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Originally Posted by NYCorchidman
This is the only one I have bought so far and only thing I've seen in stores.
I've seen a large and single flowered ones at a garden long time ago.
I much prefer this rose shaped gardenia.
I love the fragrance so I buy them everytime I see them, but I don't keep them.
They are like spidermites magnets in my apartment. also they drop yellow leaves like crazy as well. lol
I don't see how your family couldn't care less about such beautiful and fragrant flowers.
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Interesting. They most widely available variety down here is veitchii, closely followed by mystery.
August beauty is supposedly winter hardy to zone seven. Might be why it's the one that's sold so often in your area.
I prefer the rose ones as well. But the single ones are generally small bushes, and the varying differences in form and scent are really pleasing to me. I'm endlessly fascinated by the differences in gardenias.
That's also interesting! I have about 5 August beauties planted in a semi circle around a pink angel trumpet. This whole year has been (and still is) a huge battle with spider mites on the angel trumpet, but my gardenias remain untouched.
My family didn't care much about flowers in general, and half of them despise fragrance. So the combo leads to a general disinterest in my garden.
Sometimes something catches their eye. Never what I expect though. Last time it was a basic purple clematis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbuchman
I love the smell of gardenias. How envious I am that you can grow them outdoors. Here is my gardenia story.
I have had this plant for 39 years! When I was a freshman in College (in1974-1975), I got it for free from the Coca Cola company. Back in those days, vending machines provided Coke in paper cups. If you sent in a large number of proof-of-purchase seals from the cups, you got a plant. It came bare rooted in a plastic bag in a business envelope via the mail. Now it is about 4 feet tall and almost as wide. It is potted - outdoors in summer and indoors in winter. I am continually fighting scale and mealy bugs on it, but I refuse to give up. It's been blown over in storms and the top broken off multiple times. It will bloom shortly on my patio and the entire area will smell wonderful. My husband keeps encouraging me to take a cutting and get rid of the big plant - I just can't do it.
I took this picture a few years ago.
Attachment 82592 |
39 years? That's impressive!
I've got 3 that are at least 15 years old but wow!
What a great deal... drink the soda your gonna drink anyway and get a gardenia.
What a beautiful flower. From the picture and description I'd like to think it's a veitchii, but there are some similar hybrids and all that jazz.
Take a cutting! Although almost all gardenias are grafted, they are even more temperamental own root lol. But who knows, that may be the secret to success.
But still keep the big plant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Picotee
I love gardenias and have a couple of blooming size plants in buckets. They grow beautifully but the buds drop off. I've tried them in full sun and in semi-shade. Moist, not soaked. Fert monthly. What's the secret to success with these babies?
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I wish I could tell you. Gardenias seem to decide on their own.
I have two August beauties in my back planter, directly next to each other. Literally a foot apart. After around 6 months one is thriving, the other is dying.
Can't figure out why. Same thing had happened with a few other varieties as well.
I can tell you what I do.
My soil is half azalea/camellia soil, and well composted horse manure.
I water... um... maybe once a week? I've noticed a little too wet is a faster track to issues than a little too dry.
I mulch with oak leaf mold, and fertilize after each flush of blooms with some azalea fertiliser.
Part sun, mine get a few hours of direct sun on the morning or afternoon. Or both, but dappled light the test of the day. Full sun is a great way to kill gardenias in my area.
That's it. The first year is the most critical with a gardenia. My really established bushes are not picky at all.
They live in alkaline soil, never get fertilized, and only get watered every few weeks or so. And I don't water them at all for half the year.
What else... They don't like frost. I don't get frost here so that's not an issue. They don't mind cold temps, but frost is a no.
Mine get down to the mid twenties to thirties every year for months.
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