hummingbirds

It’s almost that magical time of year again when ruby-throated hummingbirds make their way through the Coastal Bend on their way south for the winter! Expect to start seeing hummingbirds around town any day now, with peak numbers around mid-late September, right in time for the Rockport-Fulton Hummerbird Celebration. With our hungry guests arriving very soon, it’s time to set the table with all the right hummingbird plants! Here’s what and how to plant to make your yard a preferred stop on the migration path.

1. Plant Tubular Blooms in Shades of Orange and Red

If we think about our list of top-notch hummingbird-attracting plants like Firebush (pictured), Flame Acanthus, Firecracker (russelia), Salvia greggii, and Coral Honeysuckle, to name a few, they all have tubular blooms that are perfect for a hummingbird’s long, skinny beak. And their blooms are all shades of orange and red! Hummingbirds have a high concentration of cones in their retinas which filter color differently than what we see. To hummingbirds, the red spectrum appears more vividly while blues appear more muted. That said, scientists have run experiments with different color blooms and found that hummingbirds learn very fast which blooms have the most nectar, regardless of bloom color. As a local example, we know that hummingbirds also love Duranta‘s blooms which are purple and not tube-shaped. Lantanas are another plant that hummingbirds seem to love in all colors.

2. Plant in Groups, Not Just 1 or 2

When planting for hummingbirds and other pollinators, make your food sources easy to find. Instead of planting 1’s and 2’s of hummingbird plants spread out across the yard, plant a few or several of the same plant in a group. This helps mimic how most plants are found in nature, helps the hummingbirds spot them more easily, and provides a higher concentration of nectar. If you have limited space, go with 3 of the same plant rather than 1 of each. We had a customer call Gill’s this week to ask about hummingbird plants for her balcony…on the 13th floor! That may seem like a stretch, but hummingbirds can fly up to 500 feet – if they have a good reason to fly up to your balcony, they can and will!

3. Supplement with High Quality Organic Food and Shallow Water

The right plants will get you more hummingbirds, but it doesn’t hurt to supplement with some feeders too. They need all the energy they can get for their long journey. Place your feeders in easy to access spots since they need to be cleaned regularly. And don’t use the fake red dyed “nectar” that you might find at big box stores. Use a high-quality, nutritious food that’s truly made for hummingbirds. We’re big fans of organic Hummingbird Momma, which is the only nectar we carry. And don’t forget about water! No hummingbird haven is complete without a shallow bird bath or fountain. They can’t stand in deeper water, so look for something very shallow!

It’s National Pollinator Week and summer is officially here! Just like gardeners adapt to summer temps, so do pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, and all kinds of insects. They need our help finding food, shade/shelter, and places to raise young. Good thing there are lots of plants that love our South Texas summer AND help meet these needs for pollinators. Here are our top 10!

1. Native Texas Sage

Texas Sage aka Barometer Bush flowers are a big food source for a variety of bees, butterflies, and moths in our area. Hard to find a tougher (or prettier!) shrub for full sun areas. The blooms open in response to changes in humidity and barometric pressure, typically just before or after a rain.

2. Golden Thryallis

Native to Mexico and well-adapted to South Texas, Thryallis is almost always blooming! Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies can stop for a meal in spring, summer, and fall.

3. Basil

Of course we love eating and cooking with Basil, but it’s also a magnet for pollinators! A few Basil plants in your garden, especially the big-blooming varieties like Magic Mountain, will bring you lots of pollinators and more blooms everywhere.

4. Zinnias

Zinnias are a summer classic for South Texas. They’re easy to grow from seed or transplant, they love warm weather, and they just make you happy! They make bees happy too!

5. Turk’s Cap

Q: What blooms in the shade, blooms in the sun, provides food and shelter for birds and butterflies, doesn’t need much water, and is native to a huge swath of Texas?

A: Turk’s Cap!

6. Eleagnus

You may not think of Eleagnus when you think of pollinator plants, but we think you should! The flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects, and birds love the berries. And Eleagnus grows big enough (10’x10′) to create plenty of shade and shelter and a place to nest and raise young. Not to mention that Eleagnus is excellent for the coast due to it’s high tolerance of salty conditions.

7. Henry Duelberg Salvia

Henry Duelberg is one of our native Texas salvias that hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies adore. They’re great on water and they just keep on blooming!

8. Firebush!

We consider Firebush to be THE hummingbird plant for South Texas. They absolutely thrive in summer – you’ll see them starting to bloom right about now. The tubular blooms are perfect for a hummingbird’s beak. Big, goofy carpenter bees love making their homes in the hollow branches of an established Firebush.

9. Esperanza

Carpenter bees love Esperanza! And we love watching them buzz and knock around all over the flowers. The big, bell-shaped blooms are perfect for big, round carpenter bees. Esperanza will keep blooming through the summer and fall.

10. Grasses!

Planting grasses like our native Coastal Muhly grass or Purple Fountain grass, provides great shelter for birds and other small wildlife. And summer is a great time to plant so they establish roots and get ready to bloom beautifully in the fall.

Summer is here for sure! Stay cool, stay hydrated, and get started gardening early! Some plants need more love during the Summer, but lots of others don’t even start thriving and looking their best until temps stay above 90. Here are a few standouts to plant right now.

Firebush (Hamelia patens)

Blooms all summer, top hummingbird plant, easily pruned/shaped, and grows 6-8’ tall – perfect for a fence line. Loves heat and can handle cold too.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

If you’re looking for tough summer color in hanging baskets or beds, Purslane is for you. Loves full sun and can handle a variety of soil conditions. And Purslane is edible! High in omega-3s and minerals.

Esperanza (Tecoma stans) – all varieties

Loves summer temps and blazing sun. Classic yellow-blooming varieties that grow 6-8’ tall, or the pictured Sparklette variety that stays 3-4’ tall with golden-yellow trumpet flowers with red throats. Blooms all Summer and into the Fall, and the lightly fragrant blooms attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.

Mangave (Agave macroacantha)

A succulent hybrid of Agave and Manfreda that love summer temps. More sun = more cool color variations. Great for containers or as a statement plant in the landscape.

Duranta (Duranta erecta)

Starting to bloom all over town with consistent summer temps. Can be treated as a shrub or pruned up into a beautiful small tree. Hummingbirds and bees love it.

Basil (Omicum basilicum)

Every gardener needs to have some basil growing for summertime salads! For bigger, bushier plants, pluck off the blooms. Or leave them if you want to attract more bees and butterflies!

Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis)

Lives up to its name with big sprays of bright red blooms. Prefers high temps and works well in rock beds or spilling over raised planters.

Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) aka Dwarf Poinciana

Thrives in the hottest parts of summer, requires little water, feeds pollinators, and pairs well in the landscape with other tropicals and desert plants too. People in the Caribbean and South America have used the leaves of the plant to treat kidney stones, Malaria, and bronchitis.

It may not feel like it yet, but it’s time to start making the transition into an exciting new Fall planting season! There’s a lot to do in August to set yourself up for big garden success this Fall and beyond. Here are our top must-do’s!

Check out our August Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures and wind!

1. Water Sufficiently AND Efficiently

With our temps and lack of rain, it’s vital to water your plants and lawn sufficiently AND efficiently. The goal with summer watering (with or without watering restrictions) should be to create depth moisture. For lawns and established plants and trees, this means watering less frequently, but watering deeply when you water. New plantings will require water every day for the first couple weeks to get the roots established. Use a water wand with a cut-off valve to make it easy on you and conserve water. Pro tip: Conserve water by watering at ground level, not spraying from above. This way, water soaks down to the roots rather than evaporating off the leaves.

2. Start Planting for Fall Pollinators!

Important fact: birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. Plants attract and provide food for them to keep the cycle going. For example – plant Zinnia and sunflower seeds now, and they’ll be ready to feed migrating birds this Fall. Plant salvias now, get roots established, and they’ll be gorgeous this Fall and covered in hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Take it a step further and plant Texas natives! They provide for pollinators and require less water once established. If you’re excited about planting natives for pollinators, check out Homegrown National Park! It’s a nationwide movement to plant natives and restore native biodiversity at home. Just by planting a few native plants, you can get your yard on the map and become part of the Homegrown National Park.

3. Pick Out Your Seeds!

Watching your plants grow from a tiny seed is exciting and rewarding! Our Fall Vegetable Planting Guide provides the specific seed-planting dates to help plan your Fall garden. In early August, we’ll receive the new 2023/2024 seeds from our favorite seed suppliers, including heirloom vegetables, new releases, and wildflower seeds. Use peat pots or seed starting trays to start seeds indoors this month, then move to a covered patio once they sprout. This will protect the seedlings and slowly acclimate them to outdoor temps.

4. Prepare Your Garden Beds

August is the time to start prepping Fall veggie beds! Finish your Summer harvesting, clean out your beds, and pull weeds. To get your soil ready, we recommend mixing Nature’s Blend Compost or Cotton Burr Compost into your soil to replenish nutrients and loosen the soil before planting. About 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. is good. Once prepped, add a thick layer of pine straw mulch, which will help retain moisture, keep weeds from sprouting, and keep the soil cooler until you’re ready to plant. As you plan your space, think crop rotation – don’t plant the same veggies in the exact same place you planted them last season, or you encourage pests and diseases.

5. Mulch for Moisture Retention

We know fresh mulch is the quickest way to refresh the look of your landscape. Proper mulching has other big benefits, especially during dry and hot weather. A good 3” deep layer of mulch will keep your plants and the soil moist and cool for longer after you water. Not just a little cooler – we’re talking more than 25 degrees cooler!! Give the main trunks or stems of your plants a little space – mulch 3” deep throughout the bed, but no more than 1” deep against the main trunks/stems of plants.

6. Houseplants: To Repot or Not?

You may have noticed some of your houseplants seem to need watering every single day this summer. That could be a sign that it’s time to repot! Houseplants get root bound, meaning that the roots coil and basket around inside the pot until there’s not much soil left. Without much soil, the pot doesn’t hold much moisture when you water. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Houseplants generally like to be somewhat root bound, and it can help keep you from overwatering. If you do decide to repot a houseplant, choose a pot that’s 1-2″ larger in diameter and use a good, well draining potting mix. If you jump up to a pot that’s too big, the soil will hold too much moisture and your plant won’t be happy.

Say hello to our BEST gardening season here in the Coastal Bend! September is the time to plant almost everything! And the recent rain is FANTASTIC news for getting started! Here are our top must-do’s this month as we head into our favorite planting season.

Check out our September Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures and wind!

1. Ready, Set, PLANT Veggies, Herbs, Citrus, and Fruits!

It’s time! Tomatoes, peppers, & warm weather edibles should be planted by now, or at least early this month. Plant cool weather veggies & herbs anytime this month and remember to shelter them from still-intense sun and keep watered. When planting, you can’t go wrong with organic BioTone starter fertilizer + a good handful of Earthworm Castings. Neither of these require precise measurement, and they make an incredible combo for building stronger, deeper roots, preventing pests, and creating the perfect soil environment for plants to thrive.

Here’s our Fall veggie planting schedule. And save space for citrus trees, figs, and other fruits to round off your garden grocery store! Revisit Josh’s guide to planting citrus trees.

2. Plant Trees and Shrubs for the BEST Start

Plants that are cold hardy (trees and woody shrubs) will benefit greatly by planting during our fall season. They’re under less heat stress, and they grow more roots through the fall and winter, making them stronger and ready to take off next spring. More roots, stronger plants, better success! Oak trees, Crape Myrtles, Hawthorns, Lantana, Plumbago, Boxwoods and a host of other trees and shrubs should be planted starting this month.

3. Plant to Support Pollinators!

We’re bringing in lots of new plants this month with our pollinator friends in mind! While you’re choosing what to plant, consider adding Texas Natives like Turk’s Cap and Lantana that birds and bees love. If you want to attract and support butterflies, try native butterfly weed, Gregg’s mist flower, and lots of different blooming salvias. So many gorgeous options!

4. Set the Table for the Fall Hummingbird Migration!

Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon 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. Host them in your yard by planting some of their favorite foods! 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, Firecracker plant, Coral bean – the list goes on! Plant a few of these and hummingbirds will find them. And don’t forget to visit the Rockport-Fulton HummerBird Celebration September 14-17!

5. Make Way for New Growth with Light Pruning and Clean-up

Chances are you have established plants that could benefit from a clean-up after working so hard all summer. Wait until about September 15th and give them a light pruning to make way for new growth this fall. A good rule of thumb for most plants is to prune up to 1/3 (not more) in the fall, then wait until January to do a heavy pruning/cutback. If you have questions about how to prune specific plants, you know who to call!

6. Trap and Prevent Mosquitos

Setting simple traps with organic Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits is perhaps the most effective method for controlling mosquitos. It couldn’t be easier – grab a 5-gallon bucket, fill it with water and add a few handfuls of straw, leaves, weeds, food waste, etc. This will start to stagnate and attract female mosquitos to lay their eggs. After a day or 2, toss in a Mosquito dunk or a spoonful of mosquito bits which will kill the mosquito larvae. Try a few traps plus some repellant granules and incense!

7. You’re Invited! Gill Garden Talks and Events in September!

Gill Garden Talks and Events are back! We’re kicking it off with a kids seed starting workshop on September 9th. Stay tuned here and on Instagram and Facebook for details of each event. Can’t wait!

Fall is OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TIME for planting veggies, trees, flowers, and just about everything else! It just feels good! But time is of the essence! A lot of the things we do in the garden this month will set us up for success for seasons to come. Here are our top must-do’s for October.

Check out our October Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures and wind.

1. Plant Food

Some of the best… Broccoli, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Cabbage, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Cilantro, Nasturtiums, and the list goes on. Remember – veggies are heavy feeders. We recommend feeding with an organic granular like Medina Growin Green or Plant Tone on the 1^st of each month, and again with liquid Hasta Gro on the 15^th. Set these reminders on your phone/calendar and you’ll have much better production.

Watch: Coastal Bend Veggie Gardening Guide

2. Plant Fall Flowers

Take advantage of the weather while the days are still long. It’s the perfect time to start cool weather Impatiens, Marigolds, Snapdragons, Violas, Petunias, Calendula, Begonias – the flowers and colors that say, “FALL!”. Warm days help flowers develop roots so they can look their best during the cooler months ahead.

3. Ready, Set, Fertilize Your Lawn + Prevent Weeds

Fertilizing lawns this month is essential for developing strong roots and healthy growth next Spring and Summer. We emphatically recommend organic Medina Growin Green! Amazing stuff! A 40lb bag covers 3000 sq ft of lawn, and for a small fee, we can rent you a spreader which makes it very easy to apply. Not only does Medina Growin Green work wonders on lawns, you can use it in all areas of your landscape, including your veggie garden. If you’re dealing with a weed problem, treat for weeds, wait 2-3 weeks, then fertilize. Do not use “weed & feed” products! Prevent weeds in your lawn by applying Weed Beater Complete or Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper.

Read: Fall Lawn Care

4. Plant for Hummingbirds and Migratory Birds

Right now is a great time to plant all kinds of blooming plants that hummingbirds and other migratory birds need. Some of our favs for South Texas are native Flame Acanthus (aka hummingbird bush), Salvias (like native Salvia greggii and Salvia leucantha), Cape Honeysuckle, native Turk’s Cap, native Beautyberry, native Loquat, Firecracker plant, Coral bean – the list goes on and on. We have been covered in hummingbirds here at Gill’s!

5. Plant Trees Now for The Best Head Start

We’ll say it again… planting trees is all about growing roots. Trees planted in Fall grow more next Spring & Summer because they spend time all Fall and Winter working on their root system. It also helps prepare them for hot temps next Summer. Live Oak, Burr Oak, Magnolia, Anacua, Cedar Elms, & Wild Olive are some of our South Texas fav’s and we’ve been getting some gorgeous specimens!

Read: The Advantages of Fall Planting

Spring has sprung!! Look around and you’ll see lots of happy and healthy plants enjoying the sunshine and putting on fresh new growth. We hope you feel the same way! Here are our top must-do’s in the garden this month – time to get planting!

Check out our March Garden Guide for more tips!

1. Fertilize Regularly Starting Now (except for lawns!)

Spring’s here and plants are actively growing. That means they need food, just like us! Flowers and veggies are especially heavy feeders because they’re working to produce a bloom and fruit. And you will certainly notice a difference with your landscape plants as well. Apply a good all-purpose organic food like Plant Tone, Medina Growin Green, or Rose Glo once a month for great results. Don’t sprinkle your granular fertilizer right up against the trunk of the plant. Instead, sprinkle at the drip line, aka where rainwater would drip off the outermost leaves. That’s the zone where plants take up the most nutrients. After you’ve applied your granular food, circle back every 2 weeks to supplement with liquid Hasta Gro. Almost everything should be fed starting now, except lawns! Wait to fertilize lawns until late March/early April with Medina Growin Green.

Added bonus: When planting, add a little Bio Tone starter fertilizer to the soil when you backfill. It contains all sorts of beneficial organic matter, including mycorrhizal fungi which help stimulate better root growth. Amazing stuff!

2. Whatever You’re Planting – Add Compost!

Whether you’re starting a veggie garden, planting trees or shrubs, annual flowers, or blooming perennials, add some compost to improve the quality of your native soil. We love our Nature’s Blend or Cotton Burr Compost. One bag improves about 12 sq ft of clay or sandy soil and gets it ready for planting. That’s a good approximate ratio if you make your own compost too. Adding compost not only improves the consistency of your soil, it adds LIFE! All those beneficial microorganisms help turn your soil into the perfect environment for plant roots.

3. Plant Level – Not Too Deep!

When planting this Spring, DON’T PLANT TOO DEEP! Plant level with the surrounding soil (or even slightly higher) and don’t cover the top of the root ball with soil. Most plants have tiny feeder roots on the surface of the root ball that are critical for taking up nutrients and for oxygen exchange. If you bury these surface feeder roots, the plant will suffocate and decline. After you plant, remember that plants need long, deep drinks of water. Watering often does not equal watering well. Use a moisture meter to be sure you’re getting moisture down into the ground when you water.

4. Invite Pollinator Friends to Your Garden

Now is a great time to incorporate plants into your garden that attract & feed the birds, bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. They need your help finding food and shelter, and you need their help pollinating your blooming plants, increasing your veggie production, and eating bad bugs. Bees are drawn to most anything with a bloom but some fav’s are native Gregg’s Mist Flower, Esperanza, & Lantana. Butterflies love Salvias and Mexican Flame Vine too. Native plants like Turks Cap and Yaupon Holly produce berries for birds, and Hummingbirds love Duranta, Mexican Honeysuckle, & lots more! Keep in mind that pollinators need help locating these food sources. Think about planting several of the same plant together to help make them more visible to our pollinator friends.

5. Looking for Freeze-Tolerant Winter Warriors?

So many of us are rethinking our landscapes after 3 freeze years in a row. The most common question we’re hearing so far this spring is, “what can I plant that won’t freeze?”. We love this idea – creating the bones of your landscape with cold-hardy trees, shrubs, and blooming perennials that won’t be phased too much when our temps dip down. Think about classic shrubs like Indian Hawthorn or Dwarf Yaupon Holly. Think about Foxtail Ferns and Leopard plants. Think about ornamental grasses and salvias. And think about our wide variety of native plants. They’ve weathered freezes in Texas for hundreds or even thousands of years! Once you have some good bones, add seasoning with annual flowers and tropicals that you can have fun updating and replacing more often.

6. Lay Out Your Space – Give Plants Room to Grow!

A little planning goes a long way in the garden. Keep in mind the mature size and growth habit of plants you find here at Gill’s. We include this information on our plant signs to help you decide on that perfect spot. If you bring pictures of your planting areas with rough measurements, our Garden Coaches can sketch up a simple layout on graph paper and help you select plants that will thrive in your space, compliment each other, and not be too crowded once they’re fully grown.

April means hummingbirds in South Texas! We’re lucky to see a few pretty much year-round, but April and September are when we see big migration surges. If you want to attract and enjoy hummingbirds, feeders can help, but plants are key. Did you know that most plants which are pollinated by hummingbirds have evolved over time to replenish nectar at night while hummingbirds are least active? That means hummingbirds can feed on the same flower over and over again without depleting the nectar! Here are 10 of our favorite plants for attracting and feeding hummingbirds – plant these now!

1. David Verity Cuphea

There are many different Cuphea (aka cigar plant) varieties, but ‘David Verity’ is our favorite for our area. Grows well in full-sun to partial shade, gets about 2′ tall and 2′ wide, and keeps on blooming through the summer! Like a lot of plants on this list, those blooms are perfect for little hummingbird beaks.

2. Native Turk’s Cap

Turk’s Cap is one of our all around favorite plants for the South Texas landscape. Lots of different birds, including hummingbirds, absolutely love it. Turk’s Cap grows well in shade, partial sun, under trees, in sandy soil, in clay soil…you get the idea. Such a versatile plant! Hummingbirds feast on the nectar, then other birds enjoy the fruit in the fall. Turk’s Cap is part of the mallow family and all parts of the plant are edible for humans too.

3. Hummingbird Plant aka Dicliptera

As the name implies, this is one of THE hummingbird plants! If you haven’t noticed yet, most plants on this list have red blooms. That’s because hummingbirds locate nectar by sight, not by smell. They tend to favor red and orange, although there are some exceptions. Hummingbird Plant does well in full sun and gets to be about 3′ tall and 3′ wide. Again – notice that bloom shape. Perfect straws for hummingbirds!

4. Bottlebrush

Bottlebrush come in a lot of shapes and sizes – the dwarf shrub variety all the way up to mid-sized trees. Hummingbirds will flock to them all! If you take a close look at the blooms, you can see how juicy and filled with nectar they are.

5. Red Pentas

We grow pentas as annual flowers here in South Texas, and the timing for planting them aligns perfectly with the April and September hummingbird migration. They come in many colors, but hummingbirds prefer the red variety.

6. Firecracker Plant aka Russelia

If you’re looking for a summer-tough, fast-growing, shaggy, wild-looking plant that attracts tons of hummingbirds…you found it! Firecracker Plant gets 3-5′ tall and wide and is a tried and true favorite here in South Texas – reliable and drought-tolerant.

7. Native Flame Acanthus

Talk about a tough plant! Our Texas native Flame Acanthus aka Hummingbird Bush survives freezes, summer temps, and long periods of no rainfall. Make sure you give it some space since it wants to be about 5′ tall and 5′ wide. With so many blooms, Flame Acanthus can accommodate a whole hummingbird convention!

8. Duranta erecta

You’ve made it to the only non-red/orange plant on our list! These blooms are not like the others – they’re purple and white and they’re not tubular. Nonetheless, hummingbirds make frequent stops for Duranta. These small trees typically grow to 12-15′ tall with a spread of about 10′ here in South Texas. Lots of room for lots of blooms!

9. Firebush (Hamelia patens)

Firebush is another one of the larger specimens on our list. They get about 8-10′ tall and 6-8′ wide and they grow FAST! They’ve done very well through recent freezes. The foliage dies back, you prune it, then by late spring you’ve got a big full plant again. Firebush is easy on water and can handle hot sunny locations just fine.

10. Red Salvias!

If you plant Texas native Salvia greggii, you might have hummingbirds on it before you finish filling up the hole. This is true for so many of the different red salivas like Summer Jewel, Roman Red, native Salvia coccinea, Hot Lips, and more. Hummingbird magnets!