What We Carry At Our Garden Center
Rainbow Gardens has two local garden centers that offer more choices for the home gardener than any other garden center in the region. We offer a diverse selection of plants and products that will make your garden experience complete.Â
Our inventory changes with the seasons, but you can expect to find a vast selection of plants for your gardens including: trees, shrubs, seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits, seeds, roses, houseplants, succulents, annuals, perennials, desert specimen, tropicals, ornamental grasses, gorundcovers and more.Â
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 extend of what Rainbow Gardens has to offer.Â
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
Plant availability is seasonal. Visit our stores for current selections.
Get the Texas Agrilife Vegetable Planting Calendar Here
Here's what's happening in the garden centers this month.
Poinsettias for the Holidays: These vibrant poinsettias add instant holiday cheer to your decorating. They also make great host gifts.
Cool Weather Veggies: Look for lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, kale, mustard greens and other veggies that can tolerate colder weather.
Holiday Cactus: Gorgeous, colorful blooms are popping or getting ready to pop on these holiday favorites. Get one for you and one for a friend.
Winter Berry Producers: Our Thousand Oaks location has a good selection of Yaupon hollies, pyracanthas and other berry producing shrubs that will help feed the local wildlife through winter.
Pansies and Violas: Get a bang for your buck with these cheerful annuals. Pansies and Violas can tolerate frost, and with a regular fertilizer schedule, can offer you color well into the spring. Load up today.
Cyclamen: These brilliantly hued plants make great container arrangements, providing a pop of color through the winter days when color can be scarce. Stock up on our 5 for $30 special going on at both locations.
Onion Sets: While supplies last! Our onion sets go fast, and you need to get them planted before it gets too late in order to harvest the fattest and best quality bulbs that you can! Hurry in.
Seeds and Seed Supplies: Indoor seed starting season is just around the corner (January). Our seed racks are full and our supply shelves are stocked. Get your favorites now.
Houseplants: Houseplants are ALWAYS in season. We've recently loaded up on houseplants so come browse our greenhouses and find something truly unique.  We bet you don't leave with just one.
Visit our Learning Center
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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Spring - Fall Hours:
(Mid Feb - Mid Nov.)
Mon-Sat: 9AM - 5PM
Sun: 10AM - 5PM
Winter Hours
(Mid Nov to Mid Feb)
Mon - Sat: 9AM - 5PM
Sun: 10AM - 5PM
Holiday Hours May Vary
Â
Spring - Fall Hours
(Mid Feb - Mid Nov)
Mon - Sat: 9AM - 5PM
Sun: 10AM - 5PM
Winter Hours
(Mid Nov - Mid Feb)
Mon - Sat: 9AM - 5PM
Sun: 10AM - 5PM
Holiday Hours May Vary
(Check Google Listings)
