Corpus Christi Bonsai Club at Gill’s This Saturday!
Attention plant people: join us here at Gill’s this Saturday, December 17th for our last event of 2022! We’re so excited to host the Corpus Christi Bonsai Club! Members will […]
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 […]
Top 5 Gardening Must-Do’s for December ’22
December is here! These last few weeks of 2022 are sure to fly by. Our advice: make sure you spend some time in the garden to balance out the hectic […]
Happy Thanksgiving from the Gill’s Crew!
We’re thankful to get to do what we do! Thank you for all your plant questions, your landscaping inspiration, and for sharing your excitement and love of gardening with us. […]
Christmas Trees are Here + Care Tips
We’re happy to report that Christmas trees are here and they look amazing! This cool, damp weather is what they love! The garden center is stocked with fresh-cut trees ranging […]
Last Chance to Feed Lawns and Treat Weeds + Slow Down Watering!
Fertilizing lawns now (before November 15th!) helps develop strong roots for healthy growth next Spring and Summer. And, if you’re concerned about weeds, now’s the time to take care of them. Here’s […]
Top 5 Gardening Must-Do’s this November
November in South Texas is all about spending time outdoors and gathering with family & friends. Cool weather, crisp evenings, outdoor fires & a beautiful garden… a welcome invitation. Here […]
What are These Strange Orbs on My Oak Trees?
All from a shiny reddish ball. Or a fuzzy white ball. Or a corky brown ball. I’m talking oak galls, which commonly strike terror into the hearts of live oak […]
Texas Native Plant Week at Gill’s!
Lots going on at Gill’s this weekend in honor of Texas Native Plant Week! We’ve expanded our native plant section, we’re hosting the Native Plant Society of Texas meeting on […]
Pink Calandiva Kalanchoes to Support Breast Cancer Awareness
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’ve partnered with FIRST FRIDAY, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness. This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 14-16, when you buy […]
Kids’ Wildflower Seed Ball Project This Saturday!
Bring the kids this Saturday, October 8th at 10am to make some wildflower seed balls! It’s time to plant wildflowers and seed balls are such a fun and easy way […]
October Garden Guide
Planting Season! Fall is Our Best Planting Season! Trees, shrubs, and perennials get a great bonus when planted in fall. South Texas enjoys relatively warm soil temperatures through fall and […]
Top 6 Gardening Must-Dos For October
Fall is OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TIME for planting veggies, trees, and just about everything else! It just feels good! Here are our top to-do’s in the garden this month. PLUS […]
Kids’ Tree Giveaway This Saturday!
Attention parents and kids: join us here at Gill’s this Saturday for a talk and tree planting demo. All kids will receive a free native Live Oak tree seedling and […]
Garden Talk This Saturday – Maximizing Your Veggie Harvest with DeAnna and Wyatt
Join us this Saturday, September 17th at 10:00am for our first Fall ’22 garden talk! DeAnna Baumgartner and Wyatt Page, our garden center managers and expert veggie gardeners will share […]
Time Out – Wait to Fertilize!
Here comes the sun! Plants and lawns are certainly well-hydrated after all that rain. Our first impulse may be to fertilize as soon as the sun comes out, but we […]
Top 6 Gardening Must-Do’s for September 2022
What a joy to see green everywhere! You can feel the big sigh of relief from plants and people too. All this rain is FANTASTIC news for fall gardens! Here […]
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 […]
Use the Recent Rain to Your Advantage – Maintain Depth Moisture!
Wow, that rain was an instant mood booster! Great news as we gear up for Fall gardening! Now that we’ve had some rain, it’s important to maintain that depth of […]
Time to Plant Your Fall Tomatoes and Peppers!
It may not feel like it yet, but Fall is coming! It’s already time to plant your tomatoes and peppers. We want to make sure you get a big harvest […]
Critical: Water Your Mature Trees!
During current drought conditions, it is critical that you water your established, mature trees. Of course, we want to make sure we take care of plants and lawns too, but […]
Top 6 Must Do’s This August
August is almost here! It’s time to start making the transition into an exciting new Fall planting season. Here are our top must-do’s for this coming month. Check out our August […]
Marie & Lanny Embrace Nature at Their Wimberley Home
Two of our favorite people, Marie (James’ sister) and Lanny (our brother-in-law) bought a home on the outskirts of Wimberley, Texas about seven years ago. It sits on an acre […]
Watch out for Chinch Bugs in Stressed Lawns
If you know you are watering well, but still see edges of lawn near the sidewalk and driveway that look dry and wilted, you might have chinch bugs. Here’s a […]
Our Fav Low-Maintenance Houseplants
Are you interested in houseplants, but worried about keeping them looking their best? Or maybe you’d love to give a houseplant as a gift, but you’re concerned about the recipient’s […]
Top 5 Gardening Must-Do’s for July ’22
Lots of fun to be had this Summer – holidays, BBQs, weekend trips, and landscape projects! Here are our top must-do’s to keep your plants healthy and happy this July. […]
Plants that Love 90 and Above
South Texas Summer is here, officially! Stay cool and garden on! Some plants need more love during the Summer, but lots of others don’t even start thriving and looking their […]
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 […]
Kids’ Garden Project Idea: Plant Sunflower Seeds!
If you’re looking for a fun Summer garden project, planting sunflowers is the ticket. They’re easy to grow, they grow super fast, you can try lots of different colors/sizes, and […]
June Garden Guide
We all know how hard you’ve worked to have a beautiful landscape. Now how do you keep it thriving and surviving the summer heat? Check out our Top Tips for […]
Top 6 Must Do’s for June 2022
It’s time to transition our gardens as we leap into Summer! Here’s our top priorities for June, which include joining us for DeAnna’s garden talk this Saturday, June 4th at […]
Mr. Rogers’ Day 2022 – Thank You!
We had to share some photos from last Saturday’s Mr. Rogers Day event – too cute! Thank you to everyone who came out. We had so much fun. Stay tuned […]
Kids Event this Saturday – Mr. Rogers’ Day of Kindness!
This Saturday, May 21, from 10am to 2pm, we are inviting kids to come celebrate Mr. Rogers’ Day of Kindness, aka 1-4-3 day. We’ll give away a 4” blooming plant […]
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 […]
Gift Ideas for Mom
We’re thankful that many of you come to Gill’s to look for special gifts – we want to help you find (or create) something memorable for Mom! Here are a […]
May Garden Guide
Lawn Care Apply Medina Growin’ Green or Milorganite to your lawn. Water in well approximately 30 minutes per area to begin working. These feed the soil and your lawn. Prevent broadleaf weeds Use Hi-Yield […]
Top 5 Must-Do’s for May 2022!
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 […]
Share a Little with the Caterpillars
We’re getting lots of calls and questions about caterpillars. They’re everywhere – ’tis the season! They may do some damage, or they may not. Here are 2 Earth-friendly approaches to […]
Enjoy Your Time with Family and Friends
Bea discovered earthworms in her garden with Nana Sally! Many of us will be gathering with family & friends this weekend to cook, eat, play games, and visit. Wonderful times […]
Warm + Windy + Dry… We Need to Water!
Since we stayed cool so long in early Spring, most of us weren’t thinking about watering. But now that we’re in a long period of no rain, high winds, and […]
Top 5 Must Do’s for April!
April is here! We’re cruising right into a beautiful Spring – there’s lots to do to make the most of all this sunshine and new growth! Here’s our list to […]
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 […]
Flower Power – Tips for the Best Blooms
Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! Our South Texas climate gives us lots of options for blooms right now and blooms through the Spring and Summer. Here are our tips […]
Garden Talk This Saturday – Organic Vegetable Gardening with Wyatt Page
Growing food organically promotes life – you get delicious and rewarding veggies by keeping it simple and working with nature, including the beneficial organisms in the soil. Join Wyatt Page […]
Top 6 March Must-Do’s
If you’re like us, you cannot wait to get outside and get gardening! The cool, damp weather has hung around too long, but there’s lots to do in preparation for […]
March Garden Guide
Lawn Care Weed Control Spot treat existing weeds growing now with natural horticultural vinegar or Captain Jack’s Deadweed Brew. Both will burn any foliage so take care to not spray your […]
Looking for the Healthiest, Prettiest Plants for You!
We’ve been out traveling this January and February, looking for the best plants to bring to Gill’s this Spring. There’s lots to be excited about! Debbie, Kelsie, and Jesse attended […]
Tree Pruning 101 with Mike Montgomery
We had such a great turnout at our garden talk last Saturday, so let’s do it again! This Saturday, February 19th at 10am, join Gill’s resident tree expert, Mike Montgomery […]
Get Ready for Spring with James Gill
We are beyond excited to host you all in person for our first Garden Talk of 2022! James’ ‘Get Ready for Spring’ talk is a long-standing tradition. If you’ve got […]
Top 5 Must Do’s for February 2022
It may not feel like it today, but we are soooo close to a gorgeous Spring, and there’s lots to do in the garden. Here’s our top 5 to focus […]
February Garden Guide
Lawn Care You can still apply pre-emergent weed control to your lawn to prevent more weeds from sprouting. We recommend Hi Yield Weed & Grass Stopper with DimensionYou can overseed […]
Timing Is Everything!
Citrus Trees Fertilize your citrus NOW for more blooms, May/June for better fruit set, September/October for nutrients. For citrus trees, we recommend fertilizing with Espoma Citrus-Tone – all organic Knock-out Roses We […]
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 […]
Start Veggie Seeds Now for a Spring Harvest
Start Veggie Seeds Now for a Spring Harvest Spring in South Texas starts around February 15th – only 31 days away! We may have a couple more cold snaps ahead of […]
Top 6 Must-Do’s for January 2022!
Welcome to 2022! January is the planning month for South Texas gardeners. Time to think about what/where/when/how, and most importantly, why to plant! Here are our top January to-do’s to […]
January Garden Guide
Lawn Care Weed Control Spot treat existing weeds growing now with natural horticultural vinegar or Captain Jack’s Deadweed Brew. Both will burn any foliage so take care to not spray your […]
Big News Behind the Scenes at Gill’s
2021 has been a year for the record books in so many ways. Big challenges, big lessons, and lots of gardening to help us all stay centered and move along. […]
Happy Holidays from All of Us at Gill’s!
Thank you for trusting Gill’s with your gardening and landscaping needs this year. From all of us to you – HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
10 Gift Ideas for Gardeners
Making your list, checking it twice, hoping the gardeners in your life, have been very nice! Come take a stroll through our garden and do a little stress-free shopping. Here […]
Help! What are These White Splotches on My Ruellia?
The past couple weeks, several customers have brought in pieces of Ruellia (Mexican Petunia) with worrisome white splotches on the leaves. At first glance, it could appear to be a […]
December Garden Guide
Plant Flowers from Seed Carnations, larkspur, nasturtium, petunias, poppyGarden Guide: Planting Fall & Winter Annuals Flowers from Transplant Pansies, petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale, geraniums Hardy Trees, Shrubs and […]
Top 5 Must-Do’s for December!
How is it December already?! Time flies when you’re having fun in the garden. Here are our top to-do’s this month: what to plant, gift ideas, Winter watering advice and […]
Christmas Trees are Here + Care Tips
We are so happy to report the Christmas trees are here and… BEAUTIFUL! The garden center is stocked with fresh-cut trees ranging from 5ft to 12ft, and the Gill’s crew […]
3 Tips for Holiday Hosting: Big Impact/Little Time
Lots of us are gearing up to host friends and family for Thanksgiving and other gatherings this week. Can’t wait! Here are 3 ways to create the biggest impact outdoors […]
James’ Watering Recommendations for Fall and Winter
S l o w d o w n watering for established trees, shrubs, ground covers, lawns, and potted plants for Fall and Winter. Once a week was appropriate in warmer […]
Top 5 Must-Do’s for November!
November in South Texas is all about spending time outdoors and gathering with family & friends. Cool weather, crisp evenings, outdoor fires & a beautiful garden… a welcome invitation. Here […]
November Garden Guide
Plant Vegetable Seeds Beets, carrot, garlic, lettuce, mustard, onion, parsley, radish, Swiss chard, spinach, turnips, herbsRead: Best Timing for Popular Fall Veggies Flower Seeds Alyssum, bluebonnets, dianthus, delphinium, hollyhocks, larkspur, nasturtium, pansies, petunias, […]
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 […]
All Green Salad with Mexican Mint Marigold Vinaigrette
Mexican Mint Marigold is one of my favorite plants – they’re tough, they bloom beautifully in the Fall, and they make an amazing salad dressing! Here’s a crunchy, all green […]
Why Fall is the Best Time to Plant Trees
We are lucky that we can garden year-round here in South Texas, but Fall is our best season for planting – especially for trees! Here’s why. Trees (shrubs and perennials, […]
Pink Roses for Breast Cancer Awareness
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and a great time to plant roses! We partnered with FIRST FRIDAY, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness. From now until […]
Grandpa Brown’s Multiplying Onions
Last week, local Skidmore farmer Allen Hudson brought in a batch of his very special onion sets. Those who have been around awhile haven’t seen a true multiplying onion here […]
Any Minute Now – Be Ready for Fall Hummingbird Migration
We’re starting to see Ruby-throated hummingbirds make their way through for the Fall migration! These tiny birds are BIG eaters. They stop here in the Coastal Bend to fuel up […]
Don’t Miss Your Window to Plant Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, but you need to get the timing right. Typically, you’d want to get them in the ground in August, but since […]
September Garden Guide
Plant September is vegetable and seed month. There are numerous selections of vegetables to be started in the garden or in containers. Come in and pick up our fall vegetable […]
Plant Something Interesting – Rare Seeds from Baker Creek
We are so happy to welcome Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds back to Gill’s! Baker Creek offers one of the largest selections of 19th century heirloom seeds from Europe and Asia, […]
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 […]
Is it a Bug or a Fungus?
We’re talking with customers everyday who are concerned that they have a fungus on their plants. My first thought is that it would be rare to have fungus this time […]
Summer Recipe: Grilled Okra with Lemon Tahini Drizzle
I love okra – in gumbo, raw, fried, pickled, and especially grilled. If you planted okra late Spring or early Summer, you’ve probably got a bunch ready to eat right […]
August Garden Guide
Prepare Your Garden Spaces for Fall Planting Clean areas of unwanted weeds and debris. Break up the soil and add organic matter like Cotton Burr Compost, and turn or till it […]
Got Caterpillars? No Worries!
We were watering Pentas earlier this week and came across this funky looking fellow (above). At first, we thought it was a more common Tomato Hornworm, but after doing some […]
Mosquito Battle 2021
With all the recent rains, mosquitos have invaded – bigtime! Spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time swatting with these solutions. Get Rid of (or treat) Standing Water […]
Houseplant How-To’s
With all the recent rains, a lot of us are doing more indoor gardening and houseplant collecting. Here are our top houseplant how-to’s to help keep them happy inside. Light […]
July Garden Guide
Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample Lawn Care FERTILIZE Organic fertilizers such as Milorganite and Medina Growin Green are excellent fertilizers that feed plants and soil and are the best choice during hot, dry […]
Summer Watering Tips from The Pros at Gill’s
It’s officially Summer – don’t forget to hydrate your plants and yourself! Here are some useful watering tips from the plant pros to keep everything green and happy. DeAnna: New […]
What the Pros Grow: Gill Staff’s Fav Plants at Home
We’re all plant geeks here at Gill’s. We spend time around plants all day, then go home and garden some more! We get excited to talk to each other about […]
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 […]
Effective Natural Solutions for Mosquitoes
Recent rains are WONDERFUL for our gardens and landscapes, but they also bring unwanted pests: mosquitoes. Before dousing yourself and your gardens with chemical sprays, learn about using plants and […]
Control Pests AND Keep Bees Safe!
I always make it a point to garden in a way that works with nature and promotes life. Using the least toxic products when I have a problem or a […]
Plants for Our Migrating Birds AND for You to Enjoy!
I think we all enjoy bird watching and even more this time of year with the variety of birds coming through. Just this week we’ve started to see Indigo and […]
Gill’s Spring Plant Food Menu
Just like us, plants can’t live on water alone. To thrive, plants must have food, especially in Spring when they are actively growing. Rather than try to carry every fertilizer […]
Hummingbirds Need Your Help!
We’re starting to see hummingbirds make their way through for the Spring migration! These tiny birds are BIG eaters. They need to feed several times an hour and consume half […]
April Garden Guide
Lawn Care Fertilize when the grass is actively growing Treat organically with Medina Growin’ Green or Milorganite. Organic lawn food is best for long-term root and soil health. Water in well (approximately 30 minutes […]
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 […]
Wyatt’s Planting Basics [VIDEO]
Since the freeze, we’ve all been busy cleaning up, waiting for some plants to recover, AND lots of new planting. We thought it would be helpful to go over some […]
Citrus Tree Planting Guide [VIDEO]
Many citrus trees around the Coastal Bend appear damaged after Winter Storm Uri. For citrus trees you want to try and save, the best thing to do right now is […]
Steps You Need to Take to Help Your Damaged Plants and Lawn
Our first reaction to make it all better is to water our grass and plants. Do not water unless the ground is close to dry. Watering damaged plants will encourage fungal and […]
Freeze Remedy: Palm Trees [VIDEO]
Several varieties of palm trees likely suffered damage in the Big Freeze of ‘21. Some may recover, and some may not. Here are some things you can look for and […]
Garden Talks
Join us on Saturday mornings for Gill Garden Talks! Check out the season schedule and join us in the garden for expert advice from our awesome staff.
We design and install, you enjoy!
Gill Landscape Design and Installation
