salvia

In honor of Texas Native Plant Week, we’re hosting the South TX Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas for an informative garden talk this Saturday, October 25th at 10! Rain or shine. Bring your native + pollinator questions! Plus, we’ll be having a big native plant sale all weekend. All TX native plants up to 5gal size are 20% off! There’s a reason why native plant week is held in October – that’s when so many of our natives look their best, AND it’s the best time to plant em! Take a look at just a small sample of the natives putting on a show at Gill’s right now. See y’all Saturday!

Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus)

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)

Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) – Yellow too!

Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)

Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea)

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Gulf Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) “White Cloud”

Think cacti and succulents only thrive in blazing deserts? Think again! Many of these low-water superstars can handle surprisingly chilly weather — some even laugh in the face of frost. If you’re dreaming of a garden that looks lush and sculptural year-round without fussing over freezes, these cold-hardy species will keep your landscape looking sharp.

Agave Royal Flush (Agave ‘Royal Flush’)

Cold tolerance: down to 10°F
With its striking red-edged leaves, ‘Royal Flush’ is a showstopper that keeps its good looks even when temperatures dip. Plant it in well-drained gravelly soil and give it plenty of sunlight. Avoid winter wetness—it’s cold-hardy, not soggy-hardy!

Agave Blue Artichoke (Agave parryi truncata)

Cold tolerance: to -10°F
A garden designer’s dream, this compact, symmetrical agave looks like a modern sculpture dusted in silver-blue. It thrives in full sun and dry conditions. Give it excellent drainage—raised planters or rock gardens work perfectly.

Agave Celsii (Agave mitis var. celsii)

Cold tolerance: around 15°F
This soft, smooth-leaved agave is friendlier to handle than most. It appreciates some protection from heavy frost, so tuck it near a wall or an area with some wind protection. It’s great in containers you can move to shelter during a hard freeze.

Agave Whale’s Tongue (Agave ovatifolia)

Cold tolerance: to -10°F
Majestic and bold, this big beauty earns its name from its broad, curving leaves. Whale’s Tongue thrives in full sun and poor soil—just don’t let it sit in moisture. It’s one of the toughest cold-hardy agaves around!

Texas Sotol (Dasylirion texanum)

Cold tolerance: to 0°F
Native to the Lone Star State, Sotol forms a spiky fountain of narrow, serrated leaves. It’s drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and perfectly adapted to Texas winters. Great for xeriscapes and mixed desert plantings. Also stunning as a stand-alone specimen in a container.

Soft Leaf Yucca (Yucca recurvifolia)

Cold tolerance: to -10°F
True to its name, this yucca has flexible, arching leaves that won’t bite your ankles. It produces tall flower spikes in summer and stays evergreen through winter. Plant in well-drained soil and full sun, and it’ll handle frosty nights with grace.

Squid Agave (Agave bracteosa)

Cold tolerance: to 10°F
This wavy, tentacle-like agave adds whimsy to any landscape. Unlike most agaves, it lacks spines—so it’s child- and pet-friendly. It’s also one of the few agaves that prefer shade. We’ve even used it under dense oak trees with great success.

Espostoa lanata (Peruvian Old Man Cactus)

Cold tolerance: to 20°F (light frost)
This fuzzy fellow looks like it’s already wearing a winter coat! The white “hair” protects it from both sun and chill, but it prefers a dry, sheltered winter—so if frost threatens, cover or bring it under a porch.

Yucca rostrata (Beaked Yucca)

Cold tolerance: to -20°F
The ultimate statement plant for a cold desert garden! This tall, trunked yucca with a pom-pom crown of fine blue leaves is as tough as it is elegant. It thrives on neglect—meaning don’t over-water.

Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.)

Cold tolerance: varies by species, many down to -30°F
The classic Texas cactus! Hardy, heat-loving, and bird-friendly, Prickly Pear adds color with its yellow blooms and red fruit. Plant in full sun, sandy soil, and avoid watering in winter. Bonus: the pads and fruit are edible!

Cholla Cactus (Cylindropuntia spp.)

Cold tolerance: to -10°F
Armed with spiny joints that shimmer in the sun, chollas add bold structure to dry gardens. Give them space, drainage, and gloves! They’re striking when backlit by sunrise or sunset.

Easter Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

Cold tolerance: to 20°F
This round, ribbed cactus can reach basketball size and produces fiery orange blooms. It prefers rocky, well-drained soil and a dry winter rest. If temps dip below 20°F, protect it with frost cloth or a temporary cover.

Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)

Cold tolerance: to 15°F
The golden globe of the desert! Golden Barrels glow year-round and look amazing grouped in gravel beds. In colder zones, grow in containers so you can move them inside during freezes.

Yellow & Red Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe parviflora)

Cold tolerance: to -20°F
Did you know that what we commonly call Red Yucca is not actually a true yucca? Red yucca belongs to the asphodel family (Asphodelaceae), which is also home to agaves, while true yuccas are in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). In any case, it’s a hummingbird magnet with tall spikes of coral-red or sunshine-yellow blooms! Hesperaloe thrives in neglect and poor soil. Once established, it’s virtually indestructible—just plant in full sun and enjoy the show. No need to worry about a freeze!

Happy Holidays, gardeners! We hope you’re having fun with family and friends and enjoying nice weather outdoors. We’re back open regular hours December 26th through December 30th. We’ll be open 9-2 New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day. Cheers to 2026! p.s. – check out these amazing cookies from our Gill holiday party!

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!

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!