The Fragrant Flower That's Happy To Squeeze Itself Into A Small Garden Space

If you happen to have a few small garden spaces, or perhaps a garden bed that's relatively narrow, you'll want to add plants that have a more compact growth habit and don't spread too wide. This allows the plants to grow to their full potential without you having to constantly cut them back to fit the space. To that end, there's an absolutely gorgeous fragrant flowering plant just right for these smaller spaces known as 'Diamond Spire' gardenia (Gardenia hybrid 'Leefive'). This variety has been bred by Southern Living Plants to have a somewhat columnar growth habit so that it grows taller rather than wider, making it perfect to squeeze into those tight spaces. It's also excellent for growing in a large pot as a "thriller," which makes it one of the best fragrant plants to include in your patio container garden.

'Diamond Spire' gardenia will grow upward to a maximum height of 4 feet but only spread to around 2 feet wide. On top of that, it will get covered with highly scented single white blooms that have quite prominent yellow centers. These make excellent cut flowers and a healthy plant will reward you with masses of these outstanding blooms all season long. You can grow this stunner anywhere in USDA zones 7 through 10, in either full sun or part shade.

Like all gardenias, this hybrid will prefer acidic soil that contains plenty of organic matter and is well-drained, to prevent fungal diseases like root rot. The best spot in your garden to plant gardenias is one that receives morning sun and shade in the afternoon. Gardenias enjoy fairly moist (but not wet) soil, so watering regularly, around once a week during dry spells is important. Don't forget to add a layer of mulch after planting but keep it away from the main trunk. You'll also want to feed your gardenia in spring and summer with a fertilizer that's specifically formulated for acid-loving plants. Make sure you don't add fertilizer in the fall, so your plant doesn't put on a growth spurt before winter.

What's even better is that this variety, like other Southern Living developed gardenias, is bred to be disease-resistant, so its care is much easier than other species. The exquisitely scented blooms will also attract birds and butterflies to your garden. Thanks to its pillar-like growth habit, this plant only requires minimal pruning and this should be done once flowering has finished for the season.  Finally, you might want to familiarize yourself with a common pruning mistake that might cause your gardenia not to bloom.