no gardenia planted outside will be in flower there at this time of year.
it is probably a camellia.

No, there is no such thing as a red gardenia. I've occasionally mixed up 'gardenia' and 'camellia', not in my head but on my tongue, if that makes any sense. I'll bet that's what your husband did...he's thinking camellia but said gardenia.

Gardenias, by the way, come in white, off-white, ivory-white, yellow-white, bright-white, and whitey-white. :-)

I didn't think so, but he kept insisting..hah! got him! thanks!

I'll be interested if he says something like: " Oh, yeah...I MEANT Camellia!".