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It’s that wonderful time again in South Texas! Easter is right around the corner and we’ve been enjoying some amazing weather – and some spring rain!! Conditions are just right for gardening and gathering with family and friends for holidays. Time to dress up our outdoor spaces. Here are a few simple tips for big impact!

Baskets & Tubs of Flowers = Instant Wow

Nothing is quicker and easier than adding some well-placed hanging baskets and tubs of blooming flowers. Think Begonias and Coleus for entry ways, shaded patios, and overhangs. Think Purslane and Salvias for sunny spots, and think Silver Falls Dichondra for adding lush contrast.

Basket tip: don’t water hanging baskets over the top or they will flatten out. Instead, lift up the foliage and water from the side, directly onto the soil.

Add a Few Special Potted Arrangements

Look at these arrangements we made with Salvia + Ryegrass, aka Easter Grass! Simple, gorgeous, and ready to go. Think about adding some special arrangements like these to your holiday table – indoors or out. Or come use our potting shed and create your own arrangements from our huge palette of plants!

Button Up with Mulch!

Fresh mulch makes gardeners and gardens happy. We only carry natural mulches at Gill’s, free from chemicals, so the mulch breaks down over time and feeds your soil and plants. Our only dyed mulch, Black Velvet, is dyed black using mushrooms! Is there a better feeling than standing back and looking at a freshly mulched landscape?! In the spirit of spring and Easter and tidying up – we’ve got ALL mulch on sale for 20% off through 4/4/24!

Join us rain or shine this Saturday, February 17th at 10am for Spring Kickoff with Gill’s founder and Master Naturalist James Gill! We’ve made it to mid February…that means Spring is here!! It’s time to cut away the brown and bring on the green. You’ve probably already noticed new green growth and new buds – the plants know! We’re so excited to have James back this Saturday to discuss proper pruning, planting, veggie gardening, designing your landscape, native plants, lawn care, and lots more. You’re sure to hear some good gardening stories. Bring your questions! Click below to watch James’ video preview. See you Saturday!

We can’t wait to see everyone! Stay tuned here and follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ll continue to post updates about talks and events. We have lots more to come throughout the year!

The weather this week is making us want to get outside and garden!! We’re stocking up on veggies, Texas native plants, trees, and lots of flowers and blooming perennials as we head into Spring! Here’s our top 7 gardening tasks to focus on this month to kickstart an amazing season.

1. Be Ready for Cool Weather and Start Planting!

Keep your eye on the forecast for cold snaps, but don’t delay your planting projects. Cool season flowers, trees, shrubs, veggies, and more need to be planted this month to take advantage of cool weather and get a head start on root growth. If we do get another freeze, new plants are easy to cover!

2. Start Your Veggies!

It’s time to start veggie favs like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, beans, lettuces/greens, & more! Prep those beds with Nature’s Blend compost and get going. If you’re short on space, use containers! Stop by and we’ll help you plan your veggie garden and get you everything you’ll need for a bountiful harvest.

3. Come Learn All About Growing Tomatoes with DeAnna This Saturday at 10!

Tomatoes need to be planted early this month. So….join us this Saturday, 2/3 at 10am for our garden talk, Tomato Time with DeAnna Baumgartner, Gill’s manager and tomato expert! DeAnna will share valuable tips for growing all kinds of tomatoes in the ground and in containers or raised veggie beds. This talk is great for beginners and experienced tomato growers alike. Bring your questions and share your plant knowledge as we hang out and talk about everything tomatoes. We’ll hold the talk outside if the weather’s nice, or inside the greenhouse if not. One attendee will win a $100 Gill’s gift card, and we’ll do some other giveaways too!

4. Keep Feeding Veggies & Flowers

Blooming plants need food! Veggies are especially heavy feeders – they need to be able to sustain blooming and producing fruit. We recommend mixing in a little Bio-Tone Starter when you plant, which contains mycorrhizal fungi that promotes root growth. Then feed with a good organic, granular plant food like Plant-Tone or Medina Growin Green once a month, and supplement with liquid organic Hasta Gro in between. An easy way to remember this is to set an alarm or calendar event for granular feeding on the 1st of the month, then Hasta Gro on the 15th. These will add nutrients to your plants and keep your soil alive and healthy too.

5. Mid February = Time to Prune!

February is the time to get plants cut back to make way for big spring growth! Since we just had a freeze, we recommend waiting another week or so until mid-February. Most perennials like Lantana, Turk’s Cap, and Salvias need a good pruning back to about 4-8″ – don’t be shy! For any plants with woody stems/branches (like Esperanza and Hibiscus) that look dead or damaged, do the scratch test before pruning. Start up high and scratch with your fingernail, a dime, or the back side of a knife. Don’t scratch too deep. If you see the bright green cambium layer (like the photo), that means it’s still alive! If you see brown/gray when you scratch, keep working your way down the plant until you see green. That will tell you where to cut. As always, contact Gill’s if you’re not sure or have questions about whether or how to prune specific plants.

6. Keep Watch for Winter Insects

Scale is a variety of hard bodied sucking insects that range in appearance from white oyster shells to brown boogers stuck to the leaves of plants. Some of their favorites are Burford Holly, Bird of Paradise, Flax Lily, & Irises. They are easily controlled with a spray of organic All Seasons Oil Spray, but it must be done now. The oil spray literally coats and suffocates the the eggs that are waiting for spring to hatch. It’s also good for treating indoor plants that may have scale or spider mites.

7. Got Weeds?

Right now, hand pulling the thistle while the ground is moist and keeping the clover mowed before it flowers are the best options to control 2 of our most common weeds. Weed killer sprays (like Weed B Gon) work with warm weather and sunshine with no rain or heavy night fog. We need to wait to spray until temperatures are consistently between 75-80 degrees. Be patient and wait a few more weeks since you should only spray one time or you risk damaging your lawn.

Check out our February Garden Guide for more tips!

As of right now, NOAA (our preferred source for weather forecasts) shows cold weather starting Sunday night (1/14) through Wednesday morning (1/17), with temperatures dipping below freezing Monday and Tuesday nights. That means we’re busy preparing to protect plants here at Gill’s! We want you to be prepared too – here’s how.

1. Water all plants well. It sounds counterintuitive, but watering will help keep the ground temperature warmer by filling tiny air pockets in the soil.

2. Cover cold-sensitive/tropical plants (like Dracenas, Ti plants, Crown of Thorns, Schefflera, Ixora) and tender new plants. Cold-tolerant plants that were recently planted in the ground (like trees, Boxwoods, Hawthorns, etc.) do not need to be covered, just watered well.

Gather supplies now, but wait until Sunday afternoon/evening to cover your plants. Keep your eye on the weather – it could change!
We have pre-cut frost blankets and frost protection cloth that can be cut to your desired shape, or you can use quilts, bedsheets, towels, etc.
Make a tent to capture ground warmth. Wrapping plants like a lollipop will not be effective. Make your tent and use whatever you have to weigh down the edges, like anchor pins, bricks, firewood, garden hoses, rocks, etc. Remember – the most important thing is to capture ground warmth. The ground temperature will remain warmer than the air. Watch Wyatt’s demo video below!
Consider cutting back tall shrubs. If you have taller shrubs like Esperanza that would be difficult or impossible to cover, consider cutting it back to a few feet tall so you can cover it.

3. Bring in potted plants. Since potted plants don’t have the advantage of retaining ground warmth, they are more susceptible to cold temps. Bring them into the house or garage if you can. If they are too big or heavy, water them well, lay them over on the ground, and cover the whole plant (pot and all) with the tent method.

We can’t cover all of the information about freeze protection here, but you can give us a call or stop by if you have questions. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ll continue to post how-to’s and updates.

Click to Watch – How to Cover Plants for the Freeze!

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!

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve talked to lots of customers about adjusting watering for winter. Most are still watering too much. Plants and lawns need less water, but it’s been tricky to gauge lately with warmer weather and intermittent rain. Here are a few winter watering do’s and don’ts.

DO: Slow Down Watering for Established Lawns and Plants

Slowing down watering will slow metabolism in your trees, shrubs, groundcovers, lawns, and potted plants, and this makes them more tolerant of a freeze. Also, excessive frequency of lawn watering in winter makes grass more susceptible to Take All Root Rot fungus.

DON’T: Run Sprinklers More than Once Every 2 Weeks

At this point (mid-December through the end of January), most sprinkler systems should be turned off and only used as needed, and no more than once every 2 weeks. If freezing temperatures are in the forecast, run the sprinklers the previous afternoon to add heat to the soil and fill air spaces in the soil with water to exclude the cold air.

DO: Continue to Water Winter Flowers and Veggies

Newly planted trees and shrubs, newly potted plants, and winter annual flowers and vegetables in active growth will need more regular watering, and may be particularly sensitive to a cold, low-humidity dry north wind. If there are zero clouds in the sky, and you are licking your lips, and there is a stiff breeze blowing, that dry breeze can necessitate watering despite the cool/cold temperatures.

DON’T: Be Fooled by Light Rainfall

We typically don’t get much significant rainfall in December and January, we get periodic misty drizzle. Keep in mind that even if it drizzles all day, very little moisture penetrates our heavy clay soil. This fascinating article from Texas A&M explains that it takes a whopping 2.5″ of rain to fully penetrate and soak clay soil down to 12″ deep. So, even if we get a little rain, it’s important to continue to water new plants, winter flowers and veggies. When in doubt, use a moisture meter!

Gill’s is here to be your holiday stress antidote! Come take a stroll and pick out a few gifts for the green thumbs on your list. We’ll help you find the right plants, useful tools, nature gifts for kids, holiday cards, and all kinds of other unique and fun gifts to help connect your loved ones to the outdoors. Here’s 12 of our favs.

1. Gifts that Grow

Now is a great time to plant winter flowers like petunias, geraniums, and snapdragons, and they’re quick and easy to plant! Easy for Santa to sneak in and secretly plant a few flowers.

Roses, herbs, and onions are all great to plant right now too. Or if you want to make it a truly memorable holiday, plant a tree! Remember that trees benefit greatly from being planted in fall and winter, including citrus trees! And if you don’t want to do any digging, we’ll plant it for you.

2. Poinsettias and Other Holiday Classics

Poinsettias are THE classic holiday décor and centerpiece for holiday meals. They make great gifts for teachers, bosses, coworkers, and friendly acquaintances – they just make people happy!

A blooming Christmas Cactus or Kalanchoe is great too, or a small living holiday tree like a juniper, Norfolk pine, or rosemary. We can gift wrap these for you. Easy wow!

3. Custom-Planted Pottery

Let us help you put together something totally unique! Choose the pots and plants and we can pot it all up for you. Houseplants, flowers, herbs, native plants for pollinators, and lots more can stand alone or be combined in the right pot.

4. Quality Garden Tools

We don’t carry a huge selection of tools, just nice tools that are made to last. Pruners, loppers, kitchen/herb shears, or even a quality sharp-shooter shovel make great gifts. Working with quality tools makes gardening a lot more fun.

5. Soothing Wind Chimes

Lots of different tones and styles for relaxing in the garden, including our favorite chimes of all time, Music of the Spheres. Hand-made and hand-tuned here in TX.

6. “Gordo” Birdhouses + Bird Baths

These Gordo birdhouses have been a huge hit this fall. People seem to love them and birds too! Pair these with a nice stone bird bath and some bird-attracting plants and you’ll make the birders on your list very happy.

7. Cyanotype Print Kits

Cyanotype photography or printing is a technique that involves laying an object, like a leaf, on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to light to create stunning white and blue images. The kit comes with everything you need to make your own prints! Just find the leaves and flowers you want to capture – no darkroom or other tools required!

8. Silverware Herb Markers

These might be our fav garden markers we’ve ever seen. Herb markers etched into old silverware!

9. Rain Chains

Rain chains are THE gift for nature lovers who enjoy the soothing sound of rain. They’re a beautiful alternative to gutter downspouts, guiding rainwater gently into planting beds.

10. Houseplant Cutting Jars

Our cutting jars make great gifts for houseplant lovers. We collect interesting glass jars and use LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) + water as the growing medium for cuttings. We have some ready to go, or all the supplies for you to make your own.

11. Nature-Themed Children’s Books and Holiday Cards

This year, we’re featuring new children’s books and holiday cards by author and illustrator Phoebe Wahl. Her first book, Sonya’s Chickens, was the recipient of the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, and her most recent book, Little Witch Hazel is an Indie Bestseller. Perfect gifts for a young gardener!

12. When in Doubt – Gift Cards!

Can’t go wrong with a Gill’s gift card! Good for plants or services too. You could give the gift of landscape design, a food garden next Spring, a planted tree, or anything else we provide. We can help you with ideas too!

After a long summer, the recent rains and cooler temps have worked wonders for our lawns and landscapes. Everything is bursting with new growth, which means everything is using a lot of energy, which means…we need to fertilize!! Use our simple fertilizing tips and you’ll see a big difference: healthier, stronger, more disease and pest-resistant, and more beautiful lawns and plants! Here’s how.

First off, let’s clear up a couple of common misconceptions about fertilizing. Don’t wait for rain in the forecast to fertilize. Yes, granular fertilizer needs to be watered in, but gently. Rain will actually wash most of it away into the street rather than down into the lawn. Wait for a few dry days in a row to fertilize. Also, don’t try to treat for weeds and fertilize at the same time. It doesn’t work! That’s why we don’t sell and don’t recommend “weed and feed” type products. Treat for weeds first, wait a couple weeks, then fertilize.

Now, on to the tips! We carry a few different fertilizers that do slightly different things for different plants, but you really only need one – Medina Growin Green! One 40lb bag of Medina Growin Green covers 3,000 sq. ft. of lawn and you can use it on everything else too! It’s all organic and works like magic on lawns, veggie gardens, trees, shrubs, flowers, blooming perennials, you name it.

Make it easy on yourself and borrow one of our lawn spreaders which will apply an even layer of fertilizer to the lawn. Then water it in by hand or by sprinkler, just not too much. Granular fertilizer, like Medina Growin Green, is meant to slowly work it’s way down into the root system. You’ll still see some bits of fertilizer on the surface after you water it in which is A-OK. Take the remainder of the bag and “chicken feed” it around the base of your other landscape plants, veggies, herbs, and flowers. For trees and larger shrubs, sprinkle fertilizer out away from the trunk at the drip line (aka the outer edge where rainwater drips down).

Follow this schedule: fertilize lawns, trees, and hardy shrubs with Medina Growin Green once this fall (right now!). Fertilize veggies, flowers, and blooming perennials once a month. Since veggies are heavy feeders, you can follow up with liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks. Simple and very effective!!