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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

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Wildflowers

START TRIMMING NOW! 

Start trimming back now your ornamental grasses (like purple fountain grass and muhly grasses), trees, woody shrubs and vines (except indian hawthorne, azaleas, carolina jasmine that bloom in early spring). I would recommend waiting on the tropicals just a few more weeks, just in case we have a late cold snap.

WAIT TO FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN. 

We all want our lawns to look lush and green all the time but it can’t be in the winter. Don’t think you can “wake up your grass” with fertilizer; fertilizer is taken up with growth, and since the grass is still dormant, it will do no good to feed now. It is best to wait until the grass comes out of winter dormancy which is usually mid March. The best way to tell when to feed is when you need to mow the grass (and not the weeds) every week or so. If you wait to feed, you will see the results you are looking for. It’s also best to attack existing weeds in warm weather (not hot) and sunshine. Since February can be our coldest month, it is usually March before we can take care of those weeds. My thought is, kill the weeds in early March and then fertilize the lawn afterwards. There is no sense in feeding the weeds.

PLANT WILDFLOWERS.

If you missed sowing your wildflowers in the fall, you can try to sow them out right
now. We also have bluebonnet plants in 6 packs ready to transplant, your favorite Ladybird Blue and Aggie Maroon. Seeds of sweet peas and nasturtiums can also be sown in the garden now for spring blooms.

Still time to apply pre-emergents Greenlight Amaze or Fertilome Weed Control With Dimension to prevent more weeds from sprouting and AllSeasons Oil Spray for overwintering insects. Spring is right around the corner and we are all ready for a little gardening therapy. See you in the dirt.

That first cool front in September sure does feel good. And with the new season comes new flowers and time to get back outside and garden. In south Texas September and October is the best time to spread wildflower seeds. With the prediction of a wetter and cooler fall, this is a perfect time to start planning that little bed or large meadow of spring blooming wildflowers. Texas Bluebonnets,(the state flower), Alamo Fire, (the maroon bonnet) , Texas Paintbrush, Indian Blanket, Black-eyed Susan or Lemon Mint are all excellent single varieties to be planted. We also carry a wildflower mix which includes Coreopsis, Indian Blanket, Black-eyed Susan, Lemon Mint, Drummond Phlox, Cornflower, and Corn Poppy for a mixed show of spring color. There are also low growing varieties or a Butterfly/hummingbird mixture. For shady areas, we have a shade mix and also a water wise mix. Pick a spot in the yard, a flowerbed, or the easement strip and go wild this fall. It will reward you with beautiful blooms come spring.

deanna
-DeAnna

That first cool front in fall sure does feel good, and with the new season comes new flowers and time to get back outside and garden. In South Texas September and October are the best months to spread wildflower seeds. With the prediction of a wetter and cooler fall, this is a perfect time to start planning that little bed or large meadow of spring blooming wildflowers.

Texas Bluebonnets (the state flower), Alamo Fire (the maroon bonnet), Texas Paintbrush, and Indian Blanket are all excellent single varieties. We also carry a wildflower mix which includes Coreopsis, Indian Blanket, Black-eyed Susan, Lemon Mint, Drummond Phlox, Cornflower, and Corn Poppy for a mixed show of spring color.

There are also low growing varieties or a Butterfly/hummingbird mixture. For shady areas, we have a shade mix and also a water wise mix.

Pick a spot in the yard, a flowerbed, or the easement strip and go wild this fall. It will reward you with beautiful blooms come spring.

 

-DeAnnadeanna

 

 

 

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!

Growing food organically promotes life – you get delicious and rewarding veggies by keeping it simple and working with nature, including the beneficial organisms in the soil. Join Wyatt Page this Saturday, March 5th at 10am at Gill’s for his talk on organic veggie gardening tips. Here’s a preview from Wyatt! 

  1. Amend the soil.  Great gardens start with great soil. Our Corpus Christi Clay (and Padre Island Sand) need a little help. The key is to incorporate beneficial microbes, enzymes, and fungi that create a perfect environment for plant roots to grow.
  • Nature’s Blend Compost. Till in 1 bag per 12 sf of garden. Helps break up clay soil and adds a bunch of beneficial organic material. Excellent for veggie gardens and all other plantings. 
  • BioTone Starter fertilizer. Add a small handful of BioTone when you plant each plant. A key ingredient in BioTone are mycorrhizal fungi which attach to plant roots and help them grow. 
  • Worm castings and Dried Molasses help encourage soil life too.
  1. No chemicals! Chemical pesticides, fungicides, and weed killers damage beneficial life in your garden. Here are some organic solutions that work: 
  • Bad Bugs and common pests:  Treat bad bugs like aphids, mealy bugs, or leaf miner with organic Spinosad Soap or Neem Oil as needed. Even better than that – let nature do the work and let lady bugs, spiders, and lizards eat them!
  • Fungal issues:  Fungal problems like powdery mildew and rust can be treated with Neem Oil or Bee Safe Garden Spray. You can use horticultural cornmeal when planting to prevent fungal problems like blight.
  • Weeds:  Proper mulching (2-3” thick) is the best way to prevent weeds! Make sure you stay on top of hand pulling as weeds pop up. Spray horticultural vinegar to kill new weeds on contact. 
  1. Get help from pollinators:  Attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies will  help increase vegetable production. In my garden I like to plant Salvias, Turk’s cap, and wildflowers mixed in with all the veggies to attract more pollinators. 
  1. Start small:  Veggie gardening is lots of fun, but it does take time! If you are new to veggie gardening, I would encourage you to start small and build your garden little by little each season. A simple 4×8’ area, raised bed, or a few large pots/containers can produce quite a bit of food! 

See you this Saturday!

-Wyatt

Bring the kids this Saturday, October 8th at 10am to make some wildflower seed balls! It’s time to plant wildflowers and seed balls are such a fun and easy way to do it. We’ll have stations set up with all the supplies, including native wildflower seeds, for kids to make their own seed balls. Here’s a preview – see you Saturday!

What are Seed Balls?

We recently saw the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s recipe for wildflower seed balls and thought this would be a wonderful project for kids here at Gill’s! Seed balls are simply balls formed with our native clay soil + compost, some sand, a little water, and Texas native wildflower seeds. We’ll be using the recommended ‘Lady Bird’s Legacy Wildflower Mix’ and ‘Texas Bluebonnets’ from Native American Seed.

Rather than just scattering the wildflower seeds, the seed balls help to protect them from the elements. All you do is place them on the ground in a spot where they have contact with dirt. No digging required. They’ll break down and ‘plant’ themselves this Fall, then you’ll get to see them bloom next Spring!

We’ll have stations set up with all the supplies for kids to get their hands dirty and make their own batch of seed balls to take home and plant. We’ll be on hand to help out too. Going to be lots of fun – see you Saturday!

December is here! These last few weeks of 2022 are sure to fly by. Our advice: make sure you spend some time in the garden to balance out the hectic holiday season. Here are our top to-do’s this month:  what to plant, gift ideas, holiday plant care, and more.  

Check out our December 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 These in December

There’s always the BEST time to get plants growing and here’s a few that LOVE this season as much as we do!

Strawberries…who could resist picking these sweet jewels in the Spring?

Onions…we grow short-day onion varieties here in South Texas. Lucky for us the 1015 Texas Supersweet is one of those along with tasty Texas Early White & Southern Belle Red.

Roses…our mild winters are perfect for big, beautiful roses & the cooler temps will only make them prettier and the flower color richer.

Trees…shade, flowering, small, big, they all benefit from planting now. Good root development during the cooler months of winter gives them better growth in spring and a deeper, stronger root system to withstand the summer heat.

Ornamental Cabbage…these winter classics need to be planted early this month and enjoyed through the season! Easy care, vibrant colors, and unique texture in the garden.

Alyssum…gorgeous white blooms all winter long. Did you know Alyssum flowers and leaves are edible? They have a pungent horseradish-y flavor.

2. Tips for Holiday Plants

Fresh-cut Christmas Trees…we give all of our trees a fresh cut and get them in water immediately to preserve their freshness. Many customers ask us for another fresh cut before they take the tree home. If you decide to have us do another fresh cut, or if you do it yourself, keep in mind that you have 10 minutes to get the tree in water before that cut seals over! Check water in your tree stand daily and keep it full. If you have pets who like to drink or splash the water, try covering with a piece of foil.

Poinsettias…Think of poinsettias as succulents – because they are! They are a type of euphorbia. That means give them a good drink, but let them dry out between waterings. Also, the leaves bruise and break easily, so avoid touching them as much as possible. So tempting to touch!

Christmas Cactus…Probably the easiest of all holiday plants, and they can last a LONG time! There are stories of Christmas Cacti that have been gifted and passed down through families for 100+ years. They like well-lit areas, but not direct sunlight. Let dry between waterings, then mist the leaves as well as water the soil when its time to water.

Living Holiday Trees…Junipers, Norfolk Pines, Loblolly Pines, Magnolias and Ficus trees all make great Christmas trees that can be planted outside after the holidays. If you bring these in for decorating, be sure they have good bright natural light. Keep watered but not too much, and as soon as the holidays are done…take them outdoors for a breath of fresh air and get them in the ground.

3. Think Gifts for Gardeners!

If you have gardeners on your list this year, we’ve got you covered! Quality tools like these classic French pruning sets, plant-able Christmas cards with wildflowers seeds embedded in them, self-watering ceramic mushrooms, and lots more unique garden gifts. And of course, plants!! If they’re picky, you can’t go wrong with a Gill’s gift card.

4. Plant, Feed, Water Winter Flowers

Winter flowers are AMAZING right now! Violas and Pansies are breathtaking and Geraniums are full of buds and blooms. All that blooming makes them hungry, so take a moment and fertilize your beauties. We love Plant Tone and or Hasta Gro. Both are organic and give you big results. Have that “one more empty pot” to fill?

5. Adjust Your Houseplant Care for Winter

Most houseplants will not experience a complete dormancy period during winter, but they will slow down growth and react to climatic changes like drier conditions inside the house. Give your houseplants more light and less water as temperatures and the amount of daylight hours drop. Dust/shine leaves regularly to ward off insects. Cooler temps = drier conditions and less of the humidity that houseplants love. Try grouping them together to create more humidity, or use a humidifier.

Bring the kids this Saturday, October 12th any time from 10am-2pm to make wildflower seed balls! It’s time to plant wildflowers and seed balls are such a fun and easy way to do it. We’ll have stations set up with all the supplies, including native wildflower seeds, for kids to make their own seed balls. Here’s a preview – see you Saturday!

What are Seed Balls?

Seed balls are simply balls formed with our native clay soil + compost, some sand, a little water, and Texas native wildflower seeds. We’ll be using the recommended ‘Native Texas Mix’ from Native American Seed. Rather than just scattering the wildflower seeds, the seed balls help to protect them from the elements. All you do is place them on the ground in a spot where they have contact with dirt. No digging required. They’ll break down and ‘plant’ themselves this fall, then you’ll get to see them bloom next spring!

This event is free and great for kids ages 2-12. We’ll be on hand to help out. Going to be lots of fun – see you Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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