McKay's Blog

Sometimes when we gardeners get together, it can seem like we talk in code. But don’t let that deter you if you’re a beginner. Learning to speak “garden” isn’t hard at all. These simple plant terms/definitions can help you get started down that road...

How can you increase your home’s year-round curb appeal and still keep maintenance low? One simple answer comes in the form of low-growing evergreen shrubs. They add interest, structure and color, regardless of the season. (And they’re the perfect gift for low-maintenance, landscape-loving Dads.) Low-growing evergreens can provide the bones of your foundation plantings, cover tricky slopes, soften your home’s lines and corners — and do it all without blocking any views from indoors. These fabulous four are just the tip of what’s in store:

For a lot of us northern gardeners, lilacs are landscape essentials we can’t live without. Until their delicious fragrance permeates our yards and homes, spring is incomplete. Reliable and low-maintenance, lilacs can flourish for decades with very little care. By planting several types of lilacs, from early bloomers to late-blooming types, you can prolong your bloom party by several weeks. All it takes is good site selection, proper water and fertilizer, and timely pruning to keep lilacs at their blooming peak.

All landscapes aren’t created equal, especially when it comes to size. Some homeowners are blessed with extra room to roam and grow, while some of us are blessed with spaces that are “tight.” Even if your gardening space is limited, you can still enjoy the splendor of an ornamental tree. These five flowering trees are small on size and big on beauty...

If you’ve known us long, you know that we love our hydrangeas. Of course, our exclusive McKay Grateful Red Hydrangea and Cherry Explosion Hydrangea top our list, but we still can’t get enough of these beauties. Someone once said there’s always room for one more hydrangea. We agree, but we make sure that space goes to the very best. For 2019, we’ve added four exciting new favorites — perfect for Mother’s Day gifts: