Maybe you are not keeping them moist enough or there is some other problem with the soil. Or are they dying during winter cold? Only certain ones are frost-tolerant enough to be tried here. And even then I would place them in sunny sheltered nooks, such as where two building walls form a protected corner that faces south.

Do a search here on Garden WEb for "suicidal Gardenia". You will find an amazing thread that left me laughing...You are not the only one to lose them!

I have one of the so-called "hardy" gardenias and it barely lives even though it is tucked up next to our cement stoop facing south.

In my greenhouse they get spider mites and root rot. I miss how easy they were to grow in the shade in Phoenix. They love heat.

I am pretty certain you are talking about an indoor or seasonal potted plant, but........

Gardenia 'Chuck Hayes' has been in my yard for years, and had some problems with iron chlorosis, but other than that has been fine. This variety is the only on I know of that looks like, smells like, and pretty much is a Gardenia in the classic sense here in the PNW. And it blooms from spring to very heavy frost to boot. Sometimes it retains the flower buds throughout winter for an extra early bloom. I have to believe that variety would be of easier culture in a pot here as well. I posted a couple of pics, the first was distorted from suntan lotion on my cell phone. After looking at the second pic, maybe it's my phone.

Oh here we go

You might get improved density etc. if it was liberated from that turf-like grass and mulched.

Oh, I know it's bad. I generally can make it over here on the weekends at best, and then I always have my young children with me. No excuses though! I need to get to much more than just that one patch, Ron. Believe me, it's probably the worst since I bought the house.

Put those kids to work! Enough with the frolicking and napping.

LOL! Great idea Ron. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I got them to cut quite a few blackberry canes out of some tough to reach spots, and the neighbor kid even joined in. Maybe they have a little Huckleberry Finn in them.

Mine is 'Kleim's Hardy' and while it is alive, it looks pathetic. The flowers are small and single but they are true gardenia flowers with the amazing fragrance of the larger not at all hardy ones like 'August Beauty' or 'Mystery'.

I killed 'Radicans' by potting it in poorly draining soil and sticking it in my greenhouse the winter before last. Rotted out my 'August Beauty' and a bunch of other plants too.

I have not succeeded with these so far but have seen great plants in Seattle, in a valley with lots of houses close together - where it might be comparatively quiet in winter and hot in summer.

Have seen same stunting and eventual decline I got on some other plantings here. Probably problems (inadequate aeration, root rot) with the rooting environment, same as with all the punky rhododendrons and azaleas one sees.