Question
Hi there! My name is Emilia Maracine. My husband and i live in an apartment in California. We are very lucky to have an outside patio. I love to garden and have been having problems with two of my potted plants not flowering.
The first is 3ft Gardinia tree. The first year i had this plant it blossomed beautifully. However, since then it seems that the buds brown and fall off before they are able to bloom. Why is this? (this plant is in full sun light and is watered every to everyother day)
My second plant is a pink star jasmine. I have to same situation with this plant. Minus the browning buds. (this plant is in partial shade and is watered every to everyother day) Is there somthing i need to add to the soil to help these plants thrive and bloom?  

Thank you!!!!

Answer
Gardenias have a well-earned reputation for being difficult specimens for even the experienced indoor gardener. Gardenias thrive on bright light, high humidity, and an even supply of moisture and nutrients. When gardenias are freshly delivered from a greenhouse grower, their glossy leaves and heavenly-scented blooms just about cause the plant to leap into your arms, whether a gift for yourself or for a loved-one.

But, then, the plant enters the home environment where hot, dry air and gloomy winter days send the gardenia in a downward spiral. Those delicate flower buds, so filled with promise of good things to come, begin dropping from the plant in droves. The glossy leaves turn dull, yellow, and they, too, begin to drop like tree leaves in autumn. If the plant survives this cruel change in environment, mealy bugs, spider mites, scale insects and stem cankers provide further challenges to overcome.

Now for the good news. Gardenias can be successfully grown in the home, but they won't tolerate neglect like many other houseplants. Gardenias are native to China and Japan but also grow well as an evergreen shrub in the south and west coastal areas of the United States. There, the plant reaches up to 6 feet tall! Gardenias thrive in bright light, cool temperatures and moderately humid air.

Your challenge in growing the gardenia as a houseplant is to match the plant's native environment as closely as possible. First, make sure you give the plant plenty of bright light, preferably direct sunshine for at least half a day. Winter will likely be the most difficult time to keep high light intensity due to shorter, gloomy days. Moving plants closer to southern-exposure windows and/or supplementing with plant-grow lights will help. Cooler room temperatures are best for the gardenia, around 55 F at night and about 10 degrees warmer by day.

Maintaining proper relative humidity is a challenge, particularly during the winter heating season. There are several ways to help increase humidity, including running a humidifier and grouping plants together on trays of wet pebbles. Misting by hand with a spray bottle offers only momentary relief and so does not really increase humidity in a meaningful way.

A healthy, blooming gardenia will need to be nurtured with a steady supply of water and nutrients, but don't overdo. The goal is to provide the proper balance of water, air and nutrients. If soil is kept constantly wet, the roots will be starved for air. Too much fertilizer can lead to damaging salt accumulation. Monitor the soil frequently for moisture content, and water thoroughly as the top inch of soil dries. Use a fertilizer that is formulated for acid-loving, blooming plants, such as an azalea-type product, according to rates listed on the label.

Don't be afraid to prune the gardenia; in fact, blooming will be more prolific on younger growth. Remember that the gardenia is a woody shrub in its native environment and so may need to have older, woody stems removed to encourage new branches.

Though the responsibilities of gardenia care are daunting, if you persevere, you'll be rewarded with elegant white blossoms and sweet fragrance that simply cannot be matched by other plants.


Pink Jasmine
Jasminium polyanthum

Fast-growing to 20 ft. (6 m), this vine has deep green, finely textured leaves and profuse clusters of fragrant white flowers, sometimes tinged pink. Blooms for several months. It is quick covering for fences and trellises and an excellent container plant.  Prune after flowering to promote blooms on new growth the next year.

Plant Habit or Use: vine
Sun Exposure:  Best growth and flower production in full sun.
Flower Color: White tinged with pink
Blooming Period: spring
Height:  To 20'
Type:  Evergreen
Spacing:  4' to 6' apart
Hardiness:  Hardy to 15癋 (-9癈)
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8b-10  

Care
Water:  Keep moist until established. Needs average watering during the growing season
Fertilizing:  Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins
Pruning: Prune yearly in winter to tidy plant.
Pink jasmine produces masses of flowers in late January to April. The buds are pink, hence the name "Pink Jasmine". The flowers are white and very fragrant. Their scent is not quite as enjoyable as other jasmines like Angelwing Jasmine, or Arabian Jasmine, but it is a nice complement since it blooms so much earlier.

Seeds don't need stratifying, and can be planted immediately.

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If you want to laugh, and get some great advice as well, go to your GOOGLE.com  search and look on the second page for the site "So you want to grow GARDENIA, huh?"  I spent two hours reading it. Great stuff.
The main advice I can give you in closing, take a good hard look at the conditions you have for your plants. These plants both want to have things their way. If not, they will not thrive. I don't want to sound like they are hopeless, helpless, plants. They are very difficult. If you continue to have problems, my best suggestion would be to give in, and look for something easier.

bakerplanter