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Here’s one more pretty little thing that came into bloom yesterday after I published my “Pretties” post. I wish you all could take in its heady, intoxicating perfume!
I bought this gardenia from our local Home Depot in the very early spring. I tend to avoid purchasing plants from big box stores, but it looked so healthy and happy and was so LOADED with buds that I simply could not resist the temptation.
So I brought it home, and absolutely NOTHING happened. Those plump buds didn’t develop any further; they didn’t open; they didn’t fall off. Stasis. It was as if I had bought an artificial plant. The leaves didn’t even yellow or drop off!
I soldiered on with it, keeping it moderately moist, giving it bright, indirect light, protecting it from drafts . . .
About eight weeks in, something finally did happen — spider mites! A network of fine webs had spread between the gardenia’s branches! Well, I snatched that plant right off the table where it sat next to the African violets, took it to the kitchen sink, and gave it a good shower of warm water. Then I set it on the back porch (the weather was pleasant that day) and, once it was dry, doused it with insecticidal soap. The plant ultimately lost many leaves and did drop its buds after that. Not to be deterred, I pruned the branches back to healthy sets of leaves and found an isolated spot for the pot to live until the weather became reliably warm.
In early June, I moved the gardenia to my front porch where it could enjoy fresh air and some very filtered morning sunlight. It started to grow new leaves, and seemed to be thriving with a bi-weekly drink and an occasional dose of fertilizer. At some point in July, I spotted a couple of buds! Last week I noticed one of those buds was very fat, and I moved the plant to a more prominent, slightly brighter spot on the porch. Yesterday, it rewarded me for my efforts!
The weather today is quite chilly (only 59 degrees at lunchtime) and windy, so I’ve brought the plant inside for the day, both for its own protection and my enjoyment! Temperatures are supposed to rise tomorrow and for the rest of the week, so I’ll return it to the porch in the morning.
Happily, there should be a few more blossoms on the way!
(Points to you if you recognized my title as the tagline of Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo, by the way! The mystery show is an old favorite in our household.)
Cosmos and Cleome 