Gardenia

The Best Gardenia Plants

Gardenias are a beloved choice for gardeners around the world, known for their intoxicating fragrance and beautiful white blossoms. These plants captivate with their elegance and allure, making them a top pick for both novice and seasoned gardeners. Whether you're looking to create a stunning gardenia hedge in NZ or simply want to enjoy the aromatic beauty of these plants, choosing the right variety is crucial. Selecting the appropriate gardenia can transform your garden space into a fragrant oasis, enhancing the aesthetic value and offering a sensory delight.

Why Choose Gardenias?

Gardenias are not just another pretty inclusion in your garden. They offer a range of benefits that make them a popular choice among gardening enthusiasts, bringing both practical and aesthetic advantages to your outdoor space.

• Fragrance: The gardenia flower is famous for its rich, sweet scent that can fill your garden and home with a delightful aroma. This fragrance is especially inviting in the evening, adding a romantic and soothing ambiance to your garden. The scent is not only a pleasure for humans but also attracts pollinators like bees, which can benefit your entire garden ecosystem.
• Aesthetic Appeal: With their glossy green leaves and creamy white flowers, gardenias are a beautiful addition to any landscape. Their classic elegance pairs well with a variety of other plants and garden styles, from formal to cottage gardens. Their presence can elevate the visual appeal of your garden, creating focal points that draw the eye and invite admiration.
• Versatility: These plants can be used as standalone specimens, hedges, or even potted plants indoors. Their adaptability allows them to fit into various garden designs and spaces, whether you have a sprawling yard or a compact balcony. Gardenias can also be used in floral arrangements, bringing their beauty and fragrance indoors.

Popular Gardenia Varieties

When it comes to choosing the best gardenia plants for your garden, several varieties stand out. Each offers unique characteristics that can cater to specific gardening needs and preferences. Here's a look at some popular choices:

Gardenia 'Veitchii'

• This variety, also known as the Everblooming Gardenia, is prized for its ability to bloom multiple times throughout the year. It features smaller, double flowers and is perfect for creating a gardenia hedge in NZ due to its dense growth habit. The continuous blooming cycle ensures that your garden remains vibrant and fragrant for extended periods, making it a reliable choice for those seeking long-lasting beauty.

Gardenia radicans

• Ideal for ground cover, this dwarf variety has smaller leaves and flowers compared to other gardenias. It is excellent for border plantings or as a low hedge, providing a neat and tidy appearance. 'Radicans' is particularly suited for gardens with limited space or those looking for a compact plant that requires minimal maintenance. Its low-growing habit makes it an excellent choice for adding texture and interest to garden borders.

Gardenia 'August Beauty'

• As the name suggests, this gardenia is known for its large, fragrant blooms that appear from late spring to fall. It's a great choice for those looking to buy gardenias in NZ that make a statement. The impressive size of its blooms and their intoxicating fragrance can serve as a centrepiece in your garden, drawing attention and admiration from visitors.

Gardenia thunbergia

• Native to South Africa, this variety is known for its large, single flowers and robust growth. It can be grown as a large shrub or small tree, making it a versatile choice for different garden styles. Gardenia thunbergia is well-suited for gardeners who wish to introduce an exotic element to their landscape, offering both visual interest and a unique botanical presence.

Dwarf Gardenia Plants

Dwarf Gardenias are a great choice for gardeners who love the beauty and fragrance of gardenias but lack the space for a larger shrub. These compact plants typically reach only 30-60 cm in height and 60-90 cm wide. The most popular option is Gardenia radicans. This is a true miniature gardenia with a spreading growth habit. It features glossy, dark green leaves and small, sweetly fragrant, white flowers that bloom profusely in late spring to early summer.

Planting and Care Tips

To ensure your Gardenias thrive, it's important to provide them with the right conditions and care. With proper attention, these plants can flourish and continue to enhance your garden for years to come. Here are some detailed tips:

Soil Requirements

• Gardenias prefer well-drained, acidic soil. If your garden's soil is not naturally acidic, you can amend it with fertiliser for acid loving plants to achieve the desired pH level. Ensuring proper drainage is crucial to prevent root rot, a common issue with gardenias.

Light and Watering

• Gardenias need plenty of sunlight to flower well, but they also appreciate some afternoon shade in hotter climates. Watering should be consistent, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.

Feeding

• Feed your gardenia plants with fertiliser for acid loving plants and shrub fertiliser in spring. This will help them maintain their health and help produce more prolific flowering. Additionally, consider using organic mulches to enrich the soil and retain moisture.

Pruning

• Pruning is essential to maintain the shape and size of your gardenia plants. It's best done after the flowering period, removing dead or diseased wood and shaping the plant as needed. Regular pruning encourages bushier growth and prevents the plant from becoming leggy. When pruning, use clean, sharp tools to make precise cuts and minimize plant stress, ensuring continued health and vitality.

Creating a Gardenia Hedge

A gardenia hedge can be a stunning feature in your garden, providing both privacy and beauty. Crafting a hedge with gardenias requires careful planning and maintenance but rewards you with a living wall of fragrance and flowers. Here's how to create one:

1. Choose the Right Variety: Select a gardenia variety that is suitable for hedging, such as Gardenia 'Veitchii', Gardenia 'August Beauty', or Gardenia 'Professor Pucci'. These varieties offer the density and height needed for an effective hedge, providing both visual appeal and functional privacy.
2. Spacing: Plant the gardenias about 50 cm apart. Proper spacing ensures that a dense hedge is created quickly.
3. Initial Care: Water the plants well after planting and apply mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Mulching also helps moderate soil temperature and reduce the need for frequent watering.
4. Regular Maintenance: Prune the hedge in spring and autumn to maintain its shape. Consistent maintenance will help the hedge develop into a uniform and attractive boundary, serving both aesthetic and practical purposes in your garden.

Where to Buy Gardenias

Buying high-quality Gardenia plants can be a challenge. However, The Plant Company has made this task easy by offering a comprehensive range of high quality Gardenia varieties. We appreciate that buying online is somewhat of a leap of faith given you are putting your trust in us. Therefore, we only ship plants that we would happily buy and plant ourselves. We propagate and nurture plants ready for their new home and take pride in exceeding our customers’ expectations. Our impressive Google Rating shows we are good at what we do!