About Us

Gill’s Mission

In 1978, Sally Munroe and James Gill joined as partners to design and install residential and commercial landscapes in the Corpus Christi area. They soon consolidated their partnership by marriage and moved their growing landscape business out of their backyard. Gill Landscape Nursery (now Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.) was opened to serve retail customers in 1979. Since then, Gill’s has grown organically to become the trusted source for gardening advice, healthy plants, and quality landscape design and construction in the Coastal Bend. In 2018, Sally and James hired Jesse Jenkins as General Manager to begin making their transition to retirement. In 2022, Jesse purchased the company to carry Gill’s forward for a new generation.

As always, Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co. is dedicated to teaching successful gardening and bringing quality products and services to our community. We practice sustainable business ethics centered around respect and continued improvement.

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Words from our customers
“The garden center has an abundant variety of plants, expert & dependable advice, and is a fun place to visit with a friendly staff willing to assist you.”

Blanche R.

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.
2018-01-28T19:00:26+00:00

Blanche R.

“The garden center has an abundant variety of plants, expert & dependable advice, and is a fun place to visit with a friendly staff willing to assist you.”
“Service was personal & professional… on time & on budget. Everything met expectations & beyond! Our whole neighborhood was impressed!”

S.A.H.

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.
2018-01-28T19:01:13+00:00

S.A.H.

“Service was personal & professional… on time & on budget. Everything met expectations & beyond! Our whole neighborhood was impressed!”
"They know what I'm talking about even if I don't know!"

Liz M.

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.
2018-01-28T19:19:38+00:00

Liz M.

"They know what I'm talking about even if I don't know!"
"It's such a pleasant experience, from the moment you enter the doors."

Devin C.

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.
2018-01-28T19:20:13+00:00

Devin C.

"It's such a pleasant experience, from the moment you enter the doors."
"The variety is unbeatable. I've never not found what I was looking for."

Judy R.

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.
2018-01-28T19:21:05+00:00

Judy R.

"The variety is unbeatable. I've never not found what I was looking for."
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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.




Meet Our Management Team and Office Staff

Jesse

Owner and General Manager

A Northeast Texas native and longtime Austin resident, Jesse began working at Gill’s in the Fall of 2018. His love of nature and design attracted him to Gill’s, and his business experience makes him well-suited to manage the company. In Fall 2022, after 4 years as General Manager, Jesse purchased the company from Sally and James Gill. Jesse’s values align well with those the company was founded on and has earned a reputation for. He is leading Gill’s forward with a solid foundation and an amazing team!

Debbie

Buyer

Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Debbie graduated from Richard King High School. She has been with Gill’s since 1995 as a salesperson and buyer and is a Texas Certified Nursery Professional. Debbie is always exploring new plant varieties and looking for the best quality plants available for you, our customers. She loves visiting with our customers about their garden interests and uses that knowledge to design & co-ordinate our in-store garden talks.

DeAnna

Garden Center Manager

DeAnna is our garden center manager for 39 years running! She managed our Alameda store for 29 years before moving to our Airline store in 2016. She loves container gardening and teaching children about vegetable gardening. In 2006, in her spare time (ha! ha!) she was named the Nueces County Coordinator for the Learning to Grow Program, installing over 300 vegetable gardens in schools from Agua Dulce to Port Aransas. She was awarded 2nd place Master Gardener Of The Year 2012 for the state of Texas. She is also a Certified Nursery Professional.

Wyatt

Garden Center Asst. Manager

Wyatt has been a hard-working member of the Gill’s team since 2015. He graduated from TAMU-CC with an art degree in 2018. Wyatt is passionate about organic gardening and building healthy soils. He also loves growing veggies and promoting wildlife through the use of native plants. When Wyatt's not gardening he loves all things outdoors including hiking, snowboarding, and camping. 

Kathy

Landscape Designer

A Corpus Christi native and graduate of Texas A&M, Kingsville, Kathy has been with Gill's since 1987. She is a certified board member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and member of Leadership Corpus Christi, class 24, as well as the Texas Certified Nursery Professionals and specializes in residential and commercial landscape design, estimates and installations.

Harry

Landscape Designer

After working in the garden center and gaining field knowledge working on landscape crews here at Gill’s, Harry apprenticed under James Gill to learn landscape design.Harry is a Corpus Christi native and knows our area and conditions very well. He brings his flexible and fun attitude to each project. He believes the landscape should match the style of the property and the owner’s lifestyle to create unity and practical outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed. His passion is to create something unique, tailored for each home or business.

Ernesto

Landscape Designer

Ernesto joined Gills in 2017 as a Landscape Design Assistant and transitioned to Landscape Designer in 2022. He is a Corpus Christi native and a Texas A&M Kingsville graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, and he’s bilingual in Spanish and English. Ernesto has an eye for color and is a talented problem solver and estimator. He enjoys transforming your landscape to maximize the usability of the space.

 

Hidalgo

Equipment & Facilities Manager

A Corpus Christi native, Hidalgo graduated from W.B. Ray High School and Del Mar College where he studied horticulture. He has worked with Gill’s since 1992 in the nursery, on the landscape crew, and as foreman. Now, as Production & Facility Manager, Hidalgo co-ordinates work between our landscape and garden center department on a daily basis,  manages our landscape equipment program and our garden center & jobsite safety program. On top of that, all physical improvements at our garden center are managed or done by Hidalgo.

Barbara

Bookkeeper

Barbara, our accountant, is Corpus Christi born and raised. We are very fortunate to have had her with us since 1994! She has been in the family for even longer than that – she worked for Sally Gill's dad at Munroe & Bass Civil Engineers for 10 years before joining Gill’s.

Stacy

Office Administrator

Stacy has been a valuable part of the Gill’s team since 2005. She’s an expert multi-tasker – she manages accounts payable, assists with receiving, keeps our plant signs looking good, and keeps our office organized and running smoothly. On top of all that, she’s the first to test new plants in her garden at home.

 
Meet Our Garden Center Staff
Abbey

Abbey came to Gill’s highly recommended! She spent time working at a plant growing operation and as a landscape installer for other local companies that Gill’s has a relationship with. Abbey is also an avid gardener. She loves caring for plants and she’s having fun sharing her knowledge with customers here at Gill’s.

Alex

Alex began working in the flower and vegetable section here at Gill's in 2023. She says she likes that we work hard and keep the vibe friendly and nice. Alex loves growing orchids at home as well as making digital art and coding/developing video games!

Blake

Blake came to Gill's in 2023 because he loves working outside. He grew up doing farm work and he's pursuing his degree in Environmental Science at TAMU-CC. He loves working with plants and multi-tasking. When he's not studying or helping out at Gill's, he's surfing or playing soccer.

Andy

Andy has been with Gill’s since 2010 and worked as a machinist for 17 years prior. He also spent some time landscaping for Padre Staples Mall. Andy loves planting and watching vegetables bloom and grow. When not helping out around the nursery, he can be found playing golf and admiring the landscape, or spending time with his family.

Anthony

Anthony moved to the Corpus area by way of the East Coast in 2023 and joined the Gill's team. He's always got a smile on his face and ready to help with any task.

Caleb

Caleb joined the Gill's crew in Summer of 2022 as Photographer and Content Creator. He came highly recommended by our friends in the Del Mar College Art Department. Caleb is not only a talented photographer, he's a plant person with a big collection of houseplants and succulents! In Fall 2023, he plans to continue his art education at TAMU-CC.

Clarissa

Clarissa is a Corpus native who joined Gill’s in Spring 2023. She’s a nature fan – she earned her degree in Biology from TAMU-CC and she’s a birdwatcher! She enjoys reading and playing Dungeons and Dragons in her spare time. She’s enjoying learning more about plants and getting to know our regular customers.

Diane

Diane is a San Jose, California native, but we're sure glad she came to Texas! She started at Gill’s Alameda in 1998 until 2001 and then returned in 2006 at our Airline store. In between, Diane worked as a vet tech and is the unofficial Gill’s kitty caretaker. Diane’s gardening passion is for tropical plants. Ask her about them.

Josh

Garden Coach

Josh started at Gill’s in 2019 and is now one of our Garden Coaches, planting trees and installing small landscape areas. Customers rave about Josh's  work! Josh has a degree in Art from Texas A&M Corpus and is a talented pottery maker.

KC

KC started in the garden center as a cashier in Spring 2023 and hit the ground running! She's having fun learning about plants (her favorite right now is Mona Lavender) and she's a natural with people. She's also a talented artist! She's painted some great signs here at Gill's and she hopes to do a pop-up with her artwork at ArtWalk.

Kim

Since 1993 Kim’s kindness and devotion has helped us build our business.  Her wealth of plant knowledge is a huge asset.  Creating interesting displays using different colors and textures is just one of her talents.  She’s an avid reader and collects roosters!

Matt

Garden Coach

Joining Gill's in 2009, Matt has a love for gardening that doesn't stop. He's constantly reading and learning and loves to share his passion with his customers. Matt is particularly interested in soil composition, ethnobotany, and vegetable and fruit production. As one of our Garden Coaches, Matt can help you design and install beds and other small landscape areas.

Mike

Mike has been with Gill's since 2007. Pre Gill's he was in the underwater service department in Long Beach, California, his home town. Mike has a special interest and extensive knowledge of local trees and is our go to guy for trees.

Natalie

Natalie came to Corpus from Edinburg, TX to attend TAMU-CC. She’s an artist working on her Studio Art degree with a focus in painting and drawing. She’s enjoying learning about veggie gardening and how to repot plants in the garden center. When she’s not studying or helping customers here at Gill’s, she loves to travel and visit family.

Ori

Assistant Buyer

Ori joined Gill's in 2017 and does it all in the Garden Center. In 2022, she became our Assistant Buyer. Her passion is houseplants. She's constantly researching and collecting houseplants, and finding cool new varieties to stock here at Gill's. Ori is a 2nd generation Gill's team member - her dad, Francisco, worked in the landscape department for many years.

Ricky

Ricky began working at Gill's in Fall 2022. Since then, his plant and gardening knowledge has taken off! He's a natural with customers and always happy to help. When he's not working, he enjoys spending quality time with his son.

Rose

Rose’s interest in gardening is what brought her to Gill’s in Spring 2020. We’re very glad to have her! Her passion for plants really rubs off on customers – she loves helping gardeners get what they need and hearing about their success. In addition to caring for her garden at home, Rose has 4 dogs, 2 cats, and 3 fishtanks!

 
 
 
Meet Our Landscape Department Staff
Albert

Albert joined the Gill landscape crew in early 2022 and has been helping install all kinds of projects ever since. He enjoys learning new techniques and he's an overwhelmingly positive guy - great energy on the team!

Arnold

Arnold has been an excellent member of Gill landscape crews since 2004. He hails from Alice, TX and is a Carroll alumni. He loves the opportunity to “make everything look beautiful” at homes and businesses about town.

Ben

Ben spent several years on the landscape team here at Gill's back in the 2010s, and decided to re-join us in 2023! We're happy to have him back - he knows landscaping, he's a great problem solver, and a pleasure to be around.

Brandon

Brandon hails from Victoria and Corpus and has been with Gill’s since 2011. He was an English Philosophy major in college and his previous job history pegs him a Renaissance man – he’s worked as a baker, a butcher, warehouse manager, video store clerk, garage door installer, administrative assistant, flooring estimator, and now a landscaper! He likes the opportunity for “artistic creation on a large canvas in a natural setting of beauty.”

Brandon

Brandon joined Gill's back in 2020. He loves the outdoors, whether he's surfing, fishing, or landscaping!

Brandon

Brandon has been a valuable part of the Gill's team since 2018. His favorite part of a  project  is placing the plants and seeing the plan come together. When he’s not out working hard with the Gill’s crew, he’s spending time with his two daughters.

Damian

Damian came to Gill’s in Spring 2022 interested in learning more landscaping. He has previous experience doing commercial and residential pressure washing and some landscaping too. He’s enjoying working with a crew of experts here at Gill’s. He says its pretty amazing how much work can get done and how the day flows when you’re part of a good team.

Hayden

Hayden began working with the Gill's landscape crew in Fall of 2022 after spending several years working on a land surveying crew. He's eager to learn landscape construction techniques and has been great addition to the team. He enjoys playing guitar, skateboarding, kayaking, and hanging out with family.

Jimmy

Jimmy joined our team in 2014 after working many years in residential & commercial landscape installation here in Corpus Christi. Jimmy leads a crew and guides every project with his expertise in the field. He loves beautifying the Sparkling City by the Sea!

Juan

Juan has been a key part of the landscape team since 2020. He spent a brief time trying other jobs before deciding he really enjoyed landscape construction and re-joining Gill's in 2022. When he's not working hard, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his son and family.

Kevin

Kevin joined Gill’s in 2008 as a landscape crewman; today he leads a crew, working on landscape construction projects large and small.  His other passion is music so don’t be surprised if you see him with his band entertaining the crowds on the weekend.

Mike

Mike has been a member of the Gill crew since 2013. He is a Corpus Christi native and King graduate. He is a key part of the landscape team, and says that he loves the rewarding feeling of turning a normal yard into a beautiful landscape.

Tony

Tony joined our landscape team in 2018 and hit the ground running! With his carpentry background, he quickly adapted to landscape construction and became a crew leader here at Gill's. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking and playing guitar with his brother Kevin, who is a long-time landscape pro here at Gill’s as well!

 
 
Anthony

As a former videographer in the Marine Corps, Anthony has a great eye. He likes starting a new landscape from scratch and seeing the transformation into something totally new and different. He also likes to go on adventures and travel to see new places!

Our Core Values


These are not values that change from time to time, situation to situation or person to person, but rather are the underpinning of our company culture. Our core values underlie our work, how we interact with each other and with our customers, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. Our core values are always the framework from which we make our decisions. When we act with the core values in mind, we are acting with integrity.

Team


We support each other. We communicate openly and trust one another to work for the good of all. We recognize that when we are working together in harmony we can accomplish greater things.

Quality of Work


We want to be proud of the quality of our products and our workmanship. We complete our work efficiently, but never by compromising quality, the safety of ourselves and others, or our relationship with our customers.

Service


We go above and beyond to create an emotional impact on our customers and give them a positive story they can take with them. A part of this is our expertise; we bring a level of knowledge that makes us the go-to source for answers and guidance for our customers.

Fun


We have fun every day. We have fun growing our relationships with coworkers and customers. We have fun sharing gardening stories and teaching through success and failure experiences. We appreciate the value of laughter with one another and the joy of sharing a smile.

Passion


We approach our work with passion and excitement because we believe strongly in what we do. We bring a positive and optimistic attitude that inspires everyone around us.

Respect


We treat our customers, coworkers and ourselves with respect. We are patient and look for the best in others. We treat others as we would want to be treated and we never ask our coworkers to do something we would not do ourselves.

Improvement


We never become too comfortable with where we are, but instead are always looking for ways to improve. In our pursuit of excellence we are not afraid to take risks and are supportive of our coworkers when they take risks. No matter what happens, we always ask ourselves "What can we learn from this?"

Ownership


We each take ownership over our own job. We take it upon ourselves to expand our knowledge and abilities and to develop into better communicators and leaders. We feel proud of what we can offer to the company and to our community.

Employment

We are always looking for exceptional people. Download an application here, fill it out, and bring it to the garden center any time.

Better than your average email.

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