Gardenia, Cape Jasmine, Gandharaj 'Double Mint'

This is a short, compact gardenia that seems to be most like the Klime's Hardy variety. It has attractive dark green leaves that don't su...Read Moreffer from the chronic yellowing and leaf-drop of some varieties like the Daisy gardenia. Its best feature is that it re-blooms. The first flush in July is followed by less enthusiastic blooming until September. The flowers are double, although on close inspection the petals are thick and don't have the beautiful delicate appearance of some less hardy varieties. The fragrance is strong, sweet, and definitely gardenia. Amen! You might catch the smell of a single flower from five feet away if the breeze is just right. Planting six of these in front of my porch was really too much, but I've had limited success with gardenias before and assumed there would be losses. They all survived weeks of 90-plus degree weather shortly after being planted with a modest amount of watering every couple of days. Over-watering is the quickest way to kill gardenias, so I erred on the side of under-watering. Having some afternoon shade also helps. Time will tell how they fare in a zone 7a winter, at the edge of their cold hardiness. The odds are good as long as they have good drainage and are used on a foundation or the south or east side of the house, protecting them somewhat from dry winter wind.

Spring update: We had an unusually harsh winter that caused some damage and they're looking quite sad, to say the least. Not only were branches broken by snow dropping from the roof, but the leaves that were most exposed also turned brown and aren't showing signs of being replaced as of mid-May. If I could start over, I'd plant them fully under the eaves of house next to the foundation.