Viewing post #1057051 by JB

AnnaZ said:JB, I'd sure like a few tips on how to keep a gardenia alive. I've tried twice and killed them both times. They smell so good, I'ld love to try again, but don't want to spend the $$.

I am sorry to be so tardy in coming back to this topic, but I have a sick dog and he is high maintenance just now. I will give you a quick thought about gardenias. I have grown and propagated them for years and the only one that really was the easiest was the Aimee and you seldom see them anymore because if you want them to grow into trees before you sell them they take time and attention until they get old enough to get a good price for them. I sold them as starters since I did not have the space to keep them until they got older. Gardenia Jasminoides "Aimee...is the name of the one I had good luck with. It has a lovely story and if you have time you can look it up. Sometimes called Aimee Yoshioka....they do seem to attract all sorts of pests and are not exactly low maintenance. I grew mine in big containers and when they were outside on the deck they were such a pleasure to have and worth all the effort to keep them healthy. If I were not so old I would try them again. As you can see, they are beautiful. The flowers get really big and the fragrance is outstanding.