This was not a good year here for gardenias...I lost a small bush and my larger bush looked really bad until about a week ago. They had a state wide report that said most of the gardenias around here would not bloom this year....but mine is covered with flowers and is doing really good so far. So, I was talking to a friend about them and she said she knew wher to get some starts and wanted to know if I wanted some...WELL YEH!!!!! So, tonight as I was going out to turn on the light at the flagpole...I almost tripped over a big jar filled with gardenia branches and blooms in some blue liguid. I don't know if I just didn't hear her at the door or if she just dropped them off with out knocking. I have NO idea what the "blue" liquid is...it is about the color of miracle grow..the branches are cut at an angle and most of them have blooms on them. So what do I do now..just plant the cuttings...dip them in growth hormone...what?? I have no idea!

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
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Well, Tricia..if I can get these started I will send you all you want! I love the smell of the gardenias. The one bush that I have is planted right by my front door....the minute you get out of the car you can smell them all the way to the door. Now that's a greeting! They are pretty expensive to buy..and I lost a small bush this winter. But the starts that were brought to me have much bigger blooms than mine.
Off to find the coke bottles! (I'll try anything!)

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
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I've rooted in buckets set in shade.& behind the house is EAST.I'd guess the rain keeps the water fresh& then I planted them out.The ones I did 2 yrs ago that didn't flower this last year flowered this year& those same ones added branching also this year.the tip of original branch is what bloomed.i'd say the flowers are size of half-dollar.I stripped the leaves also.I didn't do rooting hormone as I rooted in water.I also rooted a branch recently that the dog chewed off.Its in glass jar with tomato start.No roots yet,but its getting new leaves(has 3 nodes underwater...where pulled leaves off)
in a way they have grown the same as hygrandea cuttings i've done& would hope they spread the same in 3rd year.My 3rd yr hygrandea has 4 stems now and those 4 stems are bushy(abuse...hubby..weedeater...dog) its growing its buds now.

back to gardenias.I think most need the right climate.liquid rooting hormones i've used have been clear& one was a pale yellow.I'd track my friend down or leave her a note to call about the blue.I hear about everyone haveing problems with them,but i've been lucky.I get a few yellow leaves when we get too much rain.hows your winter temps?My lowest is 20s& a few teens sometimes,but not very long,we can still climb into the 60s in winter for the day.I'm close enough to the coast to stay humid 80% of the year also.

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I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!

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I'd venture to say the miracle gro is okay...

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Each day is a new beginning...What you begin is your choice.
The pleasure you receive from life is equal only to the attitude you put into it.