Jesse Jenkins

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, a local gardener shared these words regarding the hummingbird migration that is beginning now. We are passing them along to you.

Good advice….thank you Trisha!

“Howdy y’all!

Just wanted to ask y’all to remind your gardeners that the hummingbirds are already arriving down here (we gained several the morning of the storm and more since then in old San Patricio). And with hundreds of miles of Tx coastline either flattened or underwater, the natural nectar sources (& feeders that people usually have out) will be sorely lacking in the area before the little guys head south for the winter. Please ask your readers to put out extra hummingbird feeders in their yards (quickly!) along with the usual flowering attractions for them. Recipe is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, boil water to dissolve sugar, cool before adding to feeders, no red food coloring needed.

Thank you!!

Trisha”

Anytime between mid-September to mid-November is prime time to fertilize the lawn, trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers.

Fertilizing while it is still warm is best because plants are still in their active growing season and taking up the nutrients provided. Once the weather starts cooling down plants begin going into dormancy and therefore are not as likely to take up the nutrients needed for the fall and winter.

Remember to water in the fertilizer with at least a ½ inch of irrigation. Never depend on the rain to water in your fertilizer, because as you know, it never rains when predicted, and also never gives us that perfect ½ inch. It either rains too much, too little, or not at all. Making sure the timing is right and proper amount of water is applied assures your lawn of getting the full benefit of the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy leaves and roots for the dormant season.

We carry our Gill Lawn and Garden and also several organic lawn fertilizers. Never use Weed and Feed if you have any trees or shrubs in the yard. Trees are a broadleaf just like a weed, so it will try to kill them as well. Weed killers and weed preventers can be used in October once our temperatures moderate in the 80’s.

Check out our September Garden Tips for more.

It’s always fun and rewarding to find those plants that take care of themselves with just a little help from your hands. Say hello to nasturtiums! This simple edible is one of my all time favorites to sow from seed. The foliage is vibrant green and reminds me of small living Frisbees rambling around a flowerbed or trailing out of pots or baskets. The flowers are delightful 5 petal trumpets coming in the perfect colors for your fall plantings.

Nasturtiums do best planted in the fall where they enjoy our warm days and cool nights. You will enjoy them well into the following spring. They play out in our hot summers but are known to reappear in fall once again. No help from you needed. They thrive in full to part sun and well drained soil.

To grow nasturtiums from seed, simply sow directly in soil that is been turned and loosened. A bit of Nature’s Blend compost is helpful. Scatter them, lightly cover with soil, water, and wait. If you like, you can start them in pots mixed with other annuals and let them grow up through making your own mixed bouquet.

We love these from Botanical Interest Seeds and think you will too!

Peach Melba, fiesta orange, jewel blend, cherry rose, Alaska-has variegated leaves, and a new one called black velvet that looks almost chocolaty! Gotta try it this year! See you soon

-Debbie

For years I’ve requested an APLD (Assoc. of Professional Landscape Designers) Conference in Boston. I’d heard it was a beautiful city with lovely architecture and I knew there had to be fabulous gardens. This year my dream came true and I traveled to Boston to view gardens in peak July bloom. Fellow designers living in the area were show casing their work at client’s properties and their own homes. On the first day, in the first garden, I knew I’d come to the right place at the right time.

Now, you may ask what I could gain touring gardens with plants that won’t grow in South Texas? The answer is inspiration, design details and renewed appreciation for plants and objects we might consider common place. For instance, I never expected to see Mexican metal garden animals occupying center stage on pristine New England lawns! Likewise typical Corpus Christi garden tropicals – Hawaiian Ti, banana and canna lily were prominent accents displayed in pots for the summer and returned to greenhouses for winter.

The “icing on the cake” was a chance to view the privately owned, newly restored “Blue Garden” designed by Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. in 1908. This formal estate garden contained numerous blue and white annuals, perennials, trees and decorative objects that most South Texas homeowners could use to create their own cool, serene blue garden….no estate required!

And what can I say about the secret garden tucked away at a rural Rhode Island farmhouse except, “I want one!”

Join me at Gill Nursery on September 30th at 9:00 a.m. and I’ll take you on a photographic tour of these gardens. You too, will be inspired to create a new garden experience at your home. Thanks Boston!

-Kathy Hubner

Saturday, September 30th, 9:00am
GARDEN TALK!

Boston Gardens: Growing Strong

with Kathy Hubner, Landscape Designer APLD, TCNP

Kathy will give a presentation showing fresh landscape ideas from the best gardens in Boston, MA. You’ll be inspired by gardens with new takes on growing vegetables, flowers, and creating fun whimsical spaces that make you smile. And if you’ve always wanted a secret garden, you won’t want to miss seeing a secret garden gem hidden in plain sight on a Rhode Island Country Road.

View Our Garden Talk Schedule

September

It’s not too late to get your squash, cucumber and beans seeds in the ground for a fall crop. It’s important to get them up and going before a cold snap.

Mid-September Through Fall

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower & brussel sprouts best planted now from transplant.

Lettuce, kale & spinach can be planted in seed & transplant now through the fall for winter and spring harvest. Same with radishes, carrots & beets.

Mid November

Onion seeds are planted mid October. We will have the onion sets in the store mid-November for planting. Harvest period is January, February and March.

January

We’ll have seed potatoes in the store in January for April harvest.

Our favorite soil amending for veggie gardens is:

For a new garden:
Cotton Burr compost

To recondition an existing garden:
Nature’s Blend (cotton burr compost & manure)

At planting:
Rocket Fuel (bat guano, green sand & more)

Once a month through the season:
Plant Tone (poultry manure with innoculants)

1. Fertilize in Fall.

It’s great to fertilize in spring, and again early summer, but fall fertilization is probably the most important of all, and the most neglected. September 15 to November 15 application makes the nutrients available while the roots are still active. This will result in better turf density (and so fewer weeds), stronger roots, and residual nutrient inside the grass runners for faster green-up next spring. Apply the recommended amount, as excess fertilizer can result in fall and winter fungus.

2. Water Properly.

A long deep soaking once a week is appropriate through mid-October, then water just once every two weeks through fall and winter, if we don’t get an inch of rain. Excess frequency of watering also encourages fungus problems. Resume once a week watering mid-March to April.

3. Watch for Insects.

Chinch bugs have been a scourge this summer! Grub damage can start showing up late summer. And there is always the possibility of Fall Armyworms or Sod Webworms in fall. Don’t take your neighbor’s advice, please bring in a sample of lawn as soon as you see any problem (still somewhat alive but showing symptoms) and maybe a photo, and let us advise on proper treatment. Don’t just douse any and all brown spots with pesticide. Some may be old drought/heat damage, some may be fungus.

4. Mow Properly.

Once a week minimum during rapid growth. More frequently is even better if you can manage it (notice how often you see the mowers on the golf course). This results in better density and therefore fewer weeds. Keep your blade sharpened for best grass health. During late fall and winter fungus season, see if you can get your yardman to sterilize his mower before getting on your lawn to minimize spread of fungal spores from other yards (good luck with that!)

5. Control Weeds.

If you have followed recommendations 1-4, you are already ahead! But the next step, if you feel it necessary, is a pre-emergent weed preventer, such as Bonide Weed & Crabgrass Preventer 9.5lb or Bonide Weed Beater Complete 10lb, applied in October and again in January. Follow label recommendations for best results, you do not want to over or under apply. We do not recommend weed-and-feed fertilizers, because plants and shrubs all need fertilizer, but weed killers can damage or kill shrubs and trees, and effective application times for fertilizers and weed killers are very different. If you have some broadleaf weeds (clover, sow thistle, dandelion, chickweed) occurring in January or February, you can spot apply a broadleaf weed-killer such as Weed-B-Gon for Southern Lawns.

-James

Back in May, we invited you to tell us what you like most about Gill’s. Of the 405 responses, 294 said that what you like most is our people!

You said,

“They are knowledgeable, they care, they’re friendly and helpful.”

“They know what I’m talking about, even if I don’t know!”

“Staff is not pushy.”

“I can ask anything about my garden and if the person I am talking to doesn’t have the answer, they will find someone who does.”

“I have relied on you for over a decade for all my gardening needs.”

“Almost like you are family.”

Wow, that makes us feel great! Coming in second was our assortment, our plant varieties and our selection.

Third, “beautiful inventory” and then “pretty, serene & inspiring place to shop”.

You like our website, our garden news, our garden talks and the layout of the store.

There were over 40 things that you mentioned appreciating about our store, like clean pathways, succulents, locally owned, running into friends, DeAnna’s sense of humor, birdbaths and on and on.

We also asked what you might change about your experience at Gill’s.

The top response was that you miss our Alameda store. We do too!

If you are an Alameda customer and haven’t been out to our Airline store since the move, come on out and see us! It’s bigger and better than ever, and we think you’ll find it is worth the trip!

Other changes suggested were lower prices and a location a little closer to home. You’d like more starter plants, better signage, covered outdoor area with seating and fans, more DIY classes, more medicinal and culinary plants, more parking and one dad said his son would like to see more cats!

Honestly, we are always trying to improve. That’s what made this survey so valuable.

Thanks to your submissions, we now know for sure what you like and what we need to work even harder to improve.

Pretty quick on the heels of our survey being completed (and 4 lucky winners receiving a $50 gift card to Gill’s – congrats Dave, Carrie, Donna & Linda!), Harvey plowed into our garden center and did some damage.

Thank goodness our people (your #1 favorite thing about Gill’s!) were safe and back to gardening with us in no time.

Our store took a light beating in the storm, but we are working hard on repairing the damage. Thanks for your patience as we get back to normal – soon it’ll be even better than it was before!

Thank you for your kind words, your well thought-out recommendations and your heartfelt support of Gill’s. We thank our lucky stars to get to spend our days with our Gill team and you!

-Sally

Have you noticed little white moths flying in the grass as you water? Perhaps a flock a birds pecking in the lawn? Both of these could be a sign of sod webworms.

These tiny little green worms eat your grass blades down leaving the brown thatch beneath visible giving the appearance of a dead patch. The grass will also be stunted in that area since they have eaten the blades.

Inspect closely and should see irregular bites out of the edges of the blades. Another easy way to check for these worms is to fill a bucket with soapy water and drench the area. The sod webworms will come to the surface and be visible.

An easy organic solution is to spray Spinosad or BT (a.k.a Thuricide) to the lawn. You could also use Cyonara, Triazicide or Broad Spectrum Insect Killer spray.

-Deanna

Image credits: L R