Jesse Jenkins

Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! Our South Texas climate gives us lots of options for blooms through the Spring and Summer. Here are our tips for timing, planting, and care to get the healthiest plants and brightest blooms.

Timing – What to Plant, What to Expect

Plant Impatiens, Petunias, Begonias, Gerbera Daisy, and Geraniums right now for intense, amazing color for the next 2ish months. Since Spring temperatures warmed up earlier this year, we already have warmer season annuals like Vinca, Zinnias, Moss Rose, and Purslane that will last and bloom through the Summer. Right now is also a great time to plant blooming perennials like Salvias, Coreopsis, Lantana, and Penta that will bloom again each year and look their best for 2-3 years.

Planting – Tender Plants, Tender Roots

For small, tender annual flowers like Geraniums and Marigolds, use a good fluffy potting soil in pots to allow tender roots to penetrate. When planting in the ground, amend existing soil with Nature’s Blend Compost to loosen up clay soil, and add worm castings for extra nutrients and better root development (worm castings can be used in pots too). Whether planting in pots or in the ground, be sure not to plant too deep – plant level with the surrounding soil so the tiny feeder roots on the surface are not buried. Allow adequate spacing between plants for good air circulation and healthy growth. Spacing depends on the flower you’re planting. For example, Petunias should be about 8” apart, while Periwinkles should be 12-16” apart.

Feeding and Care

Flowers (annuals and perennials) use a lot of energy to create beautiful blooms, so they need good, regular meals! We have the best success using liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks and Rose Glo once a month – both are organic and excellent for promoting new blooms. Add a calendar reminder in your phone: Rose Glo + Hasta Gro on the 1st of the month, then Hasta Gro again on the 15th. For annual flowers, pinch off any old/faded blooms to encourage new blooms!

We’ve been talking to lots of local gardeners who are totally rethinking their landscapes this year. After 2 cold winters in a row, you might be wanting more cold-tolerant plants. Understandable! We think that’s a great idea – start with some good bones, then add color and accents to suit your style. Here are some options to consider.

Small Trees Make Good Focal Points

Crops of blooming ornamental trees like Texas Mountain Laurel, Yaupon Holly, Vitex, and Redbud look fantastic this year. All of these will attract and support birds, as will other interesting native trees like Spiny Hackberry and Kidneywood. They can handle freezes and hot summer temps too. In nature, these are understory trees, so they can tolerate some shade. Look for a spot with good sun to partial shade where you’d like to create a focal point in your landscape. For example, plant a Yaupon Holly and add a birdbath where you can see it from your living room window and you’ll have live Mockingbird TV!

Add Structure with Cold-Hardy Shrubs

You can’t go wrong with cold-hardy, tried and true shrubs like Indian Hawthorn for creating structure in your landscape. Yes, they may still get a little browning on the tips after a freeze, but not severe damage. Shrubs frame the house and give you that classic evergreen look. Other classics like Wax Leaf Ligustrum, Viburnum, Pittosporum, and Dwarf Burford Holly are great for our area.

Bring the Butterflies with Cold-Tolerant Perennial Color

Lantana, Blue Daze, Salvia ‘Love and Wishes’, Salvia ‘Black and Bloom’, Gregg’s Mistflower,
Blackfoot Daisy

Once you’ve got some good structure, you can make your landscape sing with blooming perennials! If you already had plants like Lantana, Salvias, Blue Daze, you’ve probably saw them look rough this Winter, then start to grow back rapidly this Spring. If you cut them back in the wintertime, they’ll look even better in Spring and Summer. Expect most blooming perennials to look their best for 2-3 years, sometimes longer. Keep in mind, if you’re planting to attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, plant several of the same plant in a group. For example, plant 6-8 Gregg’s Mistflower together in 1 bed to help butterflies easily find it. Mass-planting like this tends to look really nice to humans too.

Accent with Tropical Plants and Annual Color

Jatropha, Bougainvillea, Mandevilla, Hibiscus

If you’re adventurous, creating an all-tropical landscape can be lush and beautiful. Just know that you’ll likely need to replace plants if we get too cold, or wait a while until they grow back from the roots. Instead, you might consider building the bones of your landscape with cold-tolerant trees, shrubs, and perennials, then accenting with tropical plants. A Bougainvillea splash against a background of evergreen shrubs, or a small area full of philodendrons and Jatropha can create a tropical feel with less risk. And don’t forget about annual flowers! Pots or beds exploding with Zinnias, Begonias, Celosia, and Sweet Potato Vine will look amazing this season, then you get to pull them up and plant something new.

We’ve been blown away by the amazing Spring blooms at Gill’s this week! We’re always on the go, but no plant person can resist stopping to smell fresh roses or to brush against a Copper Canyon Daisy to release the wonderful scent. If you want to bring some fragrance to your landscape, here’s what we’d recommend planting now.

Sweet Mademoiselle Rose

The cool weather this week really brought out the color of our Sweet Mademoiselle Rose blooms! This is a new variety bred for the color and excellent disease resistance. The scent is soft, delicate, and unique – sort of like a rosy tea.

Almond Verbena

Almond Verbena blooms might be our favorite scent in the garden. They really do smell like sweet almonds, and when the wind is just right, you can smell them all the way across the garden center! Great cold hardy, tough, and drought tolerant plant for shady/partial sun spots. Easy to prune to your desired shape, and to encourage more blooms.

Maid of Orleans Jasmine

Maid of Orleans aka Arabian Jasmine is a vining evergreen shrub with wonderfully fragrant flowers that are used for tea and in the perfume industry. The fragrance is similar to Star Jasmine – sweet and intense! Hummingbirds and butterflies love it too.

Night Blooming Jasmine

Night Blooming Jasmine is not a true Jasmine, but it gets its name from the fragrant white blooms. It’s actually part of the Solanaceae family which includes potatoes and tomatoes. The blooms open at night an emit a very strong (in a good way) scent. Think of Night Blooming Jasmine as more of a sprawling woody shrub than a vine. Once established, they’re cold tolerant down to about 25 degrees.

Copper Canyon Daisy

Copper Canyon Daisy aka Mountain Marigold is native to the Southwest US and Northern Mexico. The bright yellow flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies, but its the foliage that smells so good. The fragrance that’s released when you brush against the plant is difficult to describe. Maybe fresh rain + a hint of lemon?

Arp Rosemary

We rarely meet a rosemary variety that we don’t like – they all smell great, and they have subtle differences in scent and flavor. We’re excited about Arp Rosemary this Spring because it’s cold hardy down to 20 degrees! Great in the ground or in a pot with an upright growth habit.

Citronella Geranium

Some would call the scent of Citronella Geraniums pungent, and others adore it. The most common use of the plant and it’s strong scent is to repel mosquitoes. Place it near the door or along walkways, and periodically disturb the foliage with a broom to release the fragrance.

Texas Kidneywood

Kidneywood is a Texas native shrub/small tree with delicately fragrant blooms and leaves. Kidneywood likes a location with dappled light (some sun/some shade) and is both cold hardy and drought tolerant. The blooms attract bees and butterflies and the wood is sometimes used for dyes.

Mexican Mint Marigold

Mexican Mint Marigold aka Mexican Tarragon or Texas Tarragon is an aromatic herb with beautiful flowers and a fragrance similar to anise or licorice. Great for a full-sun location, and makes a great potted plant since it needs good drainage. You can use it in the kitchen as you would tarragon with chicken, fish, compound butter, etc. And we think it makes the BEST salad dressing.

Sansevieria??

Did you know that Sansevieria sometimes bloom?! This is rare, but we have 1 here at Gill’s right now that’s about to flower. If you’ve never smelled a Sansevieria bloom, be sure to stop by in the next few days. We plan to keep it here until the blooms fade so everyone has a chance to smell the incredible (and incredibly strong) fragrance. If you want to encourage your Sansevieria to bloom, keep the roots constricted in a small pot and give it more light. No guarantees, but it’s magical when it happens.

Spring is in full swing! Everyone’s busy planting, re-designing, fertilizing, and getting ready for holidays and weekends with family and friends. Here are our top tips in the garden this month.

1. Feed Your Lawn and Plants

Fertilizing/feeding your plants this month is a must. This includes lawns, trees, and most plants. Everything is actively growing, which means they’ll need more food to continue looking their best. For lawns we love organic Medina Growin Green once in Spring (now), once in Summer, and once in the Fall. Medina Growin Green is a great multi-purpose food for shrubs and trees too. For blooming perennials, annual flowers, and veggies we really like organic Plant Tone by Espoma and Medina Hasta Gro liquid. Feed with Plant Tone on the 1st of each month, then follow up with liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th.

2. Water Slow and Low

Proper watering, along with proper fertilizing, keeps plants and lawns healthy and resistant to pests and disease. Here’s a tip to remember: water “slow and low”! Watering slowly (by turning down the pressure on your watering wand or kinking your hose) ensures that more water gets down to the roots instead of running off the surface. Watering plants low to the ground keeps water from escaping via wind and evaporation and keeps water off the leaves which can invite fungal issues.

If using sprinklers or an irrigation system, be sure they’re working properly and always check current City of Corpus Christi watering rules here. For new landscape projects that require irrigation to get established, and some other situations, you can apply for a temporary exemption to watering restrictions with the City. We can help you with that if you need.

3. Plant for Nature

Add some blooming perennials to attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, and birds to your garden. You support them (and the planet!) and they help you have more blooms and better production on your veggies! By including plants that provide food for pollinators, and meeting a few more simple criteria, you can even make your garden a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. We just certified our pollinator garden here at Gill’s!

4. Plant Your Warm Weather Veggies

It’s time to plant hot peppers, squash, zucchini, basil, beans, and more! Tomato time has almost passed, but we still have a few if you still really want to plant a tomato. When starting veggies, the trick is to get the soil as active and alive as possible. Amend your existing soil with Nature’s Blend Compost (about 1 bag per 12 sq. ft.), then add a little Bio Tone starter fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi and a good handful of worm castings when you plant.

5. Get Ready for Guests

Bamboo Muhly Grass, Mexican Bush Sage, Yaupon Holly, and American Beautyberry cuttings

April is time for holidays with family and friends. And a great time for plants! For the quickest and easiest impact outdoors, think hanging baskets overflowing with color + fresh mulch in your beds. For indoors, our favorite flower arrangements are those cut fresh from the garden and landscape.

Check out our April Garden Guide for more tips!

Ori’s houseplant basket with Starfish Sansevieria, Kiwi Dracaena, Calathea, and Rex Begonia Vine!

Many of us will be gathering with family & friends this holiday weekend to cook, eat, play games, and visit. Wonderful times and good rain clearing out for relaxing outside!

We’ve been working hard to stock the store with beautiful blooming annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, and tubs of flowers for last minute “dress up” for your garden for the holiday! Come see us this Friday & Saturday for the best of the best in gardening supplies to get your home, yard, and patio ready to greet your guests. We all wish you a very happy holiday weekend! Gill’s will be closed this Sunday for our time with family. Thank you!!

April is National Gardening Month, this Friday is National Gardening Day, and it’s also the time of year when a huge number of migrating birds are making their way through our area. Wooden and glass feeders are great, but birds will flock to the original bird feeders…the right plants!

Gill’s has an abundance of plants that support our bird population. Native plants provide nutrition in berries, good cover, and nesting material that birds need. And other plants like Hamelia (firebush) and Cuphea have cylindrical blooms that are perfect for long hummingbird beaks. If you want to attract and support birds, here are just a few of our fav bird magnets:

Along with the right plants, be sure to have a water source for the birds. It could be a birdbath, a clay saucer set on a brick or stone, or even a fountain with moving water! We also carry a select few bird feeders and bird seed products, including Wild Delights songbird food.

And if you’re interested in learning more about birds or getting into birding, be sure to visit the Birdiest Festival in America at the South Texas Botanical Gardens April 26th-30th, 2023!

Here at Gill’s, we get to spend all day every day close to nature, working with plants, helping gardeners, and building landscapes. Then, almost all of us go home and garden some more! We asked several Gill staff the simple question: Why do you garden? In honor of Earth Day, we thought it would be fun to share a few of our personal “whys” with you.

“I enjoy growing plants because it has taught me that patience is rewarding. Gardening brings me peace inside and outside my home.” – Ori, Assistant Buyer

“I garden because I like the shift in perspective of getting down to ground level and noticing all the life happening.” – Harry, Landscape Designer

“I love creating a space that I can watch grow and evolve – nothing makes me happier than seeing a new leaf or flower or a new species of insect in my yard!” – Frances, Garden Coach

“I like to grow unique fruit and share it with people.” – Kevin, Landscape Crew Leader

“I don’t consider myself a gardener, but I really like digging holes and planting trees!” – Josh, Planting Crew Leader

“My gardening motivation is simple – I need to pull up in the driveway and see things looking good!” – DeAnna, Garden Center Manager

“I garden because it’s good for me and good for the planet! Plus I get to use the creative part of my brain.” – Wyatt, Garden Center Asst. Manager

“I garden because I’ve loved plants since I was a kid. It’s just what I do.” – Jimmy, Landscape Crew Leader

“I love beautiful flowers, growing my own food, and a place to enjoy nature!” – Debbie, Buyer

“As a new gardener, I like experimenting and learning what works. You don’t have to get too scientific.” – Hayden, Landscape Crew

“I garden because it’s wholistic therapy for my body, mind, and spirit together.” – Jesse, Gill’s Owner and GM

May means Mom’s Day, graduations, and more BBQs and family holidays outside! May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. As gardeners, we know growing plants and being outdoors are necessary for our wellbeing…and so much fun! As one of our customers put it recently, “I believe that people who garden are the most hopeful and positive individuals.” Here are our Top 6 Must Do’s this May to keep you and your garden feelin’ good.

1. Join Us for Garden Talks and Events!

We’ve got a fun May planned here at Gill’s, and we’re kicking it off this Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at Be My Neighbor Day! This is a community event at KEDT Studios at 3205 S. Staples from 9am-1pm. Gill’s will have a booth with seeds, plants, and goodies for kids who attend. Then every Saturday in May, we’re hosting garden talks and events here at Gill’s. Sure to be lots of fun and lots to learn and discuss! Stay tuned for more info!

2. Plant Blooming Perennials and Trees

It’s still time to plant lots of different blooming perennials and blooming trees. Get them established now so they are better adapted to withstand warmer temps this Summer. Staples like Esperanza, many varieties of Salvia, Jatropha, Lantana, and more are all blooming beautifully right now. And blooming trees like Crape Myrtles, Vitex, Retama, and Wild Olive are looking great right now too. Added bonus: these blooming perennials and trees attract lots of butterflies and hummingbirds!

3. Plant and Harvest Veggies

Warm weather veggie time! Plant peppers, zucchini, squash, and okra this month for continued harvesting into the Summer months. If you planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and other early Spring veggies, you’ll be harvesting now or soon. Be sure to harvest often! It keeps birds & insects from finding them first. If you do have insect issues in your veggie garden, our go-to organic control is Spinosad – safe for food but takes care of bugs. Recent rains have been great for veggie gardens. Remember to keep watering as the weather warms up and dries out to maintain depth moisture. Soaker hoses are great to snake around your plants keeping water close to the ground and root systems.

4. Tend Your Lawn

In Spring and Summer, water your lawn once a week unless we have rain. Invest in a sprinkler that’ll do the work – we have them. Hand watering the lawn may feel therapeutic, but you won’t get good coverage and depth. Once a week, nice and deep for a healthy lawn.

When mowing, the proper height for St. Augustine lawns is around 3 inches. For Bermuda lawns, keep mowed to around 2-2.5 inches.

Feed with Natural Fertilizers: Medina Growin Green or Milorganite. These feed the lawn and the soil with great results. Water in to get them started.

Watch for lawn insects & treat when needed. Grub worms & chinch bugs are easy to control when caught early but there’s no need to treat unless you have them. Bayer Season-long Grub Control will do the trick for grubs. Cyonara takes care of chinch bugs. Reminder, you can bring us a grass sample any time you suspect a lawn disease or pest. We’ll diagnose (using our microscope if needed) and get you what you need to knock it out.

5. Set Your Mosquito Traps!

We are big fans of the simple bucket mosquito trap. Just fill a bucket 3/4 with water, add a good handful of lawn or plant clippings, and toss in a Mosquito Dunk or Mosquito Bits. These dissolve in the water and release bacteria that target mosquito larvae and kill them before they hatch. And they’re organic and not harmful to birds, bees, pets or humans! Set a few of these traps, sprinkle some organic Mosquito Beater granules around walkways and patios, spray organic Cedar Repel on your lawn, and use Skeeter Screen incense sticks near where you’re working or hanging out outside. Remember that using chemical mosquito foggers kills all the good bugs too, some of which also help control mosquitos and other bad bugs.

6. Gifts for Moms and Grads

Let us help you find something pretty, useful, or both for the gardening moms and grads in your life. Pottery, birdbaths, wind chimes, garden tools, hats, gloves, garden decor, gift cards – lots of options. Check out this new cyanotype print kit – take cuttings and make cyanotype prints using sunlight! Or find the gift that gardeners love most – plants 🙂

Visit our May Garden Guide for more tips! Happy gardening!