Gill’s Gift Guide for Gardeners!
Need to do some peaceful, non-stressful holiday gift shopping? Come take a stroll at Gill’s and pick out a few gifts for the green thumbs on your list! We’ll help […]
Set the Table for Hummingbirds!
It’s almost that magical time of year again when ruby-throated hummingbirds make their way through the Coastal Bend on their way south for the winter! Expect to start seeing hummingbirds […]
URGENT: Plant Your Tomatoes & Peppers Now!
It sure feels like summer outside, but in order for fall tomatoes and peppers to have time to produce lots of fruit, we gotta plant em now! Here are a […]
Top 6 Gardening Must Do’s for August 2024
Temperatures may not feel like it yet, but it’s time to start making the transition into an exciting new Fall planting season! There’s a lot to do in August to […]
Top 7 Gardening Must-Do’s for January 2024
Have you set your 2024 new year’s gardening resolution?! January is time to get moving and set yourself up for big success this spring and beyond. Beds need prepping, veggie […]
Houseplants that Bring Good Luck!
2024 is almost here! Will you be eating your black-eyed peas and cabbage for good luck on New Year’s Day? Did you know that many different houseplants are also said […]
12 Gift Ideas for the Gardeners on Your List
Gill’s is here to be your holiday stress antidote! Come take a stroll and pick out a few gifts for the green thumbs on your list. We’ll help you find […]
Lawn Replacement Ideas for Texas Native Plant Week
In honor of Texas Native Plant Week, we’re celebrating at Gill’s with 20% off all Texas Natives up to 15gal! Our native section is stocked with native grasses, blooming perennials, […]
Garden Talk this Saturday 9/23/23 at 10am – Fall Veggie Gardening with Andy Chidester!
Garden Talks at Gill’s continue this Saturday at 10am with another very special guest! We’re excited to welcome Andy Chidester of Medina Agriculture Products , makers of our favorite organic […]
Preview: September Garden Talks & Events!
After some much-needed rain this week, we are beyond excited for fall! We’ve got some awesome talks and events planned for September to kick off the best gardening season. Here’s […]
Top 6 Gardening Must Do’s for August 2023
It may not feel like it yet, but it’s time to start making the transition into an exciting new Fall planting season! There’s a lot to do in August to […]
More Plants that Love 90 and Above
Summer is here for sure! Stay cool, stay hydrated, and get started gardening early! Some plants need more love during the Summer, but lots of others don’t even start thriving […]
Top 10 Summer-Tough Plants for Pollinators!
It’s National Pollinator Week and summer is officially here! Just like gardeners adapt to summer temps, so do pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, and all kinds of insects. They need […]
Cactus and Succulent Workshop – This Saturday, June 10th!
ATTENTION CACTUS AND SUCCULENT LOVERS!! We’re hosting a cactus and succulent workshop this Saturday, June 10th starting at 10am and going all day! Drop by any time to check out […]
Update: Gabe’s Garden at Windsor Park Elementary School
Back in December 2022, the Gill’s crew planted a native pollinator garden at Windsor Park Elementary dedicated to Gabe Velasquez, longtime landscaper at Gill’s who passed away during the pandemic. […]
Creating Your Own Houseplant Soil Cocktail – Saturday, May 20th!
Join us this Saturday, 5/20 at 10am for a special houseplant event! Creating Your Own Houseplant Soil Cocktail with Ori! Different houseplants have different soil moisture and soil consistency requirements. […]
Mother’s Day Pressed Flower Workshop – Saturday, May 13th!
Join us for our Mother’s Day pressed flower workshop this Saturday, May 13th at 10am! We’ll have plenty of flowers and cuttings available for you to press. Or bring your […]
Garden Talk this Sat! Ideas for Using Tough Texas Natives in Your Landscape with James Gill
James is retired these days, but he loves talking plants! We’re excited to have him back for a garden talk this Saturday, May 6th to discuss ideas for using tough […]
The Original Bird Feeders…PLANTS!
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 […]
Top 5 Gardening Must Do’s for April 2023!
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 […]
Stop and Smell the Roses (and other plants too!)
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 […]
Good Bones for Your Landscape
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. […]
Garden Talk this Sat! Planting to Support Our Local Ecosystem with Sara Jose
Our February garden talks wrap up this Saturday, 2/25/23 at 10am! Join us here at Gill’s for Planting to Support Our Local Ecosystem with Sara Jose, Preserve Manager at the […]
Garden Talk this Sat! Organic Veggie Gardening: Promoting Life with Wyatt Page
The Gill’s Garden Talk series continues this Saturday, 2/18/23 at 10am! Join us for Organic Veggie Gardening: Promoting Life with Wyatt Page, Gill’s Assistant Manager and passionate veggie gardener! Wyatt […]
Garden Talk this Sat! Re-Thinking Your Landscape: Smart Choices for South Texas with Kathy Hubner
The Gill’s Garden Talk series continues this Saturday, 2/11/23 at 10am! Join us for Re-Thinking Your Landscape: Smart Choices for South Texas with Kathy Hubner, professional Landscape Designer here at […]
Garden Talk this Sat! ‘Get Ready for Spring’ with James Gill
The Mesquite trees say Spring is coming! Join us here at Gill’s this Saturday, 1/28/23 at 10am for James Gill’s ‘Get Ready for Spring’ garden talk. James will go over […]
Gabe’s Garden at Windsor Park Elementary School
Back in late December, Gill’s had the pleasure of donating the planting of a new pollinator garden at Windsor Park Elementary School for kids, parents, and teachers to enjoy this […]
Top 6 Gardening Must-Do’s for January 2023
Happy 2023! January is time to get started on garden resolutions. Planning a veggie garden? New landscape beds? More Texas native plants to support wildlife? So many possibilities, and we’re […]
10 Gift Ideas for the Gardeners on Your List
Come take a stroll through our garden and do a little stress-free shopping. We can help you pick out the perfect gifts that grow and other useful gifts that the […]
Meet Your Garden Coach + Planting Team!
Meet Frances, the Garden Coach here at Gill’s! Frances, along with Josh and Larry (the planting dream team), is ready to help you with small landscape projects like designing and […]
Local Gardener Spotlight – Mark Scott’s Exotic Zinnia Garden
Why does Mark Scott, community leader and eight-term city councilman, grow zinnias? So he can keep fresh flowers on his wife Carol’s bathroom counter for a big portion of the […]
Houseplant Care Tips with Ori Roldan
Join us this Saturday, 5/14 at 10:00 am for our first May talk – Houseplant Care Tips! Ori Roldan, houseplant collector/researcher here at Gill’s, will share and demonstrate her best […]
Bring on the Butterflies!
One of my favorite pastimes, in between planting, fertilizing, trimming, and mulching, is sitting in my backyard and watching the butterflies dance around my garden. Here’s a few tips to […]
Panama Garden with Personality
Fun! Welcoming! Whimsical! And most of all, Positive! Eco-Jardin Tematico “El Explorador”, in Boquete, Panama was a wonderful discovery last summer. Sally and I went up and down trails, through […]
B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Container) Party at Gill’s This Saturday
B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Container) Party Do you have an empty pot begging to be planted? Or an interesting container you’d like to repurpose as a planter?? Bring it to […]
It’s Time to Get Started on Your Fall Garden
Right now is a very exciting time for us South Texas Gardeners. It doesn’t feel like it yet, but our Summer season is coming to a close, and our best […]
Still Scratching Your Head 4 Months Post-Freeze?
Still scratching your head 4 months post-freeze? Still trying to decide which direction to go with your landscape? You can visit Gill’s anytime and get guidance with your DIY landscape […]
Did the Freeze Open Doors for Change in Your Garden?
It’s been five weeks since the big freeze. As my yoga instructor, Gretchen Weber, said so well last night, the first few weeks was about mourning. Mourning the loss of […]
From Garden Passion to Community Giving
I’ve admired BJ and Michael’s home for years. It’s a beautiful Santa Fe style stucco home with a clay tile roof and old dark stained wood front doors. The landscape […]
Collaborative, Holistic Landscape Design
Akasha Yoga is a great example of a collaborative design between property owners and Gill’s landscape designer Harry Villarreal. The owners’ vision for Akasha was to harmonize and integrate the […]
Gills’ Soil Recipe for Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds are great for veggie, herb, and flower gardening. Benefits include reducing weeds, help with drainage, easy maintenance, and easier on your back. We’ve seen really cool raised beds […]
Best Tips for Planting Trees this Fall
Trees, shrubs, and perennials get a great bonus when planted in Fall. South Texas enjoys relatively warm soil temperatures through Fall and Winter, and cooler air temperatures direct the new […]
How to Fuel Your Hungry Hummingbirds
If you spend any time outdoors and have anything blooming red, there’s a good chance you’ve got hummingbirds buzzing around. It’s that time of year when hummers begin their migratory […]
Weird and Wild Conversation Plants at Gill’s!
Are you looking for a conversation plant? Something out of the ordinary? Well check out these weird and wild plants to spark a conversation with all your plant friends! Dwarf […]
Unique Port A History: The Farley Boat Planters
On Mother’s Day, James and I got up before the sun to head to the beach to catch some early morning waves at Packery. After an hour or so, as […]
It’s Arbor Day – Find the Right Trees and Start Planting!
The saying goes “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.” Well we say it is always time to plant a tree! […]
Landscape Designer Kathy Hubner’s National Recognition
We are excited to share that Kathy Hubner, one of our landscape designers here at Gill Landscape Nursery, has become only the second Texan and first from Corpus Christi to […]
Plants, The Perfect Rx For Clean Air!
There are a wide variety of pollutants released in your home by furniture, paint, carpet, household cleansers, even gas cooktops and hot water in the shower, that can trigger illnesses, […]
Fall Is Wildflower Planting Time
That first cool front in fall sure does feel good, and with the new season comes new flowers and time to get back outside and garden. In South Texas September and […]
Planning Your Perfect Landscape
What can a well-planned landscape do for you? First it gives you a place to retreat from hectic daily schedules. Studies confirm the benefits of getting outside at least fifteen […]
Looking For New Plants, New Ideas, New Solutions At Texas Nursery & Landscape Association Show!
As gardeners, we know you want the most up to date solutions and newest plant varieties that will thrive in our part of South Texas. That’s why we make a […]
What A Stark Contrast!
What a stark contrast! The owners of these three homes in Denver, one next to the other, each have a very different look. The home on the bottom has grass, […]
A Little Gem & Generous Gift!
We were walking with our family in West Seattle on Harbor Avenue, looking across Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. The esplanade opposite the water was lined with multi-level, concrete condominiums, […]
Tips for Indoor Gardening
We had a great garden talk last Saturday about plants for the indoors from Margaret Hicks, owner of Charlie Cook Associates in Dallas. Below are some of her top tips […]
Hummer Update!
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 […]
Help For Your Storm-Damaged Landscape
Plants have thrived through hurricanes and worse for around 500 million years. Most of your plants will come back fine, and for those you lose, something new will grow, with […]
Bee Food!
Dennis Gray with the Coastal Bend Beekeeper’s Association reminded us this week that Texas Sage plants are one of our local bees main source of food this time of year. […]
Not Too Hot For Poinciana!
It can be challenging to find the right plants for a hot, dry, summer in South Texas. One of my favorites is known by most of us as Poinciana (Caesalpinia). That’s […]
Journey to The Caribbean
Monday night I had the pleasure of viewing the newly completed Caribbean Journey Exhibit. I am proud of what the Texas State Aquarium brings to our community and to be […]
Easy Gardening With Garden Troughs!
Garden Troughs are a great way to grow vegetables in a raised bed. They are bigger than most pots but easier than working in the dirt and can be placed […]
Katrina Iris
I love my Katrina Iris! It’s always in bloom…always! I planted it about 4 years ago and it has quadrupled in size or more. It gets full hot west sun […]
Another Favorite Fall Vine!
Mexican Flame Vine is a wonderful vine with a long blooming period until the first good frost. It has deep green leaves back-dropping beautiful orange daisy flowers. Very easy to […]
Cut Flower Gardening
Starting your first cutting garden may be much easier than you would think. Planning your garden is the best way to start: a 3 foot x 10 foot garden bed […]
Plumeria, Frangipanis, Hawaiian Lei Flower
Plumeria, Frangipanis, Hawaiian Lei Flower, no matter what you call them they are beautiful and one of the easiest plants to grow in South Texas! Native to Central America, Mexico, […]
Success With Backyard Chickens
Having backyard chickens in urban neighborhoods is becoming more of a trend with each changing of (gardening) seasons. While many may think that having some hens running amuck in their […]
10 Tips For A Beautiful Summer South Texas Landscape
1. Proper Watering – This is the most important of all. Water slow and deep to make sure at least one inch of water is applied to all established lawn and landscape plants for our long hot summers. Smaller bedding plants such as annual color and perennial beds will require a second supplemental watering since they have a smaller root system.
Creative Container Gardens
This past Saturday we had our Creative Container Gardens talk. I enjoy giving this talk because making potted plant combinations is a treat – so easy & fun. Contrast and […]
“Bring Home the Butterflies”
This weekend I gave a “Bring Home the Butterflies” talk at the Airline store. Here’s a recap for those who missed it! We are lucky enough to have almost 400 […]
Unmistakably Beautiful Antique Roses
If you want an old fashioned rose, come in and get them while they’re here! Unlike shrub roses, antique roses have a full rich fragrance, and often have a much […]
To Win In The Plant World, Grab The Sunlight Before Your Neighbors
In the plant world, the most common way to win the game of life is “grab the sunlight before your neighbors.” The tips of the branches produce a hormone that […]
Best For Bees!
A lot of folks are asking how to get their tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers to put on more fruit. The answer might be as simple as you need more […]
Recap: Hummingbird Garden Talk
This past Saturday, I gave a quick talk about attracting Hummingbirds into your garden, so I figured I’d give a quick recap of hummingbird gardens in case you missed it! […]
Fall Is Wildflower Time
That first cool front in September sure does feel good. And with the new season comes new flowers and time to get back outside and garden. In south Texas September […]
The Importance of Crop Rotation
Last week we talked about preparing the vegetable garden by pulling the leftover plants and weeds and turning in plenty of new compost. Next we need to think about what we […]
Not Quite Ready to Plant?
If you are not going to plant into your newly prepped vegetable gardens right away, please be sure to keep them moist and mulched. By doing this, you will prevent the […]
A Blank Slate: Starting A New Landscape
I recently moved into a new house, and after living in apartments for years, I was so excited to have a real garden! Our new home had green plants, but only […]
Backyard Drainage Problems + Solutions
I’ve had quite a few calls recently about back yard drainage problems. The first two solutions people tend to ask about are “French drains” or filling the low spots. These […]
Create Your Own Garden Paradise
Sights, sounds, and smells of nature are all relaxing. For sights, think about plants to attract birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They are so fun to watch as they move from […]
Oak Leaves Will Fall + Companion Plants For Your Veggies
Oak Leaves Will Fall If you haven’t noticed before, this is the time that live oak leaves turn and fall. They are fine when used as a mulch in shrub beds, but […]