Be a Good Bug Scout
With the flush of tender new growth on plants comes the first hatching of Spring insects. Aphids are usually the first we see and then lots of caterpillars eating the […]
Got Fleas?
Fleas are a huge a problem here in South Texas because they love warm temperatures and high humidity. That describes our weather almost year around. You don’t even have to […]
Gro Local STX
Last fall I received a phone call from Emily Dodd with GROW Local South Texas asking if Gill’s would sponsor BAWKtoberfest 2015, their annual backyard chicken coop tour. Her energy […]
Prevent Those Pesky Bugs!
If you have a Hackberry tree or a sago palm you know what I am talking about. Hackberry trees get wooly aphids every June that drip black sooty mold all […]
Fun Facts About Ladybugs
Ladybugs aren’t true bugs at all, they’re beetles. There are almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America. Female ladybugs can eat as many as 75 aphids in one […]
Got weeds in your lawn?
Now is the time to kill any weeds that have popped up in the lawn. The weather needs to be warm and sunny for 3-5 days with no rain or […]
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 […]
Dead Areas In Your Lawn?
Have you been working the soil in the flowerbeds or vegetable gardens and found small grubworms? I have seen lots of cases this past week from customers who are finding […]
Watch Nature’s Magic In Your Own Garden
Last year I planted my hummingbird and butterfly garden with over 30 milkweed, Turks cap, passion vine and native lantana. It grew beautifully in the back corner of my yard, […]
Garden Do’s and Don’ts
Garden Do’s: Do prune back plants now 1/3 to 1/2 before the flush of new spring growth. Do prune back roses, removing all twiggy growth and dead canes. Do apply […]
February is Time to Prune Roses!
Valentine’s Day is a time to remember our loved ones with candy and flowers. It also is the perfect time to prune roses. Late January to mid February is the […]
James’ South Seas Adventure
I am so happy I inherited “nature-loving” and “adventure-loving” genes from my mother, Ruth Gill. Plants and animals and fish and clouds and oceans and ecosystems and weather, etc…. Just […]
Got Spring Fever?
Beautiful weather; makes us want to get out and do yard work, right? It’s time to prune your hardy shrubs and groundcovers like Lantana, Firebush, Esperanza and more. Wait for […]
Fruit Trees & Citrus In Your Own Backyard!
Fruit trees such as peaches, plums and avocados are easy to grow in South Texas. Peaches and plums require colder weather for fruit production and with our mild winters we […]
Fertilize Your Citrus in February!
January-February is prime time to fertilize your citrus plants. We recommend Espoma Citrus-tone for organic gardening. It is long lasting and it feeds the soil and the tree. Citrus-tone recommends […]
Vietnam, A Visual & Culinary Feast!
During the holidays, I made an exciting trek to Vietnam to visit my son and grandchildren. I use the word trek because of the hundreds of stairs and cavern climbing […]
Growing Veggies In Containers
Not everyone has a large area in the backyard to garden, but did you know that most vegetables can be grown in containers. Clay pots, plastic pots, hanging baskets or […]
Get ready to garden!
It’s time to start planting your spring garden. This week we will have a fresh shipment of onion sets, seed potatoes, and a few varieties of tomatoes. There is also […]
Free soil testing for Nueces County Homeowners is back!
The City of Corpus Christi and Texas Agrilife Extension have joined together for another free soil testing campaign. Have you had your soil tested lately? If not, please take advantage of […]
Pre-Spring Do’s and Don’ts
Pre Spring tips…do now & save time later! Do Apply Pre-emergents Amaze or Hi Yield Weed and Grass Preventor with Dimension to prevent spring weeds. Spray All Seasons Oil to […]
Nature’s Blend: Our Secret Ingredient for a Happy Lawn
This time of year your lawn might not be looking so great. It might be patchy, or pale yellow, or just unhappy. Since St. Augustine grass goes dormant in the […]
January Do’s and Don’ts:
Do: Sharpen your Garden Tools – mower blades, pruning clippers, loppers, etc. Trim Shade Trees – woody shrubs, including roses Be Armed and Ready – keep a close eye on […]
Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners
Do you have a gardener in your family that you just don’t know what to buy them? Think about a new pair of pruners. Or rose gloves that reach up […]
Natural Ornaments For Your Outdoors
Here’s a fun project kids can do to attract birds to your landscape. Take natural pinecones, roll in peanut butter, and then roll in bird seed. It’s a little messy….just […]
Christmas Wreath Chandelier
We’ve all seen Christmas wreath vertically, but how about horizontally? Hanging multiple layers together can have a great ‘chandelier’ like effect. Just get at least two sizes and hang them […]
Christmas Cactus
A beautiful holiday plant, the Christmas Cactus blooms at Christmas and also sometimes around Easter if cared for properly. A month prior to Christmas you will be able to watch […]
How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh
Keep water in your tree reservoir at all times. Make a fresh cut on your tree if it’s out of water for more than 15 minutes. If you cannot put […]
A Great Recycle Idea For Your Older Holiday Ornaments!
If you are like me, then the day after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas decorations come down from the attic. Of course, at the bottom of the box are ornaments […]
Rust on Plumeria
Plumeria are suffering from rust fungus caused by our wet conditions. The undersides of the leaves have yellow- orange or reddish brown pustules. Since you should be withholding water from […]
How to Care for Your Poinsettias
Care Of Your Poinsettias Place the plant in an area where it will receive as much indirect light as possible and do not place it in a draft. Should your poinsettia […]
Oak Tree Caterpillars and Powdery Mildew
Oak Tree Caterpillars Be on the look-out for oak tree caterpillars in your oak trees. They cluster together in large groups feeding on the leaves of your trees or you […]
Clover Imposter!
Growing up on a farm, I learned that Clover is a good thing. It adds nitrogen back into your soil, has adorable ball-like flowers, and covers your field in gorgeous […]
To Prune or Not to Prune?
I spent much of last Saturday cleaning up the front yard, making plans to hang Christmas lights in another week or two. I had someone stop and ask me about […]
Growing Onions!
“What smells so good in the kitchen?” my family asks. “Just sautéing the onions.” I reply. Funny how the pungent tear evoking root awakens our noses and our stomachs that […]
Sunday Gardening With My Young Neighbors!
I am an honorary aunt to two adorable little girls who enjoy games and craft projects. Every Sunday I try to find a fun activity that will teach and entertain […]
November To-Do’s
Anything that didn’t get done in October, do it now! If you need to fertilize, prevent weeds, check for insects or think about preventing fungus caused by heavy rains or […]
Artichokes
Artichokes are gorgeous plants. They’re just pretty! They have large arching silver spiked leaves, and add drama to any landscape. If you want a good crop of artichokes, try these […]
What’s Galling You?
Folks have been bringing in oak leaves with lumps, bumps, and fuzzies, wanting to know, what is this and what do I do about it? Several different insects can cause […]
New Product Alert! Burn Out Weed Killer
This stuff works! We tried it out last week on a patch of weeds here in the nursery in a side by side comparison with 20% Vinegar. Within about 5 minutes […]
Texas Tarragon
Whether you call it Texas Tarragon, Mexican Mint Marigold, or Tagetes lucida, I call it an absolute beauty for fragrance, flavor, and color every South Texas Autumn! Known for its liquorish anise […]
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 […]
Geraniums – One of My Favorites!!
It is time to get all your fall flowers planted before the days become shorter and weather gets cooler. October is the perfect month to transition your flowers for a […]
My Veggie Garden, Week # 3
The weather was warm & dry last week and I have been watering a little each morning and evening. It is keeping our plants perky. I did our first Hastagro feeding […]
Adventures in Nova Scotia
Oh my goodness, James and I just got back from a quick trip to Nova Scotia; what a treat! James did a few days of surfing before I arrived, and […]
Marigolds and Día de los Muertos
Nothing says Fall like a bed of beautiful orange and yellow marigolds. We try to plant them every fall in front of the Alameda Store for a show- stopping pop […]
Something We’re Excited About!!
We got a new product line called “Grow Bagz” made by Bloem, and we’re really excited to have them here! These containers are made of 100% recycled material, like plastic […]
Debbie’s Veggie Garden Pt. 2 – Plant, Mulched, Fertilized!
Last week, I shared my before & after soil prep of our veggie garden at home. I tried to plant before last Friday’s rain but did not make it. Good […]
A Goddess In The Garden
Golden Goddess Bamboo is one of our favorites! This clumping style bamboo doesn’t put out runners, so it stays where you put it. Great for screening out nosey neighbors, it […]
Fall And Winter Lawn Care
October is the month to do your fall lawn fertilizing and weed prevention. After that it is getting late to have maximum effect. If weeds are a problem every winter […]
October is Time To Fertilize For Fall!
Anytime between mid-September and mid-October 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 […]
Malabar Spinach
This beautiful vine is our climbing spinach we planted this past April. It’s not really spinach but the leaves look like and taste a lot like spinach. It is delicious […]
How to Keep Your Vegetable Garden Healthy this Fall
Remember to rotate your crops from last season if possible. Also do not crowd your plants. Insects and disease love places that are overcrowded with no air circulation. Spacing your […]
Marigolds & Mums!
Oh my goodness, our nurseries are filling up with beautiful mums & marigolds! Marigolds come in oranges and yellows and grow to around 10″-15″ tall. They love the sun and […]
Elevated Chlorine Levels OK for Plants…
Good news! We contacted our biggest & best grower about higher doses of chlorine in our water and if it could damage plants in our landscape. They said if it’s […]
Lawn Looking Tired and Worn?
After all the spring rains giving us lush green lawns, it sure didn’t take long for the dog days of summer to take its toll on some. We are diagnosing […]
Sweet Peas!
This sign outside a Dublin flower shop reminded me it’s time to plant my favorite flower, Sweet pea! Sweet peas are the official flower for April and very easy to […]
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! […]
Grow-Web
GROW-WEB also known as row cover acts like a greenhouse producing a micro-climate which encourages plant growth and development and also provides protection from insects, birds, diseases and frosts. Grow-web […]
We’re Always Learning At Gill’s
Recently, we got some Taishan Marigolds in with an unusual stem growth. Well, it turns out these knobby little growths were actually aerial roots. So, naturally, we experimented! We potted […]
September: Time is Running Out for Fall Tomatoes and Peppers!!
Yes, I know. We just got our first shot of cooler weather so you’re just now ready to get out and garden. Timing is everything when it comes to success […]
Plan Ahead for Fall Color
Fall will be here before you know it! So now’s the time to prepare your beds for fresh Fall color. We have garden mums, marigolds, dianthus and petunias, and we’ll […]
Time to fertilize for the Fall
Anytime between mid-September and mid-October 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 […]
Hummingbird Feeder How-To
Pop Quiz! How often should you change the nectar on a hummingbird feeder? Is red food dye good or bad? How are you supposed to clean it? Don’t worry if […]
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 […]
Sharing Our Gardening Knowledge
If you’ve evenoticed at the bottom of our advertising, we say “Over 400 Collective Years of Gardening with Gills!” This comes from the number of years we have worked here […]
Homegrown Tastes Best!
We’ve talked about weeding and prepping the soil. You should also have a plan on where to plant since we discussed crop rotation. So now the fun begins. Time to […]
Kathy in The Gardens of Kilkenny!
Kathy Hubner, one of our landscape designers, went on a tour of Irish gardens in July with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. These photos were taken at the lake […]
Our Family Is Growing!
Some of you remember Stuart as an infant in his baby carrier, plopped on the sales counter at our Airline store while I ran the cash register. Some of you […]
Asps + Leafcutter Bees
The asps are out! It’s been years since we’ve had a big asp outbreak. These stinging hump back caterpillars love oak trees, yaupons hollies, burford hollies, hawthorns, altheas, and hibiscus. […]
Crazy About Crotons!
Of the many great reasons to live in South Texas, one of my favorites is we get to enjoy the tropical splendor of colorful plants from temperate regions of the […]
Lily & Heath, Airline’s Two Kitty Cats!
Lily & Heath, Airline’s 2 kitty cats! If you have spent any time at our Airline store, you are sure to have spied 2 tabby cats sauntering around meeting and greeting […]
Help! My Roses Aren’t Blooming!
You had beautiful roses in the spring, but now they’re looking like they might croak. Don’t worry! This is totally normal. Large flowering plants like roses or hibiscus can get stressed from […]
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 […]
Fire Ants!
It’s one of the many reasons summer in South Texas is harsh. Even if you slather yourself in sunscreen and try to stay in the shade, inevitably you’ll run into […]
Time to Prepare Vegetable Gardens!
Fall vegetable gardening is right around the corner. It seems too hot to even think about gardening, but you should start now to ensure a successful crop this fall. It […]
If You Have a Lawn Irrigation System…
It likely is not working properly! Just like your mower needs the sparkplug adjusted, oil changed, blade sharpened, and maybe a wheel or starter rope replaced, things will go wrong […]
Organic Gardening 101 – What’s Buggin Ya?!
It seems everywhere I turn I see bugs. Chinch bugs in the grass, worms eating bougainvilleas, scale on irises and lilies, mealy bugs on tropicals. To spray, or not to […]
Dedicated To Successful Gardening, On And Off Duty
(DeAnna’s truck – always there, at 6:30am!) In a few weeks we’ll be closing the stores early on a Saturday to have a pool party at our home to celebrate our […]
Staff Pick: Mike’s Chinese Hat
Chinese Hat aka Holmskioldia tettensis (that’s a mouthful☺) The Chinese Hat has become one of our favorite plants since we purchased one to try 5 or 6 years ago. It grew […]
Summer is Here – Time to Resume Watering
We had a wonderful long wet spring, but now the heat has hit and rains have reduced; it’s time to get back to once a week lawn watering. We need […]
Oh, The Joys of Terrariums!
When you set them up correctly, they are the easiest things to take care of because they take care of themselves. But before we get into the nitty gritty of […]
A True Gardener: Cherry Green
I’ve always known Cherry Green is an avid gardener. Year round, no matter how hot or cold it is, she remains a gardener. Whenever I see her about town, she […]
Organic Gardening 101: Got Weeds?
Here is a couple of natural products to kill those weeds without using pesticides. Try Vinegar to kill those unwanted weeds in flowerbeds and cracks of the sidewalk or driveway. […]
Heat Wilt
As our days get hotter, your plants might start drooping during the middle of the day. Now, this could be caused by one of two things. Either it’s very dry, […]
Organic Gardening 101 – Organic Fungicide
We’ve covered organic fertilizers and organic insecticides. This week we will talk about organic fungicides. Serenade Garden Disease Control can be used on roses, vegetables, fruits, flowering plants, trees, shrubs […]
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 […]
Henry C. Brooks
Back in the late 70’s, when we first opened our Airline store, we met Henry. He was strikingly handsome, riding his beautiful horse, and had an amazingly warm and wonderful […]
Organic Gardening 101 – Insecticidal Soap
Organic Insecticide: Insecticidal Soap is based on potassium fatty acids and is used to control many plant pests. Because insecticidal soap only works on direct contact with the pests, it […]
Watch Out! Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar Eggs
If your citrus looks like it is getting munched on, make sure you look for Swallowtail caterpillars before you grab your insecticides. Giant Swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on lemons, […]
Organic Gardening 101 – Organic Fertilizers
Did you know that soil is a living thing? We have all heard of microbes. The real deal is that without soil microbes, we would all die. The work they […]
“My dad, Mr. Roy M. Munroe” – Celebrating Fathers
My dad, Mr. Roy M. Munroe Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas, I began dating a handsome young man, our very own James Gill. Months after we started […]
A Few Summer Tips – Webbing On Your Trees?
A Few Summer Tips If your watering hose is in the sun, make sure to let the water run through for a little while before watering your plants. Hot hoses […]
“Just Like Magic!” + Top Plant Picks For Summer
Our Top Plant Picks For Summer Of all the plants that we sell throughout the year, there are always those the really rise above the rest for each season. For […]
Back To The Basics: Organic Gardening 101 – Pt. 1
Organic gardening is much more than merely a method of growing tomatoes and other food crops. It’s about growing all plants a more natural and safe way. It’s a way […]
Living With Snakes + Time For Vinca?
Living With Snakes First and foremost, I want to say that gardeners should love snakes! Snakes are a very important part of our ecosystem, and they keep away rats, mice, […]
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 […]
You DO Have A Green Thumb! + Periwinkle Update
You DO Have A Green Thumb! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say “oh no, I can’t grow anything! I don’t have a green thumb.” Well, […]
Mosquito Solutions
With all the recent rains, mosquitoes are here. First of all, remove any sources of standing water (that’s where they breed). For your favorite birdbath, use Mosquito Bits in the […]
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
