Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Planting
Plant the Fall In Love™ Gardenia in well-drained, moist, acidic soils and in a location that will receive a little shade or filtered sun during the hottest part of summer days, when the sun is most intense. Gardenias thrive in an acid soil. If soil is too alkaline apply chelated iron, soil sulfur or aluminum sulfate to increase acidity. Dig the planting hole two to three times as wide as the container the plant was growing in and thoroughly mix in some organic matter to heavy, compact clay soils.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Pruning
Gardenias do not require pruning however respond well to it. Prune lightly after flowering to encourage new growth and more flower buds. Gardenias can be pruned quite heavily to control their size or to rejuvenate an old plant.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Feeding
Gardenias prefer a very acid soil ranging from 4.5 to 6 pH. Therefore, feed Gardenia in early spring with an acid forming fertilizer, such as Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia food. Apply additional chelated iron, aluminum sulfate and/or soil sulfur to increase soil acidity.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
I've seen absolutely no insect or disease problems with the Fall In Love Gardenia. No aphids, mealybugs, powdery mildew, leaf spot or chlorosis.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
There's a two-fold meaning to the name of this plant. Aside from the fact that you'll “fall in love” with the highly fragrant, double flowers and the lustrous, large, dark green leaves of this handsome dense shrub, when grown in containers this gardenia will bloom in both Spring and “Fall.” Hence the name!

Fall In Love Gardenia has an exceptionally long flowering period. Depending on the weather, the ones growing in my garden now for several years in garden beds begin blooming sometime in late May or early June, repeating into mid-Summer. But here's the coolest thing: the one I have growing in a large container blooms heavy again in fall! Not sure, but think this has to do with soil temperatures? When growing in a container the roots are exposed to the warmer air temperatures, therefore promoting the fall flush of flowers. Check out some of the photos above on this page that I took in late October which show this gardenia in bud and bloom!

The Fall In Love Gardenia I've had growing in the large container for 6 years has sailed right through the coldest winters with little to no cold damage or fading of foliage. The leaves remain dark green and lustrous year round. Of course, we do have them planted in acidic soil, which is important with gardenia. Fall In Love is the most cold hardy gardenia I've ever grown, and I have probably 12 varieties growing in my landscape.

The Fall In Love Gardenias in my garden have grown to about 4 feet tall by 4 to 5 feet wide in 6 years time. The one in the large container is a little smaller. The shrubs are dense with a rounded, mounding form. The lustrous leaves are large and provide a tropical look in the garden.

The dense form and attractive evergreen foliage makes the Fall In Love Gardenia the perfect choice for a natural hedge, grouped together in garden beds, and I'd have no problem recommending this variety as a foundation plant, where long-term hardiness is always a concern. When using it in foundation plantings, I recommend planting it on the east side of the home where it will receive some afternoon shade.

Make sure to plant this fragrant wonder somewhat near outdoor sitting areas or open windows near the home where the fragrance can be enjoyed. What do the flowers smell like? Words simply can't describe the cloud of intoxicating perfume that pours out of the Fall In Love Gardenia flowers. One thing for sure, if there were other plants that produces flowers that smelled like gardenias, they'd be a rage among gardeners as well.

As with other gardenia, Fall In Love appreciates a little shade or filtered sun during the hottest part of summer days, when the sun is most intense. And, besides, the flowers look prettier in lightly shaded areas. I recommend planting gardenia in well-drained, moist, acidic soil. Add chelated iron, soil sulfur or aluminum to alkaline soils.

I've seen absolutely no insect or disease problems with the Fall In Lov Gardenia. No honeydew aphids, no mealybug, no powdery mildew, leaf spot or chlorosis! This gardenia has proven to be one tough and low-maintenance plant in my gardens, and even in containers.

Marianne Jordan · Gardenality Seed · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Can Fall in Love Gardenia be kept at 3'-4' feet in height to surround an east facing screened porch and still flower? Any advice? Thanks.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Hi Marianne - I have several of the Fall In Love gardenia growing in different spots in my landscape and the tallest one is maybe just over 4 feet in 6 years. So I'd say it can easily be kept at 3 to 4 feet in height. All gardenia respond well to heavy pruning. You can remove a third of the height with no problems. That being said, I just give mine a light snipping, maybe removing 6 to 12 inches or so. Just wait to do any pruning to control the hieght until after it has bloomed in spring. This should help it produce more new growth and a second flush of flowers. Avoid fall pruning as this could stimulate new growth that could be damaged by an early hard freeze. If you're lucky, even Fall In Love Gardenia planted in the ground will produce some flowers in early to mid fall. The original stock plant that is in a 15 gallon container blooms almost every fall, depending on weather. An east facing porch should be fine, especially if there'll be some afternoon shade or filtered sun.

Marianne Jordan · Gardenality Seed · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Thanks Brent! I see they are available in 1 gallon pots... How far apart would I want to plant them around the sides of the porch? Do you think they'll bloom this year? When would you recommend purchasing and planting? I'm in zone 8A in SC. Our soil is sandy clay-ish, more sandy around the porch, would you suggest mixing in a composted manure and topsoil or ...?

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Marianne - Regarding the Fall In Love Gardenia, I'd suggest a spacing of 3 to 4 feet or so if you want a solid hedge and 5 feet or more if you dont want them to touch. My oldest specimen is about 4 feet wide after 6 years. In Zone 8a of South Carolina, I'd recommend planting gardenias from late March on...if weather forecasters say no more hard freezes. If you want to make sure and get a Fall In Love Gardenia, you could order it now and then leave a not to ship it sometime in April. This is a cold hardy Gardenia, however, when planting new young plants it's better to be on the safe side. Regarding the soil, make sure it drains well. Gardenias like a moist, but well-drained soil. Constantly soggy soil can cause problems. Mixing in some composted cow manure and bagged top soil to the soil removed from the planting hole would be a good idea. If heavy clay maybe at a 50/50 ration. If theres a good bit of sand and the soil drains well maybe 25% compost to the native soil. Too, to bloom good and keep dark green foliage, Gardenias require an acid soil (pH 5-6). If the soil is alkaline you can apply soil sulfur, aluminum sulfate or iron to make it more acid. If you've got Azaleas or other acid-loving plants growing in similar soil in your landscape, and they're blooming well and keeping dark green foliage, chances are your soil is acidic. The leaves of these plants will turn pale green or yellow in alkaline soils. Here's a couple links to helpful articles you might be interested in:

How To Plant A Shrub

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/279/How-To-Info/Planting/How-To-Plant-A-Shrub/default.html

What is Soil pH and How To Adjust It

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/984/How-To-Info/Growing-Basics/What-Is-Soil-pH-And-How-To-Adjust-It/default.html

Marianne Jordan · Gardenality Seed · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Thanks lots Brent!