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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

(361) 992-9674
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catsLily & Heath, Airline’s 2 kitty cats! If you have spent any time at our Airline store, you are sure to have spied 2 tabby cats sauntering around meeting and greeting our patrons. Heath, a super-sized lean tabby cat can be found lounging at the checkout, curled up on a mat, in a pot,
sprawled in a birdbath, or any place he decides to call “his” for the day. Lily, his mom, makes her domain an office chair in our accounting office so she can keep a watchful eye over the day to day operations of our company. They will search out anyone, throw themselves down by their feet and demand some long petting and strokes of love and food. What many of you don’t know is Lily began her life as a wild stray living in the outback of our nursery.

Our Airline store is still on the edge of town with a lot of country around us. So it was no surprise when we saw another poor pregnant scrawny cat living in the surrounding brush. What did surprise us was when she decided that living as a single, soon to be mom, was too much. She began hanging out in the nursery and well, of course, someone went and bought food. Trusting us more and more, she began coming around for food and a few pets. One day she showed up much skinnier. We knew she’d had her kittens; we just couldn’t find them! A fews weeks later we heard the meows of kittens in our warehouse. Diane, our animal rescue guru, was on the spot hunting them down, looking through our dusty loft. Now, although Lily had gotten used to us, her kittens were wild. It took Diane wearing leather welding gloves to capture them. It did not take long for them to get used to us, and once they came of age, they all went to good homes with some of you… all except one sweet male kitten we fondly named Heath. His namesake is a wonderful young man who worked here many years, helping us with everything from carry-outs to tree plantings to garden center sales to computer programming. Heath was leaving us to pursue his career.

Their first year living as our nursery cats was fun and a little nail biting. As cats do they would leave us “presents” on our door step of fresh kills they had made. Sometimes they would wander off and we worried they had gotten hurt or became a meal for coyotes. One time Heath, the cat, was missing all day. We feared the worst, when one of our landscape crews, working out of town, called and said they saw this cat that looked just like Heath. To our amazement, it was. He had crawled onto the trailer and took a ride all the way to Skidmore! Soon after, Lily and Heath took a trip to the vet for all their shots and were spayed and neutered.

debbieThat was back in 2010. Nowadays, Lily and Heath spend their time in the nursery, working to keep vermin and other pests under control. But most of all they love living here and with all of us; Gills has truly become their kingdom!

-Debbie

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

Ladybugs aren’t true bugs at all, they’re beetles. There are almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America. Female ladybugs can eat as many as 75 aphids in one day, they also like to eat scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Ladybugs smell with their feet and antennae. A ladybug’s jaws chew from side to side instead of up and down like our jaws. The color of a ladybug’s spots begin to fade as it gets older. Ladybugs are most active when their body temperature is 75 degrees or warmer. A ladybug’s bright color warns birds that it does not taste good. When a ladybug flies, its wings beat 85 times every second. Female ladybugs are larger than male ladybugs. Aphids are the first pest to hit in the spring, and they love the new growth on plants. Buy your ladybugs now and keep them dormant in the refrigerator till your first outbreak of aphids, then release a few hundred at a time, preferably after sundown.

deanna-DeAnna

If you have a Hackberry tree or a sago palm you know what I am talking about. Hackberry trees get wooly aphids every June that drip black sooty mold all over everything below the tree. Use Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect & Feed as a soil drench for 9 month insect protection. Since I have been treating my neighbors tree in March or April  I have not had to spray to protect my yard, vehicle, or lawn furniture from the soot. If you have sago palms, use it to prevent and kill all the white bugs on the tops and bottoms of the fronds. They are called Asian cycad. This insect has been around since the year before the snow, so be diligent and treat to help rid the city of this pest.

image c/o Auburn.edu

deanna-DeAnna

Fleas are a huge a problem here in South Texas because they love warm temperatures and high humidity.  That describes our weather almost year around. You don’t even have to own a pet to have a flea problem. But if you do, you should treat in 3 ways. Treat the pet, treat the house, treat the yard. For your pet, consult your  veterinarian for the best treatment for your particular pet. For the house we carry an organic product called Essentria Broadcast Insecticide in an aerosol can. It contains natural essential plant oils and has a fresh scent. Safe on carpets, bedding, and furniture. For the yard, we recommend Natural Guard Spinosad in a hose-end sprayer. Be sure to re-apply every 5-7 days to catch a rehatch since the Spinosad only kills adult fleas. Be persistant and you can win this battle.

deanna–DeAnna

With the flush of tender new growth on plants comes the first hatching of Spring insects. Aphids are usually the first we see and then lots of caterpillars eating the tender leaves. Mother Nature has set out the buffet for all insects to feast on. Pulling out the poison should never be the first line of defense. A few insects here or there does not warrant treating. Many beneficial insects are also out in the Spring looking to feast on all the bad bugs. So just look around and keep an eye on where you may have a problem and see if the good bugs take care of the bad bugs. If not, then try the least toxic approach first. Maybe releasing a few ladybugs in the landscape or a good blast of water to wash away the insects is all you need to do.

image c/o Gilles San Martin

deanna-DeAnna

Do you have plants toppling over? Are the stems of your begonias being eaten at the base? Do you have uneven holes in your veggies along the bottom of the plant? If so, then you may have snails or slugs. These guys love fleshy leaves or stems, and can cause serious problems if left unchecked. The easiest way to check if you have snails or slugs is a beer bait. Get a cheap beer (any beer will do!) and fill a pie tin or large shallow container with it. Leave it in the garden overnight, and come morning check for any visitors. Snails and slugs LOVE beer, and will gorge themselves so much that they won’t be able to get out of the container. It’s an easy and cheap way to check for these ooey gooey pests. IF you do have snails or slugs, treat with Sluggo Plus. It’s best to put it out at night when they come out for dinner!

marta-Marta

THERE’S FUNGUS AMONG US.

With all this rain, our plants are happy to be well watered. But lurking around the corner are the fungal problems bound to happen, especially with roses, squash, and gerbera daisies. Use Fertilome Systemic Fungicide for control of powdery mildew, black spot, etc. It also works best as a preventative measure to stop the problem before it happens. If you’re an organic gardener, try using Serenade Fungicide instead.  -Marta  

We have a fresh shipment of Ladybugs and Beneficial Nematodes!

Fun facts about Ladybugs- Ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all, they’re beetles. There are almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America. Female ladybugs can eat as many as 75 aphids in one day. They also like to eat scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Ladybugs smell with their feet and antennae. A ladybug’s jaws chew from side to side instead of up and down like our jaws. The color of a ladybug’s spots begin to fade as it gets older. Ladybugs are most active when their body temperature is 75 degrees or warmer. A ladybug’s bright color warns birds that it does not taste good. When a ladybug flies, its wings beat 85 times every second. Female ladybugs are larger than male ladybugs. Aphids are the first pest to hit in the spring. They love the new growth on plants. Buy your ladybugs now and keep them dormant in the refrigerator till your first outbreak of aphids, then release a few hundred at a time.

 

Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic creatures that live in soil where they feed on the eggs and larvae of soil borne-pests. They’re voracious predators of fire ants, fleas and white grub worms (the grubs that eat plant roots). Beneficial Nematodes are the ideal organic pest control because they’re a naturallyoccurring predator of pests but they don’t harm plants, animals or people. They’re completely non-toxic and they’re easy to use. You mix the nematodes with water, and then put the solution into a watering can or sprayer. A hose-end type sprayer is fine, as city water is fine to mix with the nematodes. Speaking of water, beneficial nematodes do need rain or supplemental watering in order to live and reproduce in your soil, so they’re not appropriate for dry land farms or completely xeric landscapes. Spray them out now to establish a colony to feed on ants, fleas and
grubs.
–DeAnna  


Fresh Sprouts

Love fresh sprouts, but can’t eat them fast enough before they get old? That was my problem before I got my Botanical Interests Seed Sprouter (sold at our stores). Now I grow my own fresh and healthy sprouts from USDA Certified Organic seed, when I need them and only as much as I need. So easy, in just 7″x7″ on my kitchen counter.
– James
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