Gardenias!

[Ordphien]

My gardenias are just beginning to bloom. Except veitchii, which always has at least one bloom on it, but it's produced its first flush of the growing season.
Anyhow... I'm excited and I just had to share it with someone, so why not you guys?
My family really couldn't care less.

I planted 10 different kinds in the past three years (most of them were last year) so I'm really looking forward to the show.

So far only three gardenias have started blooming.

First up is veitchii.
This guy was planted... I wanna say last August. He's literally tripled in size. Now around 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall. The fragrance has peppery tones to it, and the height of the bloom takes on an incredible creamy sweetness.

He resides in a large pot by my patio table.
This is first flush. I've been steadily harvesting blooms for my house, so he missing about 1/2 of the blooms he had. And he's got about 15 more that have yet to open.

He's truly an ever bloomer. He always has at least 1 flower in between flushes, even in the dead of winter.
And his flushes of blooms last longer than other gardenias as the blooms open a few at a time.

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[Ordphien]

This is white gem.
A whopping one foot tall and wide, it's a rather small gardenia. The blooms are single, and rather large for the plant.
They reach a sizeable 3-4 inches.
This guy has just started opening his blooms.
The fragrance has warm buttery hints to it, and a sweet fruity under tone.
I would like to apologise for the state of my photos as its very hard for me to get a picture of those white blooms against such dark foliage.
The flowers turn yellow much earlier than other gardenias. But continue to stay on the plant, which is a very pleasing colour combination.


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[Ordphien]

And finally August beauty.
A really great bloomer. There's no winter or spring displays from this gal. But once she starts she doesn't stop till winter hits again.
The flower production is constant. And it has a wonderful habit of producing flowers singularly, and in clusters of three to five.
The bush is currently around 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
The flowers are around 4-5 inches across and never open fully (at least for me).
The fragrance is of gardenia and hints of sweet jasmine.

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[Ordphien]

Gardenias that have lots of buds but haven't opened yet.
Aimee
Miami Supreme
Radicans
Golden Magic
Klein's Hardy
Frost Proof
Mystery


And finally, the ultimate prize of the gardenia, floating them in bowls around the house.

When in bloom I like to take one of each kind, and float them together in bowls around my house. The different subtleties in the scent mingle beautifully, and its really interesting to see the different flower forms together.

The first bowl is in my living room. You can really see the colour difference a few days makes in the white gem variety. And the difference in form between all three.
The second one is in my bedroom next to my pillow.

The little white flowers are from a jasmine vine, mixes nicely both visually and fragrance wise.


Later in the year I get to add in my various jasmine. Including all my Arabian jasmine which are just heavenly.
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[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

And finally August beauty.
A really great bloomer. There's no winter or spring displays from this gal. But once she starts she doesn't stop till winter hits again.
The flower production is constant. And it has a wonderful habit of producing flowers singularly, and in clusters of three to five.
The bush is currently around 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
The flowers are around 4-5 inches across and never open fully (at least for me).
The fragrance is of gardenia and hints of sweet jasmine.

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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.

[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.

[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?

[cbuchman]

For me the success is acid fertilizer. I buy Mir-acid Which is now Miracle Grow for acid loving plants (unfortunately, the box now look the same as regular Miracle-Gro!). for me this is the most critical element for success. I do sometimes have bud drop, but usually enough to care about.

[Picotee]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

For me the success is acid fertilizer. I buy Mir-acid Which is now Miracle Grow for acid loving plants (unfortunately, the box now look the same as regular Miracle-Gro!). for me this is the most critical element for success. I do sometimes have bud drop, but usually enough to care about.

Thanks, Carrie. Have you ever used coffee grounds?

[cbuchman]

I've never tried coffee grounds.