THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503100093
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G4 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WEEDER'S DIGEST
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
THERE IS NO disputing, fragrant, creamy gardenias are a treasure, but are they worth it?
Gardeners in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina ask that question every time there is a severe winter. Many gardenias were killed by the ravages of the winter of 1993-94. Some gardenias slowly came back from the roots after they were pruned last season but did not bloom. Others never recovered.
So what do you do? Here are three choices:
Buy a small indoor gardenia, such as Cape jasmine, (Gardenia jasminoides, frequently known as G. grandiflora). Many nurseries , florists and greenhouses sell them. They have smaller but fragrant blooms and glossy green leaves. They need full sun to stay healthy indoors. Be on guard for white flies, which are attracted to them like children are to bubble gum.
When the weather warms, put them on a deck or patio. Feed and water them, and they can survive a good many years if you bring them indoors every winter. Some people plant them in the ground, mulch them and try to get them to winter through. Sometimes that works, but they are much more tender than the full-size gardenias.
Buy and plant the standard gardenias available in all garden centers. They need to become established before a severe winter. Once established, they're pretty tough plants. Plant in full sun in an area protected from winter winds. If they get wiped out during the winter, replace them. They're inexpensive plants, often priced from $3.95 to $10.95.
Fertilize and water them and enjoy the sweet fragrance of their blooms. If you want to make a hit at the office, take in a bouquet every week while they're in bloom. They'll make the whole place smell good.
Wayside Gardens recommends ``August Beauty.'' Most garden centers also stock it. ``Radicans'' is a low-spreading version with smaller leaves and flowers, but it is more tender and more likely to freeze.
Buy the new Chuck Hayes gardenia, developed at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Center in Virginia Beach. It is named for the late Charlie Hayes who operated Cavalier Nursery in the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach. He found a gardenia that wanted to bloom all summer long.
Once established, it is hardier than other varieties. More important, it blooms almost all season, with heaviest blooms in spring and fall. Other gardenias bloom only in early summer. It appears to be a healthier, tougher plant than the varieties that have been on the market for years. It costs more, priced at $15 to $25, depending on size. ILLUSTRATION: FILE PHOTO
Barbara Meeh lives on the Outer Banks, where winters are milder.
Raising gardenias there is a pleasant and fragrant chore.
by CNB