As the winter temperatures get colder and the holidays get closer, you may think it’s time to tuck your gardening tools away until spring. The reality is that while gardening may slow down a little in the winter, it doesn’t have to stop. Let’s take a...
How are you doing on your holiday gift list? Do you have quite a ways to go? All I know is that December seems to fly by and before I know it, I’m in scramble mode. Lucky for me I have plenty of gardeners on my shopping list. With that in mind, this blog is...
Rainbow Gardens is embarking on a new blog segment where each month we would like to give a shout out to: a local business that aligns with our way of thinking, a product that we really think is beneficial to learn about, a plant that for one reason or another we...
This time of year, we are inundated with requests for holiday plants and Christmas cactus are usually one of the top requests. We bring in these beautiful schlumbergera and they fly out the doors. However, did you know that what you think might be a Christmas cactus...
The color green symbolizes tranquility, peace, harmony. Can you envision it? The color, so closely intertwined with nature, implies new growth, fresh air, and vibrant health. Hopeful feelings rise as we search for any sign of the hue in our plants and turf when spring...
You probably have heard by now that fall and early winter is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and woody perennials. You have, right? If I’m doing my job right, you have. What I also want to share is that November and December are also a great time to do any...
Anybody have trouble growing marigolds in the heat of summers or even late spring sometimes? I’m raising my hand here. It doesn’t seem to matter how I take care of them; in the early part of the year, my marigolds just say no! They seem to open their doors...
Can you feel it? Windows open in the morning, a sweet scent in the air? Fall is rolling in. Our first true cool front is expected after this weekend and you can bet all our workers at Rainbow Gardens are looking forward to the cooler temperatures. Know what else is...
When fall comes around and the pollinator migration ensues, it’s nice to have a “sure thing’ for plenty of blooms to feed the hungry wayward travelers. Purple Trailing Lantana is one of those plants which blooms happen to coincide with the butterfly...
Cole crops are lining the tables at Rainbow Gardens with the promise of antioxidant-rich veggies at harvest time. That sounds great, right? There is, however, a certain pest that can crush the promise of fresh veggies into smithereens if you are not watching for it...
Just when you thought you were done with grubs, Green June Beetles start showing up in our area. They lay their eggs in the soil and as the eggs hatch, the larvae begins happily munching away at the roots of our turfgrasses, veggies and ornamental plants too! Adult...
Agave are wonderful specimens to include in your San Antonio landscapes. They bring textural interest to your surroundings while providing an evergreen, low maintenance and low water usage plant. They love the sunshine and the heat it produces, most can even tolerate...
Morning is my favorite time to walk through the nurseries at Rainbow Gardens. The gorgeous sunshine (not yet hot) streams through the plants and creates an ethereal atmosphere. In the pleasing morning weather, I can forget about the heat and drought of summer and be...
Fall is the most active time for all butterflies in our city. This is one of the reasons it is important to stay on task with your timing for preparing your landscape to be a nectar haven for these hungry pollinators. Taking action now, will ensure that you have...
“Rain, rain, come and play, keep coming back for many a day!” We all need to be shouting this and dancing as many rain dances as we can. This dry heat has been brutal on us AND all of our plants! Hopefully many of you have chosen to plant native plants or plants that...
Mid July is a good time to think about a few change outs for your gardens, especially vegetable gardens. Soil preparation for the upcoming fall veggie season is also important. Keep in mind that much of your work in the garden during this time is best done in the...
July brings the fall tomatoes into Rainbow Gardens. Really? Yes, really. Trust us, there is method to the madness. Following our “Buy, Bump, Plant and Protect” method will have you enjoying fresh tomatoes in both fall and spring. But you gotta do things early when it...
Thank you June 2022 for doling out a dose of much needed rain during the last couple of days of your month. July, can you please, pretty please, top June? We typically think of July as a garden maintenance month, where we are not doing much planting but rather...
Every summer, the blooms of Pavonia Rock Rose seem to surprise me. While they bloom spring through fall here in San Antonio, I’m always amazed that the plants are still blooming beautifully through the San Antonio summer heat. The candy-pink flowers of Pavonia Rock...
When you walk through the perennials at Rainbow Gardens, you are bound to see a flurry of butterfly action in the lantana section. Profuse, vibrant blooms on a nectar rich plant leaves no doubt as to why the pollinators make lantana a favorite stop for a sip. Today we...