Blogs by Year

We all want dramatic curb appeal in our landscapes and colorful pansies are the perfect choice. Pansies are one of the garden’s most versatile and easiest-to-grow flowers, bringing charm and cheer to the fall and spring garden. These hardy annuals can actually make it through frosts — and even single-digit temperatures — and some varieties rebound in the spring. The hardest part about growing pansies is choosing the color! Nowadays, you can select from hundreds of varieties in a rainbow of colors and growing habits.

Grab a knife and spread on the flavor with McDonald Garden Center's three NEW additions to our line of jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters and sauces. Crafted locally from Virginia grown produce, these products offer the utmost quality at an affordable price. Our branded foods are made using the finest ingredients with methods established in the 1920’s. Whether it's a jam, jelly, salsa or dressing—you'll find the freshest, most flavorful ingredients in every bite.

Like many of you, our staff here at McDonald Garden Center loves to garden, so we’ve reached out to our Green Team members at both our Independence and Great Neck locations and asked them to pick their fall favs to share with you. From gorgeous annuals and perennials to unique houseplants to gardening gadgets and more, our staff is excited to share some of their top picks. You’re sure to discover a new favorite too! Meghan + Sunshine Ligustrum

Ornamental grasses are one of the toughest, undemanding, waterwise and quite possibly one of the most practical but under-appreciated perennials in the garden. Large or small, grass brings rich texture, contrast and movement to most any space throughout all seasons. Ornamental grasses are beautiful in beds, borders, on slopes, or in containers. Unlike flowers and shrubs, perennial grasses don’t need much pampering. Once established, they are typically drought tolerant and need little to no fertilizing. In spring, cut them back, right above the root line, to encourage fresh new growth.

Autumn isn't just for pumpkins and mums. While trees and shrubs begin showing off their fall foliage and begin to bloom, you can also add a little pop to your garden by planting a few fall-blooming celosias that will infuse stunning color up until the first frost. This super tough, drought-resistant annual is adored for its unusual style and texture. It comes in an array of vibrant colors including red, yellow, cream, orange, rose, deep magenta and pink.

Did you know fall is the perfect time get a delicious veggie garden going? In fact, cooler temperatures make this a great time to plant these crops -- many are even tastier and sweeter harvested after a light frost. If you've never grown fall veggies before, we recommend a crop of leaf lettuce, kale, swiss chard and spinach. These easy to grow plants are great for small spaces like a pallet garden and can often be harvested over many weeks.

Make the season a little sweeter with a glass of Citrus Clair de Lune (translated citrus moonlight), a fresh and fragrant concoction, prepared by our own Chef Manu. The blend of sweetness and tart complement each other beautifully, with the decadence of Cointreau and Perrier balanced with a fruity combo of lemon, orange and tangy grapefruit. Cheers! Cuisine de Jardin with Chef Manu - Citrus Clair de Lune, Citrus Moonlight Cocktail Ingredients

As the summer gardening season comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to get your fall vegetable garden growing. Garden Guru, Mike Westphal, shares all his fall gardening tips to help you fill your table with plenty of nutritional, homegrown goodness long beyond the heat of summer. Check out the video with Garden Guru, Mike Westphal, to learn more about fall vegetable gardening.

When it comes to plants that are “growing” in popularity, ornamental peppers have become the hottest thing going. They provide massive color, texture and variety everywhere and anywhere - in flowerbeds, potted planters, hanging baskets, containers, and yes, in the vegetable garden too! They can handle heat and drought and are hardly bothered by pests at all. And if all of that wasn’t enough, many varieties are edible as well, although most not particularly tasteful (the fruit is either lacking in taste or too hot). Here are a few dazzling ornamental peppers for the garden:

The stunning colors and striking shapes of celosia flowers offer great versatility in the garden. This tender annual remains fearless in the heat of the summer sun and produces an abundance of blooms in dazzling red, yellow, cream, orange, rose, deep magenta, and pink. It will grow in most any type of soil - even heavy clay - as long as they are in full sun. Celosia is available in three different types plumes, crests, or spikes; simply described as plumes of jewel-colored feathers, wrinkly-looking knobs, or elongated cones.