Garden Center Hours: Mon-Sat 9am - 5:30pm • Sun 10am - 5:30pm
Get Directions  2810 Airline Rd, Corpus Christi TX Contact Us ¡Hablamos Español!

Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

(361) 992-9674
Contact Us
Subscribe
Join Our Team

peppers

Natural gourd birdhouses are the best! They host a wide variety of birds who use the seeds and pulp inside to make their nests. Join us at Gill’s this Saturday, September 20th from 11am-1pm for a fun garden art project – painting gourd houses! We’ll provide a pre-drilled gourd with a leather hanging strap plus all the painting supplies. Take home your creation and hang it up for birds to make their home this fall!

Limited to the first 50 guests of all ages – $10 per person. Reserve your tickets here, or purchase the day of!

Click to watch Ori & Caleb’s preview video:

We can’t wait to see everyone! Stay tuned to our events page and follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ll continue to post updates about talks and events. We have lots more to come this fall!

February is time to get your spring veggies going! We’ll be stocked with all your fav spring veggies and probably some you’ve never tried before. Join DeAnna Baumgartner and Wyatt Page, Gill’s managers and Texas Certified Nursery Professionals for an informative talk about how to plan and start your veggie garden. They’ll cover everything from what varieties to plant, crop rotation, organic pest prevention, soil health, fertilization, and much more. Free and open to everyone – bring your veggie questions! We’ll be doing some giveaways for Gill gift cards + other fun stuff!

FREE event – No RSVP required.

Click below to watch DeAnna & Wyatt’s preview video:

We can’t wait to see everyone! Stay tuned to our events page and follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ll continue to post updates about talks and events. Lots more to come!

It’s prime time for planting peppers! We’ve got more varieties of peppers this spring than we’ve ever had at Gill’s – from classic jalapeños to native chile pequin to rare varieties and super hot reapers! Peppers are generally considered easy to grow, but there are a few key things to know if you really want to have a BIG harvest. Check out our simple tricks + video guide now!

Sun & Soil

First off – peppers love warm weather and lots of sun. The sunniest spot in your garden is where you should plant your peppers. At a minimum, peppers need 6 hours of sun per day for good growth and production. If you’re growing in the ground in heavy clay or sandy soil, use our beloved Nature’s Blend compost to add nutrients and better structure to your native soil. About 1 bag of compost per 12 square feet of bed space, or the rough equivalent if you’re making your own compost. If you’re growing peppers in containers or raised beds, we highly recommend Gardener’s Magic from Landscaper’s Pride. It’s a nice, loose mix specially formulated for raised beds and it doesn’t need any amendment. Just pour and plant. 

Choose Your Varieties – Are You More Mild or More Wild??

We currently have almost every pepper on this list available here at Gill’s! From the mild capsicum (bell pepper) all the way up to the scorpion and reaper. We’ve even got some rare varieties in big 1gal sizes like Yellow Reaper and Chocolate Ghost. Did you know that the horticulturalists who developed super hot peppers in recent years didn’t just do it because they like wildly hot flavor? Their main clientele are hot sauce makers who can make a lot more hot sauce with far fewer peppers. Here’s a fascinating podcast episode about it. 

Stake Em Up

Pepper plants are somewhat fragile, and to keep them from getting knocked over by water or wind and breaking, we recommend staking them up. We like to use a single 2-3′ tall bamboo or takiron stake. Loosely tie the main stem of the pepper plants to the stake using pliable green garden tie tape and you’re good to go. 

Pick Early Blooms

Pepper plants will start blooming almost immediately after planting, but the plants are still too small to produce fruit. So, pick off the early blooms to redirect energy into growing more foliage. Once the plant is bigger and more robust, then let it bloom and start producing. 

Not Too Much Water!

Water your peppers every day for the first week or 2 to get them established, then reduce your watering frequency. Once established, let them dry out between waterings then give them nice deep drinks. Watering too often invites some potential for root rot, decreases your production, and decreases heat and flavor. You want your pepper plants to tough it out – not too much water. 

Feed, Feed, Feed!

Like all veggies, peppers are very heavy feeders. If you don’t fertilize regularly, you will not get a good harvest. Use our tried and true method:  Medina Growin Green on the 1st of the month, then liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th. Set these reminders/alarms in your phone and you’ll be making fresh salsa all summer. 

Watch Wyatt’s Pepper Planting Video Guide!

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!

 

Yay for May! Everything’s growing and blooming and supercharged by recent rains! We hope you are too. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which is a good time to think about the peace of mind that gardening brings us. Gardeners know all the research is true – gardening is one of the healthiest, most satisfying, and most fulfilling things humans can do! Here are our Top 7 Must Do’s this May to keep you and your garden feelin’ good.

1. Join Us for Workshops & Events!

We’ve got a big May planned here at Gill’s with another round of fun workshops and events. Next weekend, on Saturday, May 9th, we’re inviting kids to come pot up a free flower for Mom for Mother’s Day. The following week, we’re hosting our first ever Ikebana workshop led by our fav local floral designer, Julia Prohorova aka Wild Veggie Bouquet! We’ve got Bigfoot’s Rockeaters coming for a cactus growing talk later this month, plus round 2 of our Nightbloom Market after-hours shopping event – this time with more vendors! Click here for more info, RSVPs, and tickets!

2. Plant Blooming Perennials and Trees

It’s time to plant lots of different blooming perennials and blooming trees. Get them established in May so they are rooted and acclimated to withstand warmer temps this summer. Staples like Esperanza, many varieties of Salvia, Lantana, and tons more are all blooming beautifully right now. And blooming native trees like Retama and Wild Olive are looking great right now. Added bonus:  blooming perennials and trees attract lots of butterflies and hummingbirds!

3. Plant and Harvest Veggies

Warm weather veggie time! Plant all kinds of peppers, zucchini, squash, melons, 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 very soon. Be sure to harvest often! It keeps birds & insects from finding them first, and helps redirect energy to produce more fruit. If you do have insect issues in your veggie garden, our go-to organic control is Spinosad soap – safe for food but takes care of a lot of common bad bugs. 

4. Mulch for Many Reasons!

We all know that fresh mulch is the quickest garden 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. 

5. What About Watering?

Speaking of watering, despite long-term drought conditions and potential water emergencies in the news, we need to continue to water smartly. Watering consistently now (just enough) will help maintain depth moisture, make the most of rainfall, and help plant roots grow deeper – all of which will reduce water needs and save water in the long run. Does all of our plant water need to come from the tap? Nope! You can conserve a lot of city water by collecting rainwater, A/C condensate, water from dehumidifiers, and re-using gray water from washing machines and dishwashers. If you’re interested in collecting a lot of rainwater, the Gill’s landscape team installs custom rainwater collection systems using stainless steel cisterns that are very attractive in the landscape and last a lifetime. Just 1″ of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof space can catch 600 gallons of rainwater. Get in touch!

6. Set Your Mosquito Traps!

We are big fans of the simple bucket mosquito trap. Just fill a bucket 3/4 with water, add a good handful of lawn or plant clippings, and toss in a Mosquito Dunk or Mosquito Bits. These dissolve in the water and release bacteria that target mosquito larvae and kill them before they hatch. And they’re organic and not harmful to birds, bees, pets or humans! Set a few of these traps, sprinkle some organic Mosquito Beater granules around walkways and patios, and use Skeeter Screen incense sticks near where you’re working or hanging out outside. Remember that using chemical mosquito foggers kills all the good bugs too, some of which help control mosquitos and other bad bugs.

7. Gifts for Mother’s Day and Graduations

Let us help you find something pretty, useful, or both for the gardening moms and grads in your life. Pottery, birdbaths, wind chimes, quality garden tools, hats, gloves, garden decor, plantable greeting cards, gardening books – lots of options. You can purchase Gill gift cards online here. Or come find the gift that gardeners love most – plants 🙂

How is it almost June already?! It doesn’t feel like it! Mild temperatures and wonderful rainfall are making our transition into summer a breeze. Here are our top priorities in the garden this month, including what to plant, how to adjust watering, pests to watch out for, and how to keep plant roots cool and happy. Plus, we’re hosting lots of fun events throughout the month!

1. Water Low & Slow to Maintain Depth Moisture

Our goal this month is to maintain the depth moisture that recent rains have created. It’s much easier and takes far less water to maintain that depth moisture than it does to build it back up again if we let the soil get too dry. The key is  watering low, as in as in low to the ground to avoid evaporation, and slow as in not with your hose open full-blast. This helps decrease runoff and get more water down to the roots. Consider setting up your own automatic drip irrigation system – they’re easy to DIY and they operate on the low & slow principle. Also, be sure to use the cycle & soak method, which simply means water once, let it soak in for several minutes, then come back and water again. This makes sure you’re pushing water down deep. 

Pro tip:  Use a moisture meter in your landscape beds and pots! We carry them for around $10 and can show you how easy they are to use. They have a long soil probe that tells you whether you actually have good moisture (or too much) down deep where it’s needed. They’ve saved many plants!

2. Keep Soil Moist & Roots Cool with Mulch

A good mulch layer (2-3″ deep) has so many benefits. It looks amazing, keeps weeds down, helps retain moisture, adds organic matter to the soil, AND keeps plant roots nice and cool in the summer. Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories shared amazing results with us from a mulch study they conducted in San Antonio a few years back. Soil temperatures were measured at 6″ deep (where plant roots live) on a 105 F summer day. Bare soil, 6″ down was 102 F. Soil under grass was 92 F. Soil beneath a 3″ layer of mulch was only 76 F!! Mulch your beds! Mulch also makes a great placeholder while you’re still deciding what to plant. 

3. Plant Blooming Perennials for Summer!

So many of our favorite plants for South Texas don’t just tolerate warm weather, they only begin to thrive and look their best in the summer. Think of blooming perennials like Firebush, Esperanza, and Pride of Barbados for awesome summer impact. Think of big purslane hanging baskets, Gomphrena, and Periwinkles for bursts of bright color. And browse our Texas native plant section for plants and trees that have thrived through hundreds and even thousands of Texas summers. If you’re still wanting to plant food, you can do that too – okra, basil, eggplant, thyme, watermelon, peppers, black-eyed peas and more are great planted in June.

4. Watch for Summer Bugs, Critters, and Plant Disease

Yes, bad bugs will be around more during the Summer, but don’t treat unless there’s significant damage. We can help identify the pest and if/how to treat. You don’t want to kill too many good bugs while trying to take care of the bad bugs! If you see brown areas in the lawn that are easily pulled up, it’s usually a sign of grubs eating the roots of your grass. You can control grubs with Bonide Insect and Grub Control. Chinch bugs love hot dry areas in lawns. They make the lawn look dried out along sidewalks and pavement. Spot-treat those areas with Cyonara in easy ready-to-spray bottles. For organic control, use Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth. We’ve also seen a lot more caterpillars than usual this spring munching on veggie gardens. Just a few caterpillars can be relocated, but if you have a lot destroying your plants, you can treat with organic Bt in liquid spray or powder form. 

5. Stay Tuned for Fun June Events at Gill’s!

We’ve been overwhelmed with the response to all our events this spring and we’re not stopping! We absolutely love hosting you all, not just for plant shopping, but for learning and building our wonderful local gardening community. We’ve got a big June planned starting with a Gulf Coast Humane Society pet adoption day on June 6th, then flower bingo, plant trivia night, our 2nd annual Father’s Day cookout, and another Nightbloom Market on June 25th! Stay tuned here for updates. 

 

 

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!

BUTTERFLY HOST PLANTS 

With spring around the corner, now’s the time to start planning out your butterfly garden! And we are ready with plants that not only attract butterflies, but feed their caterpillars. You’ve probably heard of Milkweed for monarch caterpillars, but did you know that Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Rue and Passion vine also attract butterflies? These host plants are sure to attract Eastern Black Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, and Monarchs. And don’t forget about great nectar plants like Almond Verbena, Pentas, and Duranta. Put these plants in your garden and the butterflies will be sure to thank you!

WOW – WHAT A WEED EXPLOSION! 

You can still apply pre-emergents like Amaze or Weed and Grass Preventer with Dimension to prevent weeds, but the temperatures are still fluctuating with cold fronts and cloudy damp weather, so I would wait a little longer on applying weed killer sprays i.e. Image or Weed B Gon. They work best with warm weather and sunshine. Remember to apply your pre-emergents in October to prevent winter weeds and again in January to prevent spring weeds.

 

TO PREVENT SCALE: If you have not sprayed Bonide All Seasons Oil on your Flax Lily, Irises, Cast Iron, Pittosporum, and Hollies, there is still time to spray to prevent spring insects like scale.

LAWN FUNGUS: The cool, damp rainy weather is perfect for fungus to thrive , so apply F-Stop Fungicide, Bayer Fungicide, or Liquid Systemic Fungicide to either prevent or to cure. An organic alternative is to spread Nature’s Blend Alfalfa Humateacross the lawn at the rate of 1 bag for 50 sq. ft.

 

TIME TO START VEGGIE GARDENING! 
Tomatoes are here in all sizes. We have 6 packs, 4 1/2″ and 1 gallon. It is starting to get late on the 6 packs, so buy them now! You can still wait a couple of weeks to plant if you plan on buying the 1 gallon size. Peppers will be here once our night time temperatures stay above 50 degrees. If you plan on planting more broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower, plant them now since it is getting late. It is also getting late to sow seeds of beets, carrots and spinach. Last chance for onion sets and seed potatoes. Time to begin seeding beans, squash, cucumbers, corn and radish.
Copyright © 2026 Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.  |  Website & Local SEO by Ramblin Jackson   |   Privacy Policy