What's blooming at bittersweet
Earlier this spring, I purchased a new Gardenia plant online. What intrigued me most about this particular variety was that it’s considered hardy down to zero degrees. A cold-resistant gardenia? I was fascinated. While walking through the gardens recently, I noticed it had blooms on it. What a treat! Have you ever sniffed a real gardenia bloom? Nothing quite compares. Plumeria, tuberose, and jasmine come close, but gardenia carries a fragrance all its own — rich, creamy, soft, and unforgettable. In the soap-making world, it’s nearly impossible to truly reproduce. Of course, you can scent soap with a gardenia fragrance oil, but smelling the actual bloom nestled among those glossy, waxy green leaves is beyond comparison. At least that’s what I think. Over the years, I’ve also grown plumeria, tuberose, and jasmine — all considered tropical flowering plants — which is why I was so surprised to learn that growers had developed a hardy gardenia variety. This one is called “Pillow Talk,” and ...
