Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
davidcf_gw

Gardenia time

davidcf
15 years ago

Every year at this time I renew my love for gardenias because they are blooming now. My favorite is "Mystery" because I think they have the best fragrance, but they are becoming rather hard to find. Pikes on Holcomb Bridge only had 1 gallons & the Pikes in Johns Creek didn't have them at all. I guess August Beauty is the new flavor of the month - very pretty plant, floriferous, sturdy, but I don't think they have the fragrance. I've not had luck with the beautiful "Aimee Yoshida", or "First Love" - they must need volcanic soil shipped in from Java or something. Has anyone had long term luck with "First Love"?

Comments (4)

  • wannabefarmgirl
    15 years ago

    David, I have a 'pass-along' gardenia. Can you tell how to identify which one it is?

  • davidcf
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Wilkerson Mill Gardens in Palmetto once sold the old fashioned single flower gardenia that they described as "Chinese Single", which grows into a very large plant. "Mystery", a medium double, has been around for decades, but is more recent than the single variety. "Belmont" and "Fortuniana" are old-fashioned corsage varieties once popular in greenhouses. They're disappearing now that orchids and roses can be flown in fresh from Colombia, etc.

  • jeff_al
    15 years ago

    'mystery' is my favorite, too. i have a shrub that must be almost 8' tall and wide. it is still in flower since the end of may and has more unopened buds.
    not only is the fragrance great, the individual flowers are beautiful and large.
    'august beauty' is not as attractive to me. mine is so floriferous that the branches bend down with the weight of the flowers and it looks odd whereas 'mystery' is rounded in form with stiffer branches that perfectly display the larger flowers.
    isn't it great to be able to grow these shrubs outdoors? the "fragrant plants" forum should be called the "gardenia forum" - seems like every other post is a sad story of trying and failing to grow them as houseplants.

  • lindadearest
    15 years ago

    first time on this forum--hope i am in the right place. I have about 50 wonderful plants for 20 years most of which i rooted myself. have had no problems until the last two days. One of my plants has a section that all the leaves are turning brown but the vein sections are still green. i can not seem to find anything on the internet tellng me what to do. HELP!!! It is in a single specimen location but if this is serious, I do not want a spread to the rest. these suckers have been taller than the house off and on over the years and we only have whiteflies that we kill off each year.

Sponsored