Blogs by Year

by Kate Karam, of Monrovia The here today, gone tomorrow, fragrance-free, been there, done that bouquet of a dozen red roses, while lovely and traditional, can never truly express the joy, exuberance, passion, and swoony sort of beauty of Valentine’s Day that a living plant can. This year we challenge you to go beyond the bouquet. Here are five insanely romantic reasons why you might want to walk past the flower shop to the garden center this Valentine’s Day.

Nowadays, most people don’t give much thought when buying an orchid. Orchids are readily available in grocery stores, big box stores and online and, oftentimes, priced for just about anyone’s budget. But if you want your orchids to endure, a little more thought than simply putting a Phalaenopsis into your grocery cart is needed. McDonald Garden Center offers some unique and interesting plants — and orchids are among these. In fact, we have one of the largest orchid selections in Hampton Roads.

Of course, that potted Boston fern is beautiful, but can it really improve the air quality in your home or office? Well, according to studies by scientists at NASA, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Georgia and other institutions, houseplants are effective, natural purifiers.

Calathea is a tropical plant also known as the Zebra plant or Zebrina plant (Calathea zebrina). These trendy houseplants are loved for their large, oval, distinctly patterned, and vibrantly colored leaves. Leaves can be curved, ribbed, round, oval or pointed and exhibit various unique patterns. Leaf colors range from yellow, rose, white, and even olive. Calathea's fancy foliage makes smaller varieties an excellent choice for tabletops, and larger specimens are suitable as a floor plant.