In my opinion, gardenias have the most beautiful fragrant flowers of all plants. The creamy white flowers look stunning amongst the lush dark green foliage and best of all, gardenias can be grown in containers and pots! The only problem is that gardenias can be fussy plants and won’t flower unless the conditions are just right. An internet forum thread that epitomises this dilemma from Gardenweb.com is a great read: So you want to grow a gardenia, huh? (also known as the infamous suicidal gardenia thread).

Botanical name: Gardenia

Height: 3 ft / 1 m

Spacing: 3 ft / 1 m

Bloom time: Spring to summer.

Foliage: Lush dark green, smooth textured, evergreen leaves.

Soil: Well drained and with plenty of organic material. Gardenias prefer slightly acidic soil. Their roots are sensitive to excess salts - occasionally leach the soil with rainwater to prevent salt build ups.

Sun: Full sun or part shade. Protect from very hot afternoon sun.

Water: Moderate water requirements. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked. Water deeply and frequently.

When to plant: Best to take cuttings in Summer but it’s possible to do it any time of the year.

How to plant: Most commonly propagated from cuttings. Take a cutting about 6 inches, just below a node. The cutting should have 2-3 sets of leaves. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and plant in well draining soil. Mist the new cutting, then cover with a clear plastic bag to provide humidity. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, and mist occassionally. The cuttings will need bright indirect sunlight. A cleaver idea I read about somewhere is to use a clear 2L soda bottle, cut it in half, poke drainage holes in the bottom, fill it up the bottom half of the bottle with your soil mix then plant the cutting in there and water well. Pop the top half of the bottle (without the cap) back on the bottom half and you have a mini-closed-case propagating device. The advantage of this method is that you can see the root ball develop so it’s a good way to know when to plant them out.

Suggested soil: 1/2 potting mix, 1/4 perlite, 1/4 compost and organic material such as cow manure.

Fertilising: Feed monthly through spring, summer and autumn with Azalea and Camellia fertiliser.

Seed collecting: Not sure.

Pests & Diseases: Scale, thrips, aphids and caterpillars.

Tips:

• Apply mulch annually to the soil surface to help retain moisture and keep roots cool.
• Avoid wetting the petals of the flowers to extend the life of your flower blooms.
• Gardenias like a cup of coffee (like me!) every few weeks, particularly if your soil pH is quite alkaline. As you may have guessed, coffee is acidic and gardenias prefer acidic to alkaline. Just make sure you leave out the milk and sugar!
• Prune gardenias after flowering to keep their shape and promote new growth.