christmas

We’re happy to report that Christmas trees are here and they look….AMAZING!! We are so pleased with the sizes and shapes and freshness this year! The garden center is stocked with fresh-cut trees ranging from 5ft to 11ft, and the Gill’s crew has delivered one very special Nordmann Fir measuring 18ft at The South Texas Botanical Gardens! Here’s some more info about our Christmas tree varieties this year plus a few important care tips. We can’t wait to help you find your perfect tree 🙂

Did You Know Real Fresh-Cut Christmas Trees are the Environmentally Friendly Option?

Real Christmas trees help support forests and don’t require the carbon emissions that it takes to produce plastic trees. We work with sustainably-managed Christmas tree farms in Washington state and North Carolina who plant 3 new saplings for each tree they harvest. Their forests of Christmas trees consume several thousand pounds of carbon dioxide per year helping to clean our atmosphere and provide oxygen. After the season, recycled trees can be used for building barrier sand dunes on Padre Island, creating artificial reefs in local bay waters, creating bug and pollinator habitat, chipped for garden mulch, and more. No waste!

Tree Varieties at Gill’s

Fraser Fir is one of the most popular trees for the classic look. They are highly sought after for their needle retention, tolerance to warmer climates, soft silvery foliage, and fragrance. Our Frasers are especially fragrant this year. We have seen Frasers in March look almost as good as they did in December!

Noble Fir in traditional form or the trendy layered look. Nobles are known for their long-cut life, darker green foliage, and stiff branches that hold ornaments well. They’re also very fragrant for those of us who love the smell of Christmas trees.

Nordmann Fir has a soft needle and little to no fragrance, which makes it a great choice for those with allergies. Nordmanns have a very full look with contrasting silver and dark green foliage. Gorgeous!

We offer delivery + set-up as well as Xmas tree takeaway after the season.

2 Very Important Xmas Tree Care Tips:

#1 – Keep your tree in water! Our trees have had a fresh cut and have been immediately placed in water to maximize freshness. As soon as you get your tree home, get the base of the trunk in water. If you need to wait to put it on the stand, get it in a bucket of water. If you plan to give your tree a fresh cut when you get home, only cut ½” off the base, and you must get it in water within 10 mins, or the cut will seal over and not allow the tree to take up water. For the first few days, your tree will drink a lot of water! Keep monitoring your water level in the stand those first few days and throughout the season. We carry the Watering Elf long water funnel which makes refilling super easy.

#2 – Keep your tree away from heating and A/C vents (if a vent is nearby, close it). Heating and A/C will dry out the tree quickly – you don’t want that! You want to keep the needles as hydrated as possible.

Go See The Big Tree!

We are happy to be a part of the annual Botanical Gardens holiday light display. Visit the Botanical Gardens website for more info about holiday hours. Can’t wait to see this year’s big tree!

Impatiens & Wildflower Seeds

Get ’em in the ground now!

Plant Impatiens now for winter color in part sun to shade. They will give you show-stopping color into May of next year.

Sow wildflower seeds now for spring blooms.

Amaryllis & Paperwhite Bulbs

October is the month to dig and divide mature, crowded Amaryllis bulbs. This needs to be done every 3 years. We are receiving our Amaryllis bulbs next week at both stores.

We have Narcissus Paperwhite bulbs now! For successful bloom, refrigerate now for 4 weeks. Pot them in soil or water the weekend of Thanksgiving and they will be ready to give as gifts with buds and blooms for Christmas.

Beneficial Insects for Natural Pest Control

Ladybugs’ favorite foods are aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, and many other soft bodied insects. They should be released in the evening or very early morning or when it is cool or overcast. Moisten the infested plants first and then release the Ladybugs at the base of the plant. Each package contains approx. 1500 Ladybugs for $10.00.

Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic worms that seek out and destroy over 200 kinds of soil dwelling insects including grubs, flea larvae, cutworms, and root knot nematodes. Each package contains approx. 5 million Nematodes for $20.00.

We have lots of calls coming in about how this cold weather will affect plants. Winter is here, but the results won’t be too brutal for most. Some areas of the Coastal Bend are forecast to see a light freeze, and some not.

If temperatures stay above low 30’s:

Some tender house plants, such as Chinese evergreen and spathyphyllum, can be damaged by temperatures of 40 and below, so hopefully you have plans to bring those in, but ficus and schefflera and many others will be okay to 30 and a little below.

Esperanzas, hamelias, and many other tropical blooming shrubs will drop leaves and look bad, but that’s what to expect for this time of year, and they should come back fine next spring. If you want to try to keep them looking as nice as possible for Christmas, you could throw a sheet over them until temperatures are back in the high 40’s and hope for the best.

If temperatures drop below low 30’s:

Always continue to watch forecasts. If we have more clearing skies than expected, it could get a little colder. If it gets below the low thirties, some additional protection would be warranted.

If they can’t be brought inside, tender plants in pots should be watered just before a freeze, and tumped over so they are closer to the ground (a source of heat) and covered, not wrapped, so ground heat will be trapped under the cover and around the plant. We have reusable N-Sulate frost protection blankets available if you don’t want your bed sheets out in the garden.

Most citrus will be okay down into the high twenties. If you have questions not answered here, call us at Gill Landscape Nursery, 361-992-9674.

-James

My Christmas Cactus from last year is nice & healthy but not a bud on it. To force blooming, move the pot into a dark spot, like a closet, for 12 hours a day and then out in good light for 12 hours. Fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer like Hasta Gro or Miracle Gro and you should get buds and blooms for the holiday season!

-Sally

We know it’s still early November, but we couldn’t resist! You have to see all the cute cute cute holiday decor we have coming in… happy (almost) holidays!!!

This year for Christmas we mailed 9 boxes of Myer lemons to family & friends around the country with our favorite lemon yogurt cake recipe. The Myer lemon is native to China and is a cross between a true lemon and mandarin orange. We have 2 Myer lemon trees growing at my family’s home, producing over 400 lemons a season.

And you’re wondering, what the heck do you do with that many lemons. Squeeze and freeze in ice cube trays for lemons all year long!! So here’s a great lemon cake recipe; easy and delicious plus photos of cakes our friends made! Enjoy!!

Makes 1 Loaf, Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (meyers lemon best!)

For The Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

-Sally

It’s a wonderful crazy time each year as we ready for the arrival of Christmas trees. This year they are extra pretty and fresh! We look forward to helping you find your perfect tree!

Noble Firs

Our Noble Firs come from the state of Washington. They were discovered by Scottish Botanical Explorer, David Douglas, and are the tallest of the true firs. They have dark green upturned needles, exposing the lower branches. The tree is outstanding in its beauty, has a long cut life and its stiff branch holds heavy ornaments well.

Fraser Firs

Our Fraser Firs come from North Carolina. They are a native southern fir and naturally grow at elevations above 5,000 ft. The tree has excellent needle retention along with a wonderful scent. The 2-toned green and silver color and branches full to the trunk are excellent for lights and ornaments. Fraser Fir was named for Scot botanist John Fraser, who explored the Southern Appalachians in the late 1700’s.

How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh and Beautiful

1. Keep water in your tree reservoir at all times.

When we deliver your tree, or if you pick it up, we’ll make a fresh cut. It’s a good idea to make a fresh cut on your tree if it’s out of water for more than 15 minutes. If you can’t put your tree in your home right away, keep it in a cool shady area outside in water. Use a watering elf for easier watering.

2. Location, location, location.

Avoid letting your tree dry out by placing your tree away from the heater or AC vents and keep out of direct sunlight. Also, unplug lights when not at home; this reduces dry conditions and protects from fire hazard.

3. Use Christmas Tree Preservative

Use our tree preservative to keep your tree as fresh as possible – 1 oz. per gallon of water.

4. Use a Disposal Bag for easy removal.

Place disposal bag between the base of your tree and stand. At the end of the season, just pull the bag up over your tree and haul out – no needle mess!

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 from the ceiling with gorgeous thick ribbon. Then hang ornaments, lights, and sprigs of berries or mistletoe and Voila! But make sure you don’t use real candles, as they can burn the fresh wreaths and cause needle drop.

-Marta