Week 2: Fortunata Gardenia

Week 2: Not so hardy Gardenia

What sort of conditions are you giving the hardy species? Mine is now completely away from direct light. It faces a southern window but no direct sun at all.

Actually the first one I got from Logees came half dead. It had two stalks and one was completely dead and looked fried (the day I got it, itself, not weeks later). So I called, complained and received another one.

I planted both, old (half alive) and new together in a 6" plastic pot. The new one is doing okay- it actually grew a bud (which of course aborted) and is slowly growing leaves. The old stalk next to it has done nada. But is still green. I have not had any yellowing or burnt leaves.

The fortuniana just gave me the best goodbye present ever. The day before I was leaving town- all four of it's remaining buds opened. Four, together!! My jasmine sambac was also throwing out a magnificent show. Magnificent for me at least- I'm sure some of you more experienced growers are not so easily satisfied. Anyway, when I entered my home that evening, it smelled like a beautiful garden. It really made my week!

Are you misting/showering the plants? I hadn't gotten to shower the fortuniana in months coz it was growing buds and I was petrified of angering it. I just gave it a good bath yesterday since all the flowering is complete.

I took some pics with an old ratty camera, and when I have time will try to post them.

Keep this diary going Mersiepoo-

Glad you got a great bon voyage party from your plants! Wow, they must really like you to do that! :) Wow..all four open at once, you must have some psychic 'plant connection' to them. I'm very impressed!

When I got it, the 'hardy' one has a few teeny older blackened stems on the lower part of it, it came that way (really!), not sure if the thing is slowly dying as it is. Might try calling them tomorrow to 'be safe' if my 15 days aren't up yet.

I mist the planties every day, and I also fill up the bottom of the terra cotta thingy with water. There aren't many drafts where they are. So far no sudden deaths, but not sure why some of the older leaves of the 'hardy' are turning black. I moved the hardy out of the sun just in case it's getting too much..I also put the fortunata in the shade too. So far it hasn't thrown its buds onto the ground to break my spirit. Yet! There's always tomorrow, ha ha ha!

I got a single flower on my 'arabian tea jasmine' already, I love those soo much! I also got a night blooming cereus, hopefully I can keep that alive for a few years so it'll flower for me. If I'm lucky!

I'm so glad you got a nice present from your gardenias... My buds are still green, but haven't dropped. Haven't gotten any bigger either though. No news is good news....

;) I'll keep up the photo diary as long as possible, at least till something blooms or I give birth, hopefully I'll get blooms sooner than that!

Happy 4th of July! :)

Little kid like them too ...