Gardenias like a lot of light and a moist soil. They are usually grown as indoor plants, so put it on a bright windowsill but not with scorching sun at the hottest part of the day. They like acid soil so don't like being watered with hard tap water, rain water is best.
I've never grown a gardenia so can't help with specific care but can help with watering. It's best to dunk a pot in a bigger container of water and let it soak up what it needs. Once air bubble stop appearing at the top, let it drain and then put it back in its saucer or cache-pot. This method ensures the compost is evenly moist and doesn't have too much water or too little.
When you water, check the base of its pot for signs of roots showing. That indicate that it needs a bigger pot so you need to find a 4 or 5" pot and use some loam based ericaceous compost to fill the new pot below the roots and round the sides so it ends up planted at the same level. Your garden centre or plant shop should have the compost you need.
Gardenias don't like to be cold so, when it's bigger and stronger, grow it outside in dappled light in summer - if you want - or else kept indoors in a well lit position out of direct sun. It will not be happy much below 10C so watch for night-time temps.
Yes, except camellias are hardy and can live outside to -10C and will cope with full sun as long as they have plenty of water in late summer when they're forming their flowers for the following spring.
Gardenias flower in summer.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I've grown Gardenia but only as a house plant - however, some years ago a hardy ( ) shrub Gardenia was fashionable and much advertised. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact name but I do remember wondering if it was simply a sales ploy rather than an honest description. Whichever it is, I'd agree with the advice above for care
Ok thank you. I was told it can live outside in summer but it’s so tiddly that getting it to grow at all is my first problem I think. Thank you everyone.
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When you water, check the base of its pot for signs of roots showing. That indicate that it needs a bigger pot so you need to find a 4 or 5" pot and use some loam based ericaceous compost to fill the new pot below the roots and round the sides so it ends up planted at the same level. Your garden centre or plant shop should have the compost you need.
Gardenias don't like to be cold so, when it's bigger and stronger, grow it outside in dappled light in summer - if you want - or else kept indoors in a well lit position out of direct sun. It will not be happy much below 10C so watch for night-time temps.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/7605/Gardenia-jasminoides/Details
Gardenias flower in summer.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact name but I do remember wondering if it was simply a sales ploy rather than an honest description.
Whichever it is, I'd agree with the advice above for care