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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

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lantana

This weekend I gave a “Bring Home the Butterflies” talk at the Airline store. Here’s a recap for those who missed it! We are lucky enough to have almost 400 butterfly species who come through Texas, such as the Monarch, Gulf Fritillary, Swallowtail, Sulphur and Red Admiral butterflies. Each has its own host plant, which they use to lay their eggs on and eat as caterpillars. Some favorite host plants are Milkweed (Monarch), Rue (Black and Giant Swallowtail), Mallow (Painted Lady) and Dutchman’s Pipe Vine (Pipevine Swallowtail).

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Milkweed
Milkweed

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Rue
Rue

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Mallow
Mallow

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Dutchman's Pipe Vine
Dutchman’s Pipe Vine

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And don’t forget the Passionvine, which is the host plant for our city’s most common butterfly, the Gulf Fritillary. Make sure to plant plenty of nectar plants for adult butterflies like Native Lantana, Gregg’s Mist Flower and Porterweed. And last but not least, keep it all pesticide free. In no time you’ll have plenty of happy, beautiful butterflies fluttering all over the garden! Milkweed and Gregg’s Mist Flower are discounted in our stores right now!

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Passionvine
Passionvine

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Lantana
Lantana

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Gregg's Mist Flower
Gregg’s Mist Flower

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Porterweed
Porterweed

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marta-Marta

Are your lantana looking rusty brown like a fungus has attacked them? Well it’s not a fungus it’s a lace bug. These are common this time of year to attack lantanas leaving them looking ugly and half dead. This problem is easily fixed by pruning back the ugly plant either one third to half way depending on the damage. Rake up the bad leaves which will be eliminating the majority of the bugs, fertilize with your favorite plant food and water in, then spray with a multi purpose insecticide like Cyonara Lawn & Garden or Organically with Spinosad Insect Control. The plant will quickly recover like nothing ever happened putting on a flush of new growth and blooms.

Photo: Plantanswers.com

deanna-DeAnna

Are you challenged with caterpillars, leafminers or whitefly every year? On your bougainvillea, hibiscus, ash or oak trees? If so, now’s the time to apply Bayer Tree & Shrub Drench. Be careful though, not to use on your herbs, veggies & fruit trees.

Another great drench and less expensive, Fertilome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench doesn’t work well on caterpillars but is great for wooly aphids in hackberry trees, asian cycad scale on sago palms, lace bug on lantana, aphids and whitefly on crape myrtle or even mealy bug that attack your hibiscus every year and drive you crazy with spraying. Again, do not use systemic insecticides on herbs, veggies & fruit trees.

It’s best to monitor your plants and spot spray individual plants when needed, but we all get busy and so the systemic may be the best option for you. We have both products in stock now for your spring application.

We always recommend you use the least toxic product to get rid of damaging insects. For example, aphids get on more plants than anything else in the spring, but on the bright side, they are also very easy to control. Sharp sprays of water many times works to rinse them off the new foliage.  

Whatever your insect challenge, come and see us for help in determining the best  way to control them. Many times you do not need to spray but rather let Mother Nature take care of the problem with her many beneficial insects preying on the damaging insects. We have ladybugs in stock right now, a great beneficial insect and fun to watch!

-DeAnna

One of my favorite pastimes, in between planting, fertilizing, trimming, and mulching, is sitting in my backyard and watching the butterflies dance around my garden. Here’s a few tips to entice these beauties to YOUR GARDEN!

Locate a sunny area.

Butterflies and most butterfly attracting plants require bright sunshine.

Plant nectar producing flowers.

Butterflies visit flowers in search of nectar  to eat. Many butterflies seem to prefer purple, yellow, orange and red- orange blossoms. Clusters of short, tubular flowers or flat-topped blossoms provide the ideal  shapes for butterflies to easily land and feed.

Select single flowers rather than double flowers.

The nectar of single flowers is more accessible and easier for butterflies to extract than the nectar of double flowers, which have more petals per flower.

Use large splashes of color in your landscape.

Butterflies are first attracted to flowers by their color. Groups of flowers are easier for butterflies to locate than isolated plants.

Plan for continuous bloom throughout the season.

Butterflies are active from early spring until late fall. Plant a selection of flowers that will provide nectar throughout the entire growing season. For blooms throughout the year, plant hamelia, shrimp plant. jatropha, lantana, bulbine, buddleia, mist flower, & penta. For flowers spring and fall, try mexican flame vine, verbena, mexican mint marigold, pavonia, passion vine, salvias, & fall chrysanthemums.

Clockwise from Top Left: Lantana, Mist Flower, Salvia Mystic Spires, Salvia Gregii, Shrimp Plant, Mexican Mint Marigold

Plant for perching.

Plant some evergreen trees or shrubs for perching and rain shelter. Example: Yaupon holly or desert willow.

Include host plants in your garden design.

Host plants provide food for the caterpillar and lure female butterflies into the garden to lay eggs.

  • Common Name:  Larval Food Source
  • Black Swallowtail:  dill, parsley, fennel, carrot tops
  • Fritillaries:  passionflowers
  • Giant Swallowtail:  citrus, rue
  • Julias:  passionflowers
  • Monarchs & Queens:  milkweeds
  • Pipevine Swallowtail:  Dutchman’s pipevine
  • Skippers:  mallows
  • Snouts:  hackberry
  • Sulphurs:  cassias
  • Viceroys:  pear, cottonwood, willow
  • Whites:  mustards, pepper-grass
  • Zebra Longwings:  passionflowers
Clockwise from Top Left: Black Swallowtail, Monarch, Snout, Zebra Longwing

Include damp areas or shallow puddles in the garden.

Some butterflies drink and extract salts from moist soil. Occasionally large numbers of male butterflies congregate around a moist area to drink, forming a “puddle club”.

Place flat stones in the garden.

Butterflies often perch on stones, bare soil or vegetation, spread their wings and bask in the sun. Basking raises their body temperature so they are able to fly and remain active.

Do not use pesticides in or near a butterfly garden.

Most traditional garden pesticides are toxic to butterflies. Use predatory insects, insecticidal soap or hand remove the pests if problems occur.

Become a butterfly watcher!

Get to know the colorful butterflies that visit your garden. They are easy to identify with a field guide or butterfly app!

-Sally

If you’re like us, you cannot wait to get outside and get gardening! The cool, damp weather has hung around too long, but there’s lots to do in preparation for blue skies ahead. Here’s what you need to get done this month.

Check out our March 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 & wind!

1. Wrap Up Your Clean-Up

If you still have pruning and clean-up to do, there’s still a little time! Cool temps have delayed the burst of Spring growth a bit. Overwintered perennials like Lantana, Salvias, and Roses need pruning now – cut them back up to 50%. 

2. Plant Your Fruits and Veggies

It’s time! We are thrilled to have a big healthy selection of Spring veggies and fruit trees this year. We haven’t seen peach and plum trees this nice in several seasons.  One thing we recommend for all plantings, including veggies and fruit trees, is Nature’s Blend compost – the closest thing we’ve seen to ‘magic in a bag’! One bag can amend about 12 sq ft of clay or sandy soil.

3. Bring Back the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies!

Now is a great time to incorporate plants into your garden that attract & feed the birds, bees, butterflies, 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 Gregg’s Mist Flower, Esperanza, & Lantana. Butterflies love Butterfly Weed, Salvias, & Mexican Flame Vine. Native plants like Turks Cap produce berries for birds, and Hummers love Duranta, Mexican Honeysuckle, & lots more!

4. Feed New Plants Now, Established Plants Soon 

New plantings need a good start with a good organic plant food. We love BioTone, PlantTone, and Hastagro. Add BioTone to your soil when you plant, then use PlantTone once a month and supplement with Hastagro about every 2 weeks to continue feeding throughout the season. For established plants, wait to feed until they are actively growing – typically mid/late March or early April. 

5. Flowers for Right Now

Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! The best choices this month are Petunias, Marigolds, Begonias, and Geraniums. These love the warm days and cool nights of our early Spring. Popular late Spring/Summer flowers like Vinca, Moss Rose, and Zinnias will start to arrive in April as temps stay warmer. 

6. Apply Pre-emergent Now + Wait to Fertilize Lawns

Lawns are still mostly dormant and not yet actively growing. Now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed control before the weeds start growing. We recommend Dura Turf Crab Grass and Weed Preventer. Hold off on watering – water once a week at most, depending on rain. And wait to fertilize lawns until you see enough growth to mow your lawn regularly, typically late March/early April. We recommend Medina Growin’ Green or Gill Lawn and Garden Food. 

Check out our March Garden Guide for more tips!

-Debbie

April is here! We’re cruising right into a beautiful Spring – there’s lots to do to make the most of all this sunshine and new growth! Here’s our list to get done this month. 

Check out our April 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. Feed Your Lawn and Plants

Fertilizing/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. For lawns we love organic Medina Growin’ Green or our Gill Lawn and Garden Food. Growin’ Green is great for shrubs and trees too. For blooming perennials and annual flowers, we really like organic Plant Tone by Espoma and Medina Hasta Gro liquid.

2. Anchor Your Landscape with Trees and Shrubs

Trees and shrubs are like the bones of your landscape. They provide structure for you to embellish with all sorts of other textures and color. You can plant most trees year-round, but these favs will greatly benefit by planting now:  Citrus, Crape Myrtles, Mountain Laurels, Wild Olive, and Bottlebrush. Classic shrubs like Boxwoods, Ligustrum, Viburnum, Pineapple Guava, Eleagnus, and Texas Sage are all great to plant right now too. Planting now gives them time to start growing and you more time to enjoy. 

3. Attract Helpful Guests

Add some blooming perennials to attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, and birds to your garden. You’ll enjoy watching them work and they’ll help you have more blooms and better production on your veggies! Think all kinds of Salvias, Butterfly Weed, Lantana, and Mist Flower for butterflies, anything that blooms for bees, and natives like Turk’s Cap that produce a fruit or berry for birds. 

4. Plant Your Warm Weather Veggies

It’s still time to plant hot peppers, squash, zucchini, basil, beans, and more. Tomato time has almost passed, but if you still really want to plant a tomato, choose a cherry tomato that can still set fruit in warmer weather. 

5. Share Tips with New Gardeners

One of our favorite things about Spring is meeting folks who are new to gardening. There’s so much to share! Chances are, if you’re a regular here at Gill’s, you know a thing or 2 about gardening. Now is a great time to share tips for success (or lessons from failure) with friends and neighbors. You can always connect with us on Facebook and Instagram or send questions & pics to info@gillnursery.com. Help us encourage new gardeners to subscribe to the Gill Garden News!

Check out our April Garden Guide for more tips!

May means Mom’s Day, graduations, and more BBQs and family holidays outside! May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. As gardeners, we know growing plants and being outdoors are necessary for our wellbeing…and so much fun! Here are our Top 5 Must Do’s this May to help you and your garden make the transition to warmer weather.

Check out our May 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 Blooming Perennials

It’s still time to plant lots of different blooming perennials. Get them established now so they are better adapted to withstand warmer temps this Summer. Staples like Esperanza, many varieties of Salvia, Jatropha, Lantana, and more are all blooming beautifully right now. We’re excited about Cape Town Honeysuckle this month (see pic above). It grows to about 4-5’ tall and wide, whereas its relative, Cape Honeysuckle, grows to 8’ or more. Lots of blooms and lots more options for placement. Added bonus:  these blooming perennials attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds!

2. Plant and Harvest Veggies

Warm weather veggie time! Plant peppers, zucchini, squash, and okra this month for continued harvesting into the Summer months. If you planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and other early Spring veggies, you’ll be harvesting now or soon. Be sure to harvest often! It keeps birds & insects from finding them first. If you do have insect issues in your veggie garden, our go-to organic control is Spinosad – safe for food but takes care of bugs. And remember to keep watering as the weather warms up. Soaker hoses are great to snake around your plants keeping water close to the ground and root systems.

3. Tend Your Lawn

It’s vital to water your lawn once a week unless we have rain. Invest in a sprinkler that’ll do the work – we have them. Hand watering the lawn may feel therapeutic, but you won’t get good coverage and depth. 

When mowing, the proper height for St. Augustine lawns is around 3 inches. For Bermuda lawns keep mowed to around 2-2.5 inches.

Feed with Natural Fertilizers:  Medina Growin Green or Milorganite. These feed the lawn and the soil with great results. Water in to get them started. 
Watch for lawn insects & treat when needed. Grub worms & chinch bugs are easy to control when caught early but there’s no need to treat unless you have them. Bayer Season-long Grub Control will do the trick for grubs. Cyonara takes care of chinch bugs.

4. Look for Thirsty Plants

Watch your plants and they will show you when they need a drink. Most show signs of wilting (see photo). That’s a sign they need water soon. Once you give them a drink, they perk up quickly. But some will not tell you until it is too late, like a live oak tree. Invest in a moisture meter. They help to read the moisture with a poke into the soil around the roots. We have them and they’re very easy to use.

5. Gifts for Moms and Grads

Let us help you find something pretty, useful, or both for the gardening moms and grads in your life. Pottery, birdbaths, wind chimes, garden tools, hats, gloves – lots of options. Or the gift that gardeners love most – plants!

Check out our May Garden Guide for more tips! Happy gardening!

What a joy to see green everywhere! You can feel the big sigh of relief from plants and people too. All this rain is FANTASTIC news for fall gardens! Here are our top must-do’s this month as we head into our best 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. Choose Plants for Birds, Butterflies, and Bees

Fall is our best planting season here in the Coastal Bend. We are bringing in lots of new plants 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 butterfly weed, Gregg’s mist flower, and lots of different blooming salvias. 

2. 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 scorching sun and keep watered. Seeds of cool weather crops like turnips, beets, and radish should be started now. Carrots and greens should be planted later in September and into October. Here is our Fall veggie planting schedule. And save space for citrus trees, figs & other fruits to round off your garden grocery store! Revisit Josh’s guide to planting citrus trees.

3. Pull Weeds While the Ground is Soft

Pulling weeds – part of the gardening full-body workout plan! And a great stress reliever too. With the ground saturated from recent rains, most weeds are so easy to pull. Make sure to get the root, then add mulch to the area 2-3” deep to prevent new weeds from sprouting.

4. 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, 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 others should be planted starting this month.

5. 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!  

6. Sow Wildflower Seeds!

September is the best time to plant wildflower seeds. Fall rains help wildflowers like Bluebonnets grow strong and have beautiful blooms next Spring. Choose an area with good sunlight and cleared of weeds or unwanted plants. Rake clean, sow seeds, cover with soil, water, and wait for the transformation!

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