Gardenias are gorgeous flowering plants and bushes that bring a beautiful pop of white, cream, or light yellow flowers to your Cumming, Georgia home landscape. They are famous for their deep, dark green leaves that make a spectacular background for the bright and fresh flowers. Known to be used often for corsages and the French enjoy 
one species as their boutonnieres at dinner parties. This gorgeous flower with its leathery leaves is part of the coffee family and is known to have over 30 species! There are houseplant options, although many of these attract some small insects, making them not quite the perfect house plant.
They are a wonderful option, however, to plant in pots on your deck or front porch! There are some species that do alright in colder areas, but they would need to be in a greenhouse. When planting gardenias there are a few things you want to consider beforehand. First, gardenias don’t like to compete for root space and growth. Make sure to plant them in pots that have plenty of room for their roots to grow or in a garden that doesn’t have many plants crowding around the gardenia. It is important that the gardenia is placed in soil that allows for good drainage and is somewhat acidic, as well, for the best results.
If possible, make sure to find soil that is highly concentrated in organic matter and make sure to mulch around the plant on a regular basis. During growing season it is a great idea to feed your gardenias with an acidic fertilizer every three or four weeks. You can also use fish emulsion or blood meal to fertilize them.
Using Native Plants in Your Landscape
It is also important to prune them back when you notice any dead leaves or stems. Prune off drying flowers to allow for new growth. If you notice that year after year your gardenias are struggling more and more to grow or to produce the large, lovely flowers they once had, it may be necessary for a more severe pruning. In the middle of February or so, trim them back extensively, but with the proper techniques. After that, make sure to fertilize them well with high quality fertilizer around April. They won’t produce as much as they used to the first year after a severe pruning, but the years to come should revive the rich and gorgeous flowers.
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