Gardenias for #sublimesunday

There are some beautiful Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) bushes in front of the salon where I get my nails done. The bushes are evergreen, so the leaves remain a lush, green color all year long, which makes them perfect for landscaping purposes. Two or three times each year, the bushes are covered in beautiful, snow-white flowers. It is always delightful to visit the salon during the times these pretty flowers are in bloom!

Gardenia flowers are very fragrant, having a very sweet, floral scent to them. That makes the essential oils of the plant quite popular in the perfume industry as well as incorporating into some incense blends. One must be careful, though, as the aroma is quite "heady" to most people, and a little bit of fragrance goes a long way. Too much can be overpowering.

In reading about gardenias, I learned that they have small 'fruits' on the bushes at certain times of year. However, I don't recall seeing any fruits. Perhaps I am visiting the bushes at the wrong time! The fruit contains a chemical called crocin, which is a carotenoid substance (the same stuff that makes carrots orange or yellow in color). Because of the crocin, the fruit is suitable for making dye which can be used in food as well as for dying cloth. The fruit also has fever-reducing properties and has been used for such in traditional Chinese medicine. ^[2]

There's also a gardenia bush growing beside my parents' house, which my mother planted many, many years ago. It is two or three feet taller than I am, and also has blooms a couple of times each year. I sometimes don't see the flowers on that bush, though, as it is on the one side of the house where I seldom walk.

These flowers smell so sweet, sometimes I just want to pick a handful, toss them on the bed, and roll around in them! 😁 But, I have yet to do that... 🤔