A few weeks ago, we asked you all to offer suggestions for events this year at Gill’s, and wow, we got so many thoughtful responses and ideas! Thank you to everyone who responded! We’re so excited to host more guest speakers, expand our topics, and offer more workshops and projects. Without further ado, here’s what we have planned for the first half of 2026, starting with James Gill’s annual Get Ready for Spring talk on February 7th! Stay tuned to our events page and our social media pages for more details as we approach each event. Mark your calendars and read more about each event below.
Saturday, February 7th – 10am – Get Ready for Spring with James Gill
Join us here at Gill’s on Saturday, February 7th at 10am for Gill’s founder, James Gill’s annual ‘Get Ready for Spring’ garden talk. James will go over proper pruning techniques, what to plant, how to fertilize, watering tips, and lots more. James is a walking encyclopedia of local gardening and landscaping knowledge – bring your questions! Free and open to everyone!
Thursday, February 12th – 6pm- 7:30pm – Valentine’s Potted Arrangement Workshop w/ Flowers & Succulents
Calling all couples, friends, and lonely hearts too! Join us Thursday evening, February 12th for a fun workshop creating living Valentine’s Day – themed arrangements. Choose from flowers, succulents, or both. Each participant will receive their own 14″ terra cotta planting bowl + soil, plants, and decorative top dressing materials for their creation. Drinks and light snacks provided. $40 per person – get tickets here.
Thursday, February 19th – 6pm – Cenizo Garden Drawing Club
Are you into plants? Do you like to draw? Then come draw plants with us at Gill’s! Our Cenizo Garden Drawing Club welcomes art and plant enthusiasts to an open & friendly gardening community to practice their drawing skills and get to know the plants around them. Join us as we share gardening tips and draw specific plants or gardening still lifes. No drawing experience? No problem! We welcome all levels. Each session is led by a professional artist to help your progress if you choose. This will be a monthly free event limited to 20 people each session. RSVP here!
Saturday, February 21st – 10am – Spring Veggie Garden Talk with DeAnna Baumgartner and Wyatt Page
February is time to get your spring veggies going! We’ll be stocked with all your fav spring veggies and probably some you’ve never tried before. Join DeAnna Baumgartner and Wyatt Page, Gill’s managers and Texas Certified Nursery Professionals for an informative talk about how to plan and start your veggie garden. They’ll cover everything from what varieties to plant, crop rotation, organic pest prevention, soil health, fertilization, and much more. Free and open to everyone – bring your veggie questions!
Saturday, February 28th – 10am – Lawn Alternatives with Harry Villarreal
If you’re interested in rethinking your lawn space due to watering restrictions and/or supporting more wildlife, this talk is for you! Join Harry Villarreal, Gill’s Landscape Designer, for an informative and practical talk about other things you can do aside from a traditional turfgrass lawn. Harry will show off many such projects he’s completed and discuss a whole world of options including replacing lawns with native groundcovers, reducing lawn space by expanding planting beds, designing with stone, creating outdoor living spaces, and more. Free and open to everyone!
Saturday, March 7th – 10am – Beekeeping & Honey Processing Talk with Hebert Honey
Hebert Honey is your one stop shop for local honey, pollen, 100% all natural organic handmade creams, live bees, and more. They’ll be here at Gill’s on March 7th to give a talk on how to get started beekeeping and processing your own honey. They’ve been doing it for generations! Free event open to everyone.
Thursday, March 12th – 6-9pm – Nightbloom Market – After Hours Shopping at Gill’s
Have you ever been to Gill’s at night? It’s arguably even more magical than it is during the day! Save the date for our first-ever Nightbloom Market on March 12th. Join us for an evening of after-hours shopping, refreshments, and fun! No RSVP required.
Thursday, April 9th – 6pm-7: at night 30pm – Flower Bingo!
Join us during spring flower season for Flower Bingo! Each participant will receive 5 flower bingo cards and we’ll play 5 rounds of classic bingo, but with flower names. $10 entry fee. Plant, gift card, and cash prizes! Get tickets here. Limited to 40 participants.
Thursday, April 16th – 6pm – Spring Gardening Q&A
Many folks requested that we do a simple gardening Q&A session where the gardening community can get together and share ideas, successes, and failures. The Gill’s team and other local avid gardeners will be on hand, and we encourage everyone to come out and join the conversation. This will be a night for discovering all kinds of new tips and tricks! Free and open to everyone of all skill and experience levels. Drinks and light snacks provided. Limited to 30 participants – RSVP here!
Saturday, April 25th – 9am-1pm – KEDT Kids Fest
Once again, we’ll be back at KEDT studios for Kids Fest! Bring the kiddos by the Gill’s booth for free flowers, seeds, and other garden goodies. We love to meet tomorrow’s gardeners!
Saturday, May 9th – 11am-2pm – Kids Mother’s Day Flower Potting Project
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re inviting kiddos to come pot up a nice flower for Mom. Bring the kiddos any time between 11am-2pm to pot up their flower and paint their pot to give to Mom. We’ll have flowers to choose from, a small pot, and painting supplies to make something special. Free event for kids 12 and under.
Thursday, May 14th – 6pm – 7:30pm – Ikebana: The Poetry of Placement with Julia Prokhorova AIFD, CFD, TMF
Immerse yourself in the tranquility and elegance of Ikebana, the classical Japanese art of floral arrangement thoughtfully adapted for contemporary designers. This interactive workshop guides participants through the principles of line, balance, movement, and negative space to craft impactful floral compositions with minimal, intentional stems. Distinct from Western floral design, Ikebana emphasizes meaning, simplicity, and narrative, transforming each arrangement into a unique personal expression rather than a traditional bouquet. Attendees will have the opportunity to create their own sculptural Ikebana arrangement to take home, using provided ceramic Ikebana vessel, kenzan, and curated seasonal florals & branch materials. No prior floral experience required. Matcha and other refreshments provided! $95 per person – get tickets here.
Saturday, May 23rd – 10am – Cactus Growing Talk with Bigfoot’s Rockeaters
Did you know there’s a new cactus grower + nursery and pottery shop in Kingsville called Bigfoot’s Rockeaters?! And did you know they’ll be here at Gill’s on Saturday, May 23rd to show off some of their rare specimens and give a talk about how to grow cacti?! They’ll cover all kinds of growing tips for cacti, which ones can withstand freezing temps outside, which can be grown indoors, and more. This one is sure to be very informative – we can’t wait! Free and open to everyone!
Saturday, June 6th – 10am-3pm – Gulf Coast Humane Society Pet Adoption Day at Gill’s
Do you need a furry new gardening buddy? We think you might. Stop by Gill’s on June 6th – our friends at the Gulf Coast Humane Society will be here for a fun pet adoption day! Even if you don’t take home a new friend, you can still stop by and meet them all.
Thursday, June 11th -6pm – Plant Trivia Night!
Y’all asked and we listened… Join us for our first ever plant trivia night at Gill’s! We’ll be the moderators and we’ll have all kinds of gardening and nature questions. We know that you know your stuff, so expect this to be challenging! More details TBA. $10 entry fee. Plant, gift card, and cash prizes! Get tickets here. Limited to 40 participants.
Saturday, June 20th – 11am-3pm – Father’s Day Cookout
Join us for our 2nd Annual Father’s Day Cookout at Gill’s! Stop by any time from 11am-3pm on the Saturday before Father’s Day for free brat dogs, burgers, and local beer! We had so much fun doing this last year that we want to make it a tradition. Stop by with Dad!
Reader Interactions