We need more information from you. Were these transplants or containerized plants? What size? Is the soil system appropriate for gardenias? Have they had access to water? How long ago did you plant them?

Pruning them back was not the correct thing to do (just so you know), and I hope that you didn't fertilize them.

I transplanted a Gardenia bush from my mother's home in Mississippi to my home in NW Arkansas around late Sept. 2010. I'm in zone 8. The bush was around 3 foot tall when we transplanted it. We planted it immediately and kept it watered. I trimmed some top dead limbs but the rest of the bush stayed green through the rest of the season. I'm waiting for it to bud green leaves and I have nothing yet. Is there a chance it can still bloom or have I lost it?