christmas

Our Thoughts On Living Christmas Trees:

There are some great alternatives to cut Christmas trees. Norfolk Island Pines are one of the most popular because of their look. They are layered like many fir trees and resemble a Christmas tree. Hollywood Junipers and Blue Point Junipers are another alternative with the look of a true Christmas tree. They grow well in our area and can be planted in the ground after the holidays or kept as a container plant and used for years to come. Yaupon holly trees are also great with their red berries this time of year. Magnolia and Ficus Trees can also be used. All of these can be strung with lights and used indoors for a couple of weeks before needing to be put back outside in their normal environment. Be creative. Look around the patio and see what you have to decorate. It’s always fun to decorate a non-traditional tree and surprise your family and guests!

Bugs On Your Garden Greens?

Thanksgiving morning James noticed inch worms and flea beetles on his coveted greens he is growing in pots. He grabbed his trusty Natural GuardNeem Ready To Use and with a couple of pumps of the spray bottle, problem solved! The Neem acts as a repellent for beetles and caterpillars and kills soft bodied insects like aphids. It also helps to control powdery mildew.

Some Cedar elms have gold leaves, some just starting to turn!

This photo was taken at our Airline store this past Monday. This is a great example of how like plants, growing right next to each other, behave differently. One has turned gold, the other is still very green. Both are very healthy, just on a little different time schedule! And…please note, it’s the same in spring – there’s always one to leaf out later that causes concern but more often than not, it just decided to sleep a little longer!

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 remember his working in your garden or helping you select your Christmas tree or coming to your home with James on a house call. We laugh out loud when we recall Stuart, around 10 at the time, diagnosing chinch bugs in a customer’s yard. He clearly was paying attention to his dad. And then there was the time, at about the same age, when he suggested that we start staying open 24 hours a day, allowing inventory to be stocked while customers were asleep! We haven’t implemented his system, but we recognize it has merit. As a young boy, Stuart travelled with us on tours of plant growers around Texas. James, Stuart and I would jump in the grower’s vehicle and drive the fields, trying to find the best plants for our garden center. James and I devised a system for grading plants, A+ being the best to F being the worst, all recorded on paper, but never revealed to our salesperson. On one of these trips, Stuart announced to the group that he thought the dwarf pittosporum was a C grade. We covered up his comment as best we could, but laughed later. Bottom line, Stuart lived Gill Landscape Nursery from a very early age.

Stuart has always been adventurous. I’m embarrassed to say friends would report seeing him on his bike, all over Corpus Christi. He loved exploring. He loved seeing other neighborhoods. He loved seeing the way others lived. His earliest out-of-town adventures included fishing with his brother Trevor at his uncle Lanny’s “Baja Laguna”, kayaking on Texas rivers, exploring around my parents’ cabin in Colorado, camping with his dad, brother and grandmother on Matagorda Island, exploring South Texas brush in Ingleside, and many, many trips to the beach with his dad. As he got older, he worked to travel, often alone. Between school and jobs he travelled to countries in Europe, Central and South America. On one of his surf trips with his dad to Ecuador, he met two women from Seattle. After getting to know Stuart, they recommended he move to Seattle. They thought he would like it. He had finished his degree at the University of Texas and was working in Napa, California.

Stuart packed his bags and moved to Seattle. He started working in the landscape industry, and then moved into carpentry. Stuart has always had a great appreciation for fine craftsmanship. He found good people to work with, he started from the bottom learning the trade, and eventually began purchasing his own tools, the best he could find. He now works with Ambrose Construction, managing beautiful residential remodels and additions.

Stuart met Anne in February of 2013. She hadn’t been in Seattle long. They found they had a lot in common. They both love good food and literature; they both love the outdoors and adventure. Plus she’s very pretty with beautiful blue eyes. Anne also has travelled to many foreign destinations with her parents and lived in Indonesia. Anne works in a public relations firm, representing independent restaurants in Seattle. She is a skier, runner & yoga instructor. She is kind, gentle and smart, she loves Stuart, and she’s about to become our daughter-in-law!

So…that’s an update on our son, Stuart. You know, the day he was born, James’ and my lives changed forever. He has truly been a joy for us, someone who is always on our minds, someone with whom we look forward to spending time with. Even though Stuart doesn’t live in Corpus Christi anymore, he is still a part of Gill’s. He knows and loves our Gill family. He continues to help us think through work challenges. He is always there to celebrate our successes.

One more thing… Anne and Stuart are doing a bike tour of Indonesia for their honeymoon. Happy, Happy!

-Sally

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 my cutting back the Purple Showers ruellia along the sidewalk. It has taken over about half the sidewalk. I explained that this plant can take shearing back most any time of year and that by cutting it now, it has time to regrow some and be nice for the holidays. Most all plants can be trimmed to shape right now. Roses and most winter hardy shrubs can take a harder prune but no more than a ¼ of the plants’ size. Plants that are sensitive to cold, like ixora, hibiscus and bougainvilleas should not be pruned hard. They need their foliage to help stay warm. Plus new growth that appears after trimming is more sensitive to cold damage. If you’re not sure to prune or not to prune, check with us…we are always here to help!

-Debbie

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 that for some reason or another don’t end up getting used. Instead of throwing them out or repacking them for another year, use them in your garden! Plastic ornaments glued or wired onto green bamboo stakes can be put into any container to spice up an evergreen plant, or you can use clusters of them in those empty pots you’ve been meaning to replant. It’s a quick and easy way to add some Christmas cheer!

-Marta

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 your tree in your home right away, keep it in a cool shady area outside in water. Place your tree away from the heater/ac vents and sunlight as these dry the tree more quickly. Use our tree preservative to keep your tree as fresh as possible. Unplug lights when not at home; this reduces dry conditions and protects from fire hazard.

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 the tips of the leaves beginning to grow. The tips grow darker as each day passes, until a bud forms. At Christmas time, as if by magic, the buds open to a beautiful flower that will add color and warmth to any holiday season. Keep the plant in a well lit location (like near a window) away from direct sunlight-too much heat and light can stunt the growth and burn the leaves. It should also be away from drafts, heat vents, or other sources of hot air. A Christmas Cactus is a tropical cactus, not a desert cactus. If the soil gets too dry, the flower buds will drop, and the plant will wilt. Feel the soil with your fingers; if it is dry, it’s time to water. When watering, thoroughly water the plant. Before watering again, check to see that the top inch of soil has dried thoroughly first. Using a moisture meter may help you determine if it is time to water again. Mist leaves as well as watering the soil. After the holiday season you can trim off any old blooms and move your plant to a shady patio once the weather warms up for Spring. Use a water soluble fertilizer every 2-4 weeks to maintain the health of your plant.

-DeAnna

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

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!