy shrubs that die back each winter only to reemerge in the spring even bigger and better! And best of all, these beauties are easy to care for.