Posse! I gotz TWO new eyes! And I’ll talk about that on another post. For today, I want to discuss … gardenia. Or the lack thereof. And how much saltiness there is in mah SOUL! at the notion of this lack.
The saltiness is because of Mrs Meyer’s Basil (and also the Grass one) that you can smell on the MOON! and it stays on your hands for the half-life of plutonium. Both are really beautiful – but really strong. And I find that cutting them by 50% helps manage the strength and longevity etc etc.
So. Imagine my delight when I came upon the Walmart Exclusive (shrug) of GARDENIA! Nearly wriggling with delight, like a demented Golden Retriever puppy, I seized the bottle, expecting a blast of the bleu cheesiness, sexy tropicalismo of Gardenia, like those beautiful seasonal plants at the big box stores with the paper gardenia affixed and the little buds that, when they open, are narcotic! :: and that’s the last time you will ever get a bud out of that plant! but (yet another shrug):: A fresh gardenia can rival a fresh tuberose, imo, it’s that beautiful. And we all know the perfumes : my favorite is Jungle Gardenia because it is IN YO’ FACE! gardenia and to my way of thinking, Go Big or Go Home with the tropicals (ymmv and I talk tough but when I Go Big like that I’m usually at home, by myself. )
So. I was all quivery when I saw the Mrs Meyer’s Gardenia Hand Soap. Basil? Grass? Moon! So… saddle up, Suzy! Right?
…. wommmp wommmp wommmp…
It smells persackly like…. soap. Not gardenia-scented soap, even. Just… soap. Ivory comes to mind. I thought at first it might be allergies/planting season (both are rough on my sinuses)… but I’ve smelled this 4 times now over the last month and (see wommps above). It’s the most curious thing: the ones you wouldn’t expect to be over-the-top strong (basil? grass?) are nuclear level.. and gardenia, one of the strongest florals out there? Eh.
The other mystifying one? Mint! Seriously? MINT? You open a bottle of Dr Bronner’s in LA and I can probably smell it in the Middle of IL. :: to be honest, that one confuses me even more than the gardenia. I can make a mint liquid soap in my sleep! (and I’m not that good, trust me). The mint smells like … a lot of soap with maybe 1/3 of a mint leaf just tossed in there (not even muddled). Weird.
So. That’s my PSA for the day – I did it so you don’t have to. But if you did and you got a different experience from mine, I’d love to hear about it! Are there any Mrs Meyer’s (or any other cleaner-y brands) that you love, scent-wise? What’s your favorite gardenia (or do you hate the scent?) – my other favorite is the old Liz Taylor one – another of those IN YO’ FACE! iterations … but what else would you expect from La Liz?
Also (and serious query): what is your recommendation for soap scum stuff? New eyes = ick I have never seen before! I thought I was cleaning!!!! Apparently I was WRONG!
I use Cif Bathroom Mousse for the shower & bath. Spray it on, leave for 5 minutes, shower off & way hay shiny surface!
No mad about smelly handwash so can’t comment.
Mum had a gardenia I had bought her, in the patio window of her north facing room, her heating was always cranked up high as it could go & she misted it a little every day, watered carefully & fed each week. It survived & bloomed every year, one flower at a time for 30 years! 3 weeks with me & my brother & it curled up it’s toes & died!
I miss EL Tuberose Gardenia & may snag a bottle of the Aerin. More gardenia is my bottle of Isabey Gardenia in the gold box
At least you got 3weeks! I bring ‘em inside? Lucky to get 3 days!!!
I need to hunt down the Isabey
I completely forgot about Isabey Gardenia. I liked it a lot once. I’ll check it out again to see if I still do and whether it has changed or not.
Every spring I tell myself not to buy one of those gardenias, and then I do, and then it’s all regret. Mine promptly died before it even bloomed! I ADORE the smell of gardenia. They were free-blooming (in December!) in Savannah and it was stunning. You already know I love the Verbena, and we have a counter spray in Dandelion which is a very nice vaguely green-floral thing.
Yeah… I only buy them if they already have a blossom AND are awash in unopened blooms and some buds…
Congratulations on your new eyes! Looking forward to reading all about it.
I like Mrs Meyers and could use the fall Acorn Spice year round if it was available. Other favorites are Lilac, Radish and for everyday, Geranium and Lemon Verbena.
Fresh gardenias are so beautiful, I wore one on my wrist when I got married at the courthouse, but gardenia perfumes are tricky. My favorite is Narciso Rodriguez Woman, in the white cube bottle.
Soap scum? I like Tilex and CLR. Both full of nuclear level chemicals because I got so tired of using vinegar and baking soda to be healthier and scrubbing with my fingernails. Also second the Bar Keeper’s Friend suggestion.
March is a huge LV fan. I can’t really smell it ( maybe it’s me, rather than Mrs M?)
I’ll try Tilex if it’s safe for a shower surround- CLR is SCARY!
….what? ACORN SPICE? Gonna have to look for that one! I’m still pining for a NR white cube…
Soap scum. Here, you get lots of limescale and scum spray cleaners. Maybe google limescale cleaner and see what pops up. I loved Dr Bronner’s mint for years as a teenager. The almond is ok too. I use not much on the kitchen floor as the Labrador licks it. Things get wiped up with soapy water. Every once in a while when something really unpleasant happens it’s isopropyl alcohol and the area is fenced off and then wiped again with soap and water (dish soap).
Tell Joe to cut that out!!!
I actually have used Dr Bronner’s as a floor/ cabinet wash! Smells great and keeps the mice at bay for a few minutes
For soap scum: Barkeeper’s Friend for tough surfaces or Bon Ami for not-so-tough surfaces. For hand soap, I like Mrs. Meyer’s flavors in Peony, Basil, Fresh Cut Grass, Rose, and Iowa Pine. Also like Grove Co. Wild Grass & Neroli which is always out of stock (because it smells great!), and Thymes Frasier Fir liquid hand soap. How disappointing that the Mrs. Meyer’s Gardenia soap was a wash out (haha, pun intended!). I noticed just today that Kai makes a hand soap in their gardenia-ish scent. Saw it on Arielle Shoshana website. I really like Kai as a gardenia adjacent scent.
Iowa Pine!!! Love that one ( and it’s another strong’un!!!
This is a shower surround so I’m wondering about taking off the finish…
Ooooh! Kai in a hand soap?!?! That’s such a lovely (if simple) smell.
Yes it is. I got out the perfume oil today and am wearing it now, with all this recent talk of gardenias!
I really like it too – the perfume oil. When I ordered Rose Kai they sent me the regular Kai, but I didn’t notice until I put it on. They said to keep it. Now my daughter happily has it and I have the rose one. It’s great, because it starts out as Kai Rose but the rose fades away in under an hour and I’m left with just white flower Kai. Two in one. Will wear it today!
Kai is absolutely lovely! And very calming
One of the (relatively few) things I liked about living in south Florida was that it was so easy to grow gardenias anywhere! One flower would scent my whole house (small house, but still…). And they were glorious in my office! A friend brought them to me often – I shared the jasmine I grew.
And for all that, I don’t care for gardenia perfumes. The flowers themselves, I love. But not any perfume. Odd, since I love jasmine perfumes. Is it more difficult to get a true gardenia?
OMG! Jelly!
Just… Green Jelly!!
Me too!
Did I mention the four hurricanes in two years aspect of living in Florida? Or the constant humidity? The mosquitos? Alligators? Poisonous snakes? Senior citizens attempting to drive large cars slowly in the left lane? I wept to leave my giant jasmine bush but not the rest of it!
Well… okay. 😉
My gardenia bush is in full bloom! A friend gave me a cutting a few years ago. I have a bunch of flowers in a vase indoors. Heavenly!
And I’m so happy for your new eyes! I had my cataracts removed several years ago and it is life-changing.
I can’t even SEE right now, my eyes are so green ( with envy)!!!
AUGH I WANT A GARDENIA BUSH. I try every year, and … newp!
Can’t wait to read all about your eyes.
I did try this one and it was definitely door #2. Which is weird since I think I bought 6 of the tomato leaf stuff since it was so gorgeous (and annoyingly, limited.)
Tomato Leaf is at Kroger ( Albertson’s over by you) RIGHT NOW!!!
And I BLAAAARTED! at Door #2
Hey Musette,
Get some slow release rose fertiliser balls into the dirt around your gardenia and it will flower again. Promise.
Portia xx
I think it’s the overwintering indoors that pisses them off ( with Winters that can drop to -20F we can’t leave them outside)… but I am always up for a challenge so …
Yeah they are NOT having the indoor thing, mine just curls up and dies. Plus when they’re struggling (and they’re ALWAYS struggling) they’re a magnet for spider mites, etc.
They are such DIVAS!!!
So pleased about your eyes!!!
I got a big laugh out of “the little buds that, when they open, are narcotic! :: and that’s the last time you will ever get a bud out of that plant”. That is so so true and the smell when they open is so so glorious! Hope springs eternal so maybe I’ll get a gardenia plant and try again. 🙂
Inorite? I think the best way to avoid heartbreak is to treat them as an annual- at least here in USDA zone 5b ( which I’ve ooched up to a zone 6 microclimate… but)
. Once you bring them in for the Winter.. sigh