What We Carry At Our Garden Center

Rainbow Gardens offers two, local, San Antonio garden centers with a diverse selection of plants, flowers and garden products that will make your home gardening experience complete.

Inventory changes with the seasons, but you can expect to find a variety of plants including: trees, shrubs, seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits, seeds, roses, houseplants, succulents, annuals, perennials, desert specimen, tropicals, ornamental grasses, groundcovers and more.

We also provide products such as: soils, mulch, compost and other soil amendments, fertilizers, pest controls, disease controls, pottery, statuary (including fountains, birdbaths, benches, etc.) garden art, tools, unique gift shops, and so much more. Come visit us to see the full extent of what Rainbow Gardens, your local San Antonio gardening center, has to offer.

Seasonal Gardening Tips

Spring

Prune dead wood on perennials and shrubs (not spring-flowering).
Add 3″ of compost to existing garden beds to prep for planting.
Fertlize cold weather annuals like pansies and violas so they stay beautiful through spring.
Timely lawn care consists of applying weed pre-emergents and sticker bur prevention, and putting down lawn fertilizer.
Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. The earlier you get them planted, the better they will survive their first summer.
Plant warm weather veggies like: tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, and more. You may still need to protect early veggies from late frosts.
Plant warm weather transitional annuals and spring annuals like: alyssum, lobelia, petunias, geraniums, marigolds.
Timely lawn care consists spring fertilizer (organic or synthetic).
Hard prune roses (Feb 14th), and begin fertilizing
Pick your fertilization schedule back up for: houseplants, annuals, perennials, vines, shrubs and trees (shade, hardy fruit, tropical fruit and citrus).

Summer

Mulch, mulch, mulch. Mulching helps cool plants’ roots through summer, conserve moisture in soil, and prevent weeds competing for nutrients.
Try to plant any summer veggies as early as possible. Many veggies cease to produce once temperatures get high. Plant okra, melons, pumpkins (in July).
Purchase citrus. Grow in pots for the first 4 years to easily offer winter protection during these vulnerable years.
Tropical fruit trees should be in the nursery now.
Pest activity ramps up during summer, so keep an eye on your gardens. Prevention and early detection are key to pest control.
Watch for lawn pests like grubs and chinch bugs, treat with a product containing Immidacloprid.
Lawn fungus and disease may appear (brown patch, take all patch). Treat with a labeled fungicide.
Garden during early morning or late evening hours when the sun isn’t as intense to protect yourself.
Enjoy tropical and semi-tropical plants like hibiscus, canna, esperanza, Pride of Barbados, duranta.

Fall

Fall is pollinator season! The peak migration generally happens in October, so you need to buy your pollinator plants end of August/early September to have them ready for the butterflies and hummingbirds.
Early tomatoes arrive at the tail end of summer into the earliest of fall (protect from extreme heat).
A ‘second spring’ arrives with fall. You can plant another round of warm weather veggies like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and more.
Fall is the best time to plant strawberries.
First rounds of cold weather veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, greens, etc.) will be right on the tail of the 2nd round of warm veggies. Offer protection from high temperatures and direct sun and keep well-watered.
Late fall brings garlic, onions sets, and shallots.
Fall is the absolute BEST time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and woody vines. they are able to establish roots through winter and be ready to face their first hot summer (early spring is second best planting season).
Lawn care consists of applying weed pre-emergents and organic lawn fertilizer (early fall), or synthetic 18-6-12 lawn fertilizer/winterizer (mid fall). Fungus issues can develop with cooler night temps. Prevent with labeled fungicide and by not watering at night.

Winter

Watch weather forecasts diligently to be ready to protect susceptible plants from winter damage. Make space in your garage and other indoor spaces for tender outdoor container plants.
Purchase frost cloth protection (N-Sulate, Plankets) for tender new transplants and for any non-cold hardy plants that you can’t move indoors. Make sure plants are covered completely (all the way to the ground), and uncover during the day when temps rise and sun is out.
Mulch outdoor plants to add another layer of insulating protection.
Make sure you have a plan to protect your pipes.
Purchase holiday plants like poinsettia, Christmas cactus, topiary evergreens.
Force Amaryllis bulbs indoors for gorgeous holiday color (then plant bulb in spring outdoors).
Pansies and Johnny Jump Ups can handle freezes and will give you color through spring.
Hardy fruit and nut trees can be planted through winter.
Indoor seed starting begins in January. Gather seeds, seed starting pots and soil mixes, grow lights, etc.
In December, plant spring bulbs that have been chilling for 8-12 weeks (tulips, hyacinth).

Our Garden Center

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Plant availability is seasonal. Visit our stores for current selections.

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Caladiums: These colorful foliage plants thrive in warm temperatures. They can create a striking visual when planted in mass. Morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect for these beauties.

Pentas: Pentas push out big clusters of bold, beautiful blooms that the butterflies love to stop at. For best flowering, pentas need sunshine, but throught the hottest of our summer temps, late afternoon shade is appreciated.

A close up of a Pride of Barbados in a San Antonio landscape.

Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima): This just may be summer's "IT" plant. Large blooms of fiery red, orange and yellow color with sit atop fern like foliage with this root-hardy perennial that shines in summer here in San Antonio. This one can take the full Texas sun.

Bougainvillea: These gorgeous vining plants look like they belong in a tropical oasis, but they can actually be root hardy here in San Antonio. Fertilize them Feb through September for best color show. Keep them slightly rootbound in pots, they love it.

Pink crape myrtles come in several hues of the color.

Crape Myrtles: Our Crape Myrtle selection is outstanding! Summer is when most crape myrtles start putting out their blooms and it is a great time to come shop with your eyes to pick out the exact color you desire.

Basil: Basil is a warm weather lover and while you may know of Sweet Basil, commonly used in Italian dishes, do you realize how many varieties of basil are out there? Cinnamon, Purple Ruffles, Cardinal (featured pic: a favorite with the pollinators), Thai, Lemon, and the list goes on and on!

Hardy Hibiscus: Gorgeous hibiscus that are perennials? Yes, Please! These large bloomers produce new flowers each day, and lend to giving your landscpae or container gardens a tropical feel with a hardy plant that will come back each year. Look for variteies like "Midnight Marvel", "Luna" varieites, and "Texas Star".

Fungus Control: Fungus issues can get exacerbated by hot, humid weather and an influx of moisture. Lawn fungus like Brown Ptach and Leaf Spot are no longer just a fall problem. Powdery Mildew can affect many plants in the landscape. Come see us for the right formula for your needs.

Purslane and Portulaca: Hot weather loving annuals like purslane and portulaca are favorite selections for summer. These tough, sun-loving, drought-tolerant plants push our vibrantly hued blooms even through our hottest days. Great for borders, containers and hanging baskets.

Salvias: Tis the season of blooming salvias. You just can't go wrong when you include these tried and true options in your gardens. We have an astounding number of varieties to choose from that range in colors and sizes. Salvias bloom spring through fall, for multiple season interest.

Summer Perennial Color: Canna, Hardy Hibiscus, Pride of Barbados and more bring bright, vibrant color to the hot summer days. These colorful plants thrive in hot weather when many other perennials decline in blooms.

Tropical water lily water plants floating in the water.

Water Plants/Pond Plants: Beautify your ponds and areas of your landscape without sufficient drainage. Water plants not only help create a gorgeous oasis, but they can actually help slow the growth of algae, and if you have fish in your pond, they help shade and protect them from predators. Learn more here and get list of our latest arrivals.

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For more blogs and growing guides for specific plants, be sure to visit our Learning Center.

You will find information on Trees/Shrubs, Annuals/Perennials, Turf/Lawn, Edibles (veggies, herbs, fruits and berries), Houseplants, Native Plants, Pollinators, Cactus/Succulents, Roses, Pests/Disease, and more.

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