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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

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Spring has SPRUNG!! Gorgeous weather, rain in the forecast, and the nursery is bursting at the seams with all kinds of blooms! Here are our top must-do’s in the garden this March – time to get planting!

1. Get Your Veggies Going Right Now

We must say…our veggie and herb section is looking mighty good right now! We’ve got tons of different tomatoes, jalapenos, super hot Carolina Reapers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, asparagus, lemongrass, basil, and lots more ready for your garden. Be sure to get your tomatoes going early this month so they have time to produce before it gets too warm – don’t miss your window. The rest of these can be planted any time this month, but you don’t want to wait much longer. Take advantage of the perfect weather!

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

The time to fertilize is when plants are actively growing. That’s when they take up nutrients and get the most benefit from a good feeding. 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.

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!

3. 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. Whichever you choose, 1 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.

4. 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. 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, use a moisture meter to be sure you’re getting moisture down into the ground when you water.

5. Invite Pollinator Helpers to Your Garden

Now is an important 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. 

p.s. If you want to learn more about bees, join us here at Gill’s this Saturday, 3/7 at 10am for a special garden talk:  Beekeeping & Honey Processing with Hebert Honey!

6. Plant Drought-Tolerant Color!

Q:  Can I use far less water and still have a gorgeous landscape bursting with color? A:  Absolutely, you can! Given our drought situation, we’re sourcing even more of the tried and true, top-performing plants that don’t require much water once established. Think about a rainbow of Coreopsis (pictured), native Blackfoot Daisy, Mexican Heather, Bulbine, and all the different color Salvias and Lantanas – all very tough and water wise perennials that will carry you through the seasons. Think about creating some areas of interest in the ground or in pots with Gomphrena, Bluebonnets, and Pentas, all of which thrive with little water. Speaking of pots, even bright sweet potato vine is a low-water winner. 

Keep in mind – turfgrass lawns are by far the thirstiest part of our landscapes. Now’s a great time to reduce lawn space by creating or expanding planting beds, converting to native groundcover like Frogfruit, or adding pathways and other features. How much of your lawn space are you actually using? 

7. Come to Our Nightbloom Event Next Thursday!

Did you know we’re hosting our first-ever night time shopping event at Gill’s next Thursday evening, March 12th?! Stop by and see the nursery lit up at night – it’s magical! Stay tuned to all of our upcoming talks and events here, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates. 

p.s. Now you can sip and stroll at Gill’s any time – we’re stocked with cold drinks including beer & wine 🙂

 

 

Rain in the forecast, wonderful temperatures, holidays with family and friends = AMAZING time to garden! We’re all busy planting, re-designing, fertilizing, and getting ready for outdoor fun with guests. Here are our top tips for making the most of a very important month in the garden. 

1. Feed Your Plants, Trees, and Lawns Too

Feeding your plants this month is a must. This includes lawns, trees, and most plants. Everything is actively growing, which means they’ll need more food to continue looking their best. Medina Growin Green is a great multi-purpose food for landscape plants, shrubs, trees, veggies, lawns, you name it! For blooming perennials, annual flowers, and veggies we really like using a good organic granular food like Medina Growin Green, Plant Tone by Espoma, or Rose Glo in combination with Medina Hasta Gro liquid. Feed with the granular on the 1st of each month, then follow up with liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th. Add these reminders to your calendar and you can’t go wrong!

Yes, you can still fertilize your lawn, even though our lawn watering is limited. Using a good organic lawn food, like our go-to Medina Growin Green, promotes root growth and long-term health, which makes lawns more tolerant of less water. Ideally you’d want to water the fertilizer in, but you don’t have to. Medina Growin Green is gentle and won’t burn your lawn. You can apply it now and water it in slowly over a few weeks. If you have trees in your yard, keep in mind that fertilizer and water need to be applied at the drip line, aka where rainwater naturally drips off the outer edge of the canopy. Therefore, if you apply fertilizer to your lawn and water it in for the trees, your lawn will get the benefit too. You can also try to time your lawn fertilizing with a light rain. We typically don’t recommend waiting for rain to fertilize since a heavy rain would wash most of the fertilizer granules away. But, given the watering limitations, taking advantage of a light rain is a good solution. 

2. Watering Wands Win!

Hand watering with a watering wand that has a cutoff valve is the most efficient and best way to water, especially for new plantings. Watering plants low to the ground keeps water from escaping via wind and evaporation and keeps water off the leaves which can invite fungal issues. Watering slowly (by turning down the pressure on your watering wand or kinking your hose) ensures that more water gets down to the roots instead of running off the surface.

Keep in mind that hand watering and drip irrigation are allowed during current watering restrictions. You can hand water any day before 10am or after 6pm, and you can supplement with drip irrigation once every other week. We carry the pro watering wands that we use here at Gill’s as well as moisture meters, timers, and other supplies to help make the most of your water.

For any new plantings, including turfgrass, you can apply for a temporary exemption to watering restrictions and use sprinklers and irrigation systems in order to help get plants, lawns, and trees established. We can help you file for the exemption if you like – it’s a straightforward process.

3. Plant Blooming Perennials for Pollinators

April is time to add some blooming perennials to attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, and birds to your garden. You support pollinators (and the planet!) and in return they help you have more blooms, better production on your veggies, and a more vibrant landscape! Remember – April is when we start seeing hummingbirds! Add a few of their favorites like this native salvia greggii, native flame acanthus, red yucca, or firebush and make your backyard a preferred stop.

4. Plant Your Warm Weather Veggies

It’s time to plant hot peppers, squash, zucchini, basil, beans, and more! When starting veggies, the trick is to get the soil as active and alive as possible. Amend your existing soil with Nature’s Blend Compost (about 1 bag per 12 sq. ft.), then add a little Bio Tone starter fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi and a good handful of worm castings when you plant each plant. Then follow our trusted fertilizer schedule – granular food (like Medina Growin Green or Plant Tone) on the 1st of the month and liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th! Remember that veggies use a lot of energy and need these regular feedings to produce – you WILL get more and better-tasting fruit with a good fertilizer schedule. Plus, strong, vigorous veggie plants are less susceptible to pest damage.

5. Mulch! Not Just for Good Looks…

We all know that fresh mulch is like a fresh coat of paint for your garden – instant makeover! But did you know that applying a proper 3” layer of natural mulch keeps underlying soil temps more than 20 degrees cooler?! A good mulch layer keeps weeds at bay, and as it breaks down over time, it add nutrients to your soil. And perhaps most importantly right now, a good mulch layer retains moisture, which means big water savings. 

6. Get Ready for Guests

Get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather and prep for gathering with family and friends! For the quickest and easiest impact outdoors, think hanging baskets full of periwinkles, coleus, hummingbird falls salvia, bougainvillea, and more overflowing with color. Some pops of color plus fresh mulch in your beds and you’re ready to host! For indoors, our favorite flower arrangements are those cut fresh from the garden and landscape, or we have some cute dried arrangements too!

 

This past week, one of our customers explained that her squash plant had great foliage and lots of blooms, but it was not producing any squash. This can often be attributed to a watering or fertilizer issue, but sometimes you might have a pollination problem. So, what’s the solution? 

Bees! Bees are the best pollinators, and they are the reason many of your veggies are able to produce. Bees move pollen back and forth between male and female flowers on your plants. The transfer of pollen fertilizes the female flower allowing the plant to fruit. 

The best way to attract these powerful pollinators to your garden is to plant pollinizer plants. Here are some of our favorite plants to bring home the bees: 

Thai Basil
Dwarf Calliandra
  • Magic Mountain Basil or Thai Basil:  excellent varieties for cooking and irresistible to bees!  
  • Dwarf Calliandra (powder puff plant):  popular landscape shrub that has beautiful “powder puff” blooms.  
Mystic Spires Salvia
Alyssum
  •  Mystic Spires Salvia:  long purple spires that attract a variety of pollinators to the garden including bees and hummingbirds.     
  • Alyssum:  low- growing annual with purple or white blooms and a lovely fragrance that’s attractive to humans and bees. 
Male squash flower (has bloom only)
Female squash flower (has fruit below)

Pro tip:  On occasion, the bees can miss some plants. You can “false pollinate” your plants with a Q tip or a small paint brush. Lightly brush inside the male flower, then brush inside the female flower to help transfer pollen. 

-Wyatt 

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 combined…I think we are at just over 40 staff members so we average around 10 years per person although some of us are 20 years or more.  You know why? It’s because we love gardening. It’s in our blood and we have learned A LOT over our years of sharing garden stories with each other. So how can we share our success with all of you? Garden Talks! As we start this new gardening season…the best in my eyes…so we start our new garden talks beginning September 12th. They are full of fun, new, interesting topics fitting for all kinds of gardeners. New to the area? These are a perfect way to learn about what lives (and dies) in south Texas. They are packed full of good information, practical suggestions, & we welcome questions. We love to have them outdoors weather permitting but we can move indoors as needed.  They are held at our Airline location on Saturdays. Peruse our upcoming topics below, come to one or all! See you soon. Oh did I mention they’re free? Just one more reason to come! 

Garden Talks

September-October 2015

Saturdays 10:00 to 11:00am, 2810 Airline
Free – questions always welcome!!

September 12th
“A Garden For Hummers”

Speaker Marta Swanner, mgr. Gill Landscape Nursery

Hummingbirds are one of nature’s most fascinating creatures with their brilliant colors and supersonic speed. They migrate through South Texas twice a year seeking food and shelter. Join Marta as she talks about the best plants to attract and provide a natural food source for them throughout the seasons.

September 19th
“Veggies For Fall Gardens”

Speaker Debbie Pinkerton, buyer for Gill Landscape Nursery

Fresh homegrown foods are always the best for you and the most delicious! Fall is the perfect time to plant a food garden with a plethora of choices sure to bring a feast to your table. Come learn about basics of growing food from the soil to the harvest.

September 26th
“Ireland-Edibles & Garden Designs”

Speaker Kathy Hubner, Landscape Designer, Gill Landscape Nursery

From the ordinary to the extraordinary, Kathy will take you on a journey across the Atlantic to the isle of Ireland! See through her eyes their fantastic gardens filled with flowers, food, and then how you can apply these design ideas to your landscapes. This slideshow presentation brings the weaving of food plants into the landscape creating seamless garden designs.

October 3rd
“Fall Planting For Trees & Shrubs”

Speaker James Gill, owner, Gill Landscape Nursery

We love the fall weather with its cool nights, warm days, and added rainfall and so do all the plants in South Texas! It is the very best time to plant hardy trees and shrubs. Join James as he talks about the best plant selections, planting practices, and maintenance during the fall and winter seasons.

October 10th
“Lawn Care & Weed Control For Fall”

Speaker DeAnna Baumgartner, mgr. Gill Landscape Nursery

Lawns hold a top spot in our landscapes…we want them to look good and be free of pests and weeds. DeAnna gives out good sound practices for your lawns during the fall season. From fertilizing, weed control, and watering, she will help “weed out” those questions of what, when and how much.

October 17th
“More Fun With Containers”

Speaker Merlien Wilder, artist, Gill Landscape Nursery

Join Merlien as she plays with plants perfect for fall patio gardens. Come learn about great combinations, seasonal ideas, new creative projects, and practical tips for small and large containers.

debbie
-Debbie

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 you don’t know the answers. We’ve got you covered. A hummingbird feeder is a great supplement for nectar-rich plants like Turk’s Cap and Firebush, but if you don’t take care of them properly they can do more harm than good. South Texas is hot, and bacteria love to grow in warm sugar water, so make sure you take down your feeder, clean it and replace with fresh nectar every 1-3 days. To make fresh nectar, boil 1 cup of water and add ¼ cup of granulated sugar (not artificial sugar please!) then let it cool and Voila! Now red food dye is controversial. Some experts say it is harmful, and there are some specific kinds of dye that are. Honestly, most hummingbirds will be attracted by the flowers painted/molded on your feeder, not the color of the nectar, so don’t bother with it. Cleaning is a breeze if you have the right tools, like a bottle brush and a port cleaner (like a clean mascara wand). You can use weak vinegar or bleach solution to disinfect your feeder after it air dries. Keep your feeder clean and fresh, and your hummingbirds will be sure to thank you!

marta
-Marta

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! We are lucky enough to have 18 different kinds of hummingbirds in our area when they migrate, so make sure you add these plants to your garden. Turks Cap is my number one pick for a hummingbird plant. It’s nectar rich, native, colorful, and tough as nails. Fire bush is another great addition. Its tubular flowers make it a hummingbird magnet. And don’t forget about Anisacanthus, or Hummingbird Bush. The name really does say it all! It gets covered in bright orange small tubular flowers on a shrub that gets about 3 to 5 feet tall. Always change your nectar on your feeders at least every 1-3 days, especially in the heat, and don’t add food dye or use artificial sweeteners. And enjoy them while they’re here!

marta
-Marta

If you spend any time outdoors and have anything blooming red, there’s a good chance you’ve got hummingbirds buzzing around. It’s that time of year when hummers begin their migratory flight heading south for the winter. We are so lucky to be a fueling stop along their journey.

Coastal areas see the first masses arrive. They are very hungry and need plenty of nectar. Best food for any hummer is through nectar rich blooms.

Turk’s Cap, Firecracker Plant, Shrimp Plant, Red Yucca

Some of their favorites are Firecracker Plant, Firebush, Hummingbird bush, Turks Cap, Shrimp Plant, & Red Yucca. They will go to most anything red/orange (even a colorful Hawaiian shirt!) but not all flowers and flowery shirts have enough nectar to feed them. 

Feeders are good; they need to be changed every few days, cleaned each time with mild soap and thoroughly rinsed. No coloring or artificial sweeteners please. Take time to enjoy this wonderful act of nature, and come see us for your hummingbird plants and feeders!

debbie

-Debbie

Mexican Flame Vine is a wonderful vine with a long blooming period until the first good frost. It has deep green leaves back-dropping beautiful orange daisy flowers. Very easy to grow in full sun to part shade with little to no serious pest issues. It is considered the best nectar vine for Monarch butterflies. It is also one of the best butterfly plants attracting Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Gulf fritillaries, Hairstreaks, Painted ladies, Pipevine swallowtails, Skippers, Sulphurs, Queens, Zebra Longwings and more. It also attracts hummingbirds, and is a pollinator plus plant attracting bumble bees and honey bees. It can also be grown in a pot on a small trellis or tomato cage for support. We have one next to our office building.  It is a great addition to any sunny landscape.

DeAnnadeanna

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