flowers

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 follows the theme with brightly colored benches and ceramic containers mixed with artistically placed specimen agaves, yuccas, and palms.

This past week a group of us toured her garden; I felt like I was visiting a remote Mexican countryside estate. We moved from the front under a wood arbor and through a gate into their herb garden, all in large pots – Italian parsley, chives, mint, sage, some tucked under towering jatropha and schefflera. The walk to the back led us through banks of holly fern, ruellia, and liriope with blooming viola in Talavera wall pots hanging on the fence, interspersed with climbing red passion vine. The back included an area with blooming poinsettia, fire spike, plumeria, European olives, night blooming red cereus and lots and lots of succulents. The view from the interior looks out on to an intimate clay tile patio, scattered with dining tables and chairs and a multi-level stone Cantera fountain with cascading water and a backdrop of bougainvillea blossoms. Stunning!!

And you think, all they must do is work in their garden. Well, no. BJ shared with us her tricks to making her garden work for their current lifestyle. The first rule is nothing gets covered during cold spells. They live a block from the bay, which does bring warmer air off the water. After a cold winter, there’s a lot of cutting back, but if a plant doesn’t make it, it’s gone. Their permanent collection of potted plants are all on a drip irrigation system with a timer. She said the biggest challenge is keeping the timer adjusted correctly. And finally, no grass in this landscape!

I’m thinking BJ must have been born with dirt under her fingernails. Her parents weren’t gardeners, but at a very young age she was attracted to women neighbors that did garden. One woman had an extra square of space and let BJ loose to grow veggies and flowers of her choosing. In college she was advised she should be a farmer. When raising her boys, BJ grew vegetables but gave that up when she realized her sons and husband weren’t crazy about greens. Today, succulents are her passion.

BJ loves succulents. She loves collecting succulents, some from Gill’s, some from friends, some from HEB – anywhere and everywhere she can find a new variety. She harvests from the mother plant, growing from cuttings and offshoots. Many of her succulent arrangements are combinations of three or four varieties, each placed to compliment the other. BJ has a designated work area strung with shade cloth where she does her potting and another area where she does her growing. She doesn’t just keep all these succulents to herself; she has one more station where she places plants that are ready for delivery to our South Texas Botanical Gardens to be sold in their gift shop!

Dr. Wommack of our South Texas Botanical Gardens said how thankful he is for folks like BJ & Michael in our community who share their talents and gifts to enrich the gardens. By growing and gifting plants, income is generated for the gardens and visitors benefit from BJ’s passion for succulents.

Thank you BJ and Michael this Thanksgiving week for sharing your garden gifts with our South Texas community!

-Sally Gill

We love this time of year here in the garden center, and we want to make sure you get the very best out of your holiday classics! So, we made a list of quick care tips to help you out, and included some fun facts about each plant:

Poinsettias

Place in indirect sunlight, indoors or out
Water every other day to every 3^rd day by setting in sink to soak, then drain or place 4-5 ice cubes per day in pot
Fertilize every 2 weeks with liquid organic Hasta Gro
Periodically freshen up by pulling old leaves

Fun facts: Poinsettias are a type of succulent native to Mexico. Before they arrive here at the garden center, they require 12 hours of total darkness each day to produce blooms!

Christmas Cactus

Keep in indirect sunlight, indoors or out
Water when dry, about every 4-5 days
Fertilize every 2 weeks with liquid organic Hasta Gro

Fun facts: Can last a VERY long time (as in 50 years or more). Native to tropical forests of Southeastern Brazil. If you are not seeing many blooms, try placing it in a dark area away from light for 8-12 hours – similar to poinsettias…

Amaryllis

Keep in good indirect indoor light
Keep soil moist but not wet
Once bloom fades, trim and plant in garden, leaving center of bulb above soil level

Fun facts: The gift that keeps on giving – they multiply! They can be divided each year to share with loved ones.

Paperwhite Narcissus

Refrigerate for 4-6 weeks prior to planting. (plant around Thanksgiving for holiday blooms!)
Fill a clear vase with a few inches of pea gravel.
Nestle bulbs side by side into the gravel.
Add water up to the bottom of the bulb and
place near a sunny window.

Fun facts: Native to the Mediterranean region. Paperwhites were an early item of commerce – they arrived in China during the Late Sung period, about 1,000 years ago, probably introduced by Arab traders.

Cyclamen

One more time…keep in good indirect indoor or outdoor light
Water when dry
Trim spent blooms to encourage new blooms
Best outdoors in pots once holiday season is over

Fun facts: Cyclamen are associated with falling in love, raising self-esteem and confidence, and even healing snake bites (we would not suggest trying this one). Some say putting Cyclamen flowers in your nostrils is a cure for baldness!

Plant fertilizers are much like food for us, the healthier the meal, the greater benefits.

That’s why we love organic Espoma plant foods. We use them in our own gardens and recommend them to customers all the time – they work! Each “Tone” (Plant-Tone, Citrus-Tone, Bio-Tone) product is a complex blend of long-lasting natural ingredients fueled by beneficial microbes. These natural organic granules break down slowly for a steady continuous feeding. They are naturally low in salts, so they won’t burn your plants, and they add organic matter back into the soil to build better soil health. Bottom line… you get a beautiful healthy garden that’s also safer for our environment.

Bio-Tone is the premium plant starter to use when putting in any new plants. It promotes root growth for stronger plants as they grow.
Plant-Tone is the go-to for an all-purpose food for flowers, veggies, potted plants and landscapes.
Citrus-Tone is superior for all citrus and fruiting trees & shrubs.
Azalea-Tone is specific to plants the need a more acidic soil than we have in the Coastal Bend. Use this on plants like Azaleas, Camellias, Gardenias, & Magnolias.

We also love and appreciate Espoma’s commitment to the environment. They are a minimal waste manufacturing facility that operates 100% on solar power! They utilize a vast array of renewable and sustainable ingredients. There are never any sludges or fillers and no hazardous or toxic ingredients, making it safe for people, pets, and our planet.

-Debbie

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 imaginable (there are hundreds!), we focus on the ones that we can really stand behind. Here is our menu of favorite plant foods, tested and used by the pros here at Gill’s.

Medina Growin’ Green

Our most versatile plant food. Organic and great for lawns, trees, shrubs, veggies, flowers, potted plants, you name it! Use a spreader to spread over your lawn. Each bag covers 3,000 sq. ft. Or sprinkle a small handful of granules on the soil around your plants, then water it in well.

Gill Lawn and Garden Food

Back in the 80s, James worked with Texas A&M to create a fertilizer formulated specially for South Texas lawns and gardens. It’s been a fav ever since. Each bag covers 6,000 sq. ft. of lawn. Or broadcast under trees and shrubs and water in well.

HastaGro

Another amazing organic food. Also very versatile. Mix the liquid with water (or use the hose-end sprayer) and use almost everywhere. Great for veggie gardens, blooming plants, succulents and more. HastaGro provides excellent nutrients for houseplants and none of the smell! You may not want to bring stinky granular plant food inside the house 🙂

Espoma “Tone” Foods

We love organic foods by Espoma. BioTone starter fertilizer with beneficial microbes is great to use at planting time to stimulate root growth. PlantTone is an excellent granular for veggies and flowering plants, CitrusTone is specifically formulated for citrus or other fruiting trees, and AzaleaTone for Azaleas, Magnolia, and Gardenias.

Pro tip: Fish Emulsion is another very popular and effective organic that works great for leafy veggies. Just be aware that cats go crazy for it too!

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 the plants we’re growing at home, so we thought it’d be fun to share with you too.

Debbie’s Fiesta Hibiscus

I’ve always loved hibiscus and this Fiesta variety is at the top of my list. BIG non-stop flowers, deep green foliage, and loves this spot in my courtyard! Some sun, some shade….Perfect!!! Hibiscus add tropical beauty and they love our climate.

Kelsie’s Monstera Minima

I brought this tiny 4” Monstera Minima home about a year ago and it’s grown to over 6 feet! I love it because it’s the easiest plant I’ve ever grown – super forgiving of low water and low light. Since it grows so fast, I’m training it to grow up around my window.

Josh’s Porterweed

This is my purple Porterweed. I chose this plant for its big leaves and small blooms. The small blooms compliment the deep red trim and door on my front porch!

Sally’s Turk’s Cap

I love plants that give back to nature. Hummingbirds love Turk’s Cap, it’s native to our area, and it has NO bug or fungus issues. It thrives in the part sun/part shade spot under our Texas Sabal Palms in the front yard.

Wyatt’s Crystal Ruby Grass

Crystal Ruby Grass is a beautiful low-growing grass with a max height of about 14-16” and about the same width, with light pink to white blooms in the Summer and Early Fall. Great for borders and creating small grassy areas in your pollinator garden.

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 research, it’s a Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa) caterpillar! Actually, both in the photo are Tersa Sphinx caterpillars at different stages. Pretty soon they’ll transform into their beautiful moth form.

Caterpillars have been a big topic of conversation here at Gill’s this Summer; more rain than usual = more caterpillars. A good rule of thumb is to leave them alone unless you see a large congregation and they’re eating enough of a plant to cause harm. A few munched leaves here and there is not a problem. If you do get a large infestation, you can treat with organic Thuricide that only targets caterpillars.

Most different species of caterpillars are only attracted to specific host plants. Pentas are a host plant for the Tersa Sphinx, which was a big clue for identification. We know that Monarch caterpillars like milkweed, Gulf fritillary’s host plant is Passion Vine, and Swallowtail caterpillars like Rue and Dutchman’s Pipe Vine.

Once caterpillars reach their butterfly or moth form, they feed on nectar from a broader variety of South Texas plants like Lantana, Zinnia, Mist flowers, Turk’s Cap, and lots more. So, it’s a good idea to plant host plants and nectar plants together to enjoy the caterpillar’s full life cycle.

-Jesse

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 growing season is right around the corner. That’s means it’s time to decide what you’re growing and get going! Here are our tips for getting started.

Plan Your Garden

It’s veggie time – start by thinking about what you like to eat! You can produce a surprising amount of food for you and food to share in a small backyard (or front yard) garden. If you have limited space, containers or small raised beds are great. Watch James’ guide to container gardening – Grow Food Everywhere! Consider mixing Fall flowers like Marigolds, Lobelia, or Violas with your herbs and veggies.

Start Your Seeds!

If you’re starting from scratch (seed), right now is the time to start cabbage, squash, beans, and lots of others. Here’s our schedule for popular Fall veggie seeds. Also, check out Wyatt’s video demo about starting seeds – it’s not the only way, but it really helps with germination. If you prefer transplanting, we’ll start getting all our Fall veggie plants in the next week or 2. Our Texas growers have been prepping for a big Fall.

Clear out Weeds and Tired Plants

As our Summer veggies and cover crops finish their life cycle, harvest what you can and clean out the rest. When you start prepping your soil for new plants, you’ll be encouraging new growth, including weeds. So, take your time pulling weeds and get as many of the roots as you can.

Prep Your Soil

If you’re planting in the ground, your soil needs a good turning before planting. This is a good time to add some compost as well. By turning about 1 bag of Nature’s Blend compost into every 12 sq. ft. of soil (or a similar amount if you make your own compost), you create a perfect environment for young plant roots to take hold. If you’re prepping raised beds, we love Gardener’s Magic soil. It’s specially formulated for raised beds; just dump the bags in and start planting.

Think Trees Too

Fall is THE best time to plant trees in our area. Cooler temps mean less watering for you and less stress on the young tree. Planting in Fall also gives the tree roots plenty of time to get established before temps warm up again next Spring/Summer. New citrus and fruit trees have arrived this week, and lots of our South Texas favs like Cedar Elm, Live Oak, and Crape Myrtles are here with more en route. Check out Josh’s citrus planting demo – lots of these planting tips are great for all kinds of trees.

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 before their non-stop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s how to host them in your backyard.

Right now is a great time to plant all kinds of blooming plants that hummingbirds love. Hummingbirds find plants using their excellent vision and are attracted to bright colored blooms, which indicate a high-sugar food source. Some of our favs for South Texas are Flame Acanthus (aka hummingbird bush), Salvias (like native Salvia greggii and Salvia leucantha), Cape Honeysuckle, native Turk’s Cap, Firecracker plant, Coral bean – the list goes on! Plant a few of these and hummingbirds will find them.

The right plants plus a few feeders will attract and feed lots more hummingbirds. We’re excited to try Hummingbird Momma organic nectar. It’s designed to approximate the consistency and nutrients found in flowers without any red dye or preservatives. If you make your own nectar, all you need is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

If you want to learn more about hummingbirds, visit the Rockport Fulton Hummerbird Celebration this weekend, September 16-19! The weekend includes a tour of “hummer homes” aka local homes and businesses that plant and maintain their yards year round to attract hummingbirds.