And they smell wonderful!

Pug, it's beautiful and I bet it smells heavenly! Did you buy it or grow it as a standard? I wonder if the variety is 'Miami Supreme' because the blooms are so large? Just lovely, lovely, lovely!

Carol in Jacksonville

Its really beautiful. It has a nice sized trunk on it. What do you fertilize with?

~sjn

This has been the best year ever for my gardenia, which isn't nearly as magnificent as yours. But I'm also seeing amazing gardenias when I drive around Miami these days. Something went right for the gardenias this year. Yours is lovely.

Mine is blooming also. It is full of buds but only started opening. Your bush has a head start on mine.

My bush is very large in a small yard. I notice your bush does not go to the ground. Did you prune it that way? I would like to raise it up so I could put some flowers around it.

Right next to the Gardenia is a bunch of Jasmine and a blue Plumbago growing along the chain link fence (neighbors). The smell of the Jasmine and Gardenia is amazing! I wish they were closer to our windows or patio.

Can I prune the Gardenia back to raise it off the ground?

Thank you,
Jane

hi

I had so much trouble with sooty mold always looked like it had been treated with a blow torch lol It came with the house but was located right in front of the air intake Too much of a good thing so i removed it several years ago

have been watching the neighbors for years now One grows in full blazing sun while the other grows in very dense shade like under a poinciana tree both seem to do equally well Go figure ?? lol

I recently ran accross a so called "Frost proof" gardenia while the flowers look very similar the leaves are quite different though the center petals form a cup shape Was only 4 bucks and was covered with flowers so I weakened lol i think i'll keep it in a pot far from the AC lol I really like the aroma but in moderation?? lolo gary

Beautiful! and they smell wonderful. Mine is blooming also, I have the Miami Supreme in full sun.

Silvia

My gardenias are right next to my living room window and the weather has been cool enough for the past few days that we have our windows open. The scent from the gardenias in my living room is heavenly!

Jane, I don't think you would harm the plant by pruning the lower limbs but be sure you want to do that, as those lower limbs probably won't come back if you change your mind.

Thank you all so much for the kind comments!! Hubby bought (2) plants for me a few years ago at Kmart on clearance for $5 lol...it was a 2 gallon pot. For that price I figured if I kill it I wasn't out a lot of money :o)...I had it in a pot for about 2 years then decided I wanted to plant it inground (maybe 2-2 1/2 years inground)...Its Miami Supreme already a standard like a tree when I got it. I believe its grafted to special root stock resistant to nematodes? I "pug" it (prune fairly heavy) once a year to keep it short and wide after its done blooming...around summer time so it has a chance to fully grow before winter sets in. I have never protected it during our winter freeze and I've had mid 20's here...

I fertilize it with Miracle Gro...not as often as I want to... mostly due to the fact I forget.

Its planted in an area that gets mostly shade but bright light...it probably only gets 2 hours of full sun a day...it seems to really like that spot.

Jane, yes I agree you can remove the lower limbs to try and create a tree like shape. You can prune now if you like...

Gary, I spray mine with Hort. oil a couple of times a year for sooty mold early evening so the leaves dry before sunrise ...I do it only in the winter time when the weather is cool so the leaves don't "fry or sunburn"...this also keeps the sooty mold away by the time the tree is ready to bloom in spring.

I also have one in front of my house (also gets mostly shade) another Miami Supreme...this one one I really keep small since its next to walkway...and they do smell heavenly!!

Puglvr, your flowers are so pretty. I forgot to post a pic of mine. It is a huge bush, and with a small yard takes up a lot of real estate. I'd like to make it smaller but don't want to hurt it. Mine grows in full Southern sun, no shade at all until the sun sets. Brutal spot, I rarely water it and have never fertilized. I clipped it a bit last year and what I didn't clean up, rooted! So now I more small gardenia's growing!

Here's some pics.

Thanks Jane! Wow... Your Gardenia is beautiful and HUGE!! Very healthy!! With some lower branch removal that would make a beautiful tree :). Good Luck!! Please post pics if you decide to do it...