Both the Chrysanthemum and the Gardenia Bush are hardy here in the triangle.
You can go ahead and plant both outside now. The Gardenia should be planted
in a semi-sheltered area (not in a wide open space on the lawn) in case of a
hard winter in the future. I prefer to plant them off the back corner of my
house or near a porch. They should have good drainage in the area. If it's
hard clay, dig it out and amend with potting soil or soil conditioner. It
should ideally get morning sun/afternoon shade to flourish in this area.
They typically bloom at the end of May/early June for several weeks. Mine
sometimes would also bloom in the fall when we had weird fluctuations in
hot/cold temps. In late February I fertilize with some Hollytone Fertilizer
(acid loving plants love this).

The Mum should also be planted in well drained soil and located anywhere in
the yard in full sun. Plant it with its spent flowers for now. In
March/April you should cut down the brown plant to about 2-3" from the
ground. You will eventually see green leaves sprouting when the weather
warms up. Cut the branches back down low during June, but no later than
July 4th to allow the plant to grow back to a nice form and to bloom at its
proper time (September/October). If you allow it to grow and bloom during
the summer, it will get very leggy and overgrown and you'll miss its peak
bloom time for the best show of flowers. When I see new growth in the
spring, I throw a little bit of Osmocote 14-14-14 around the base of the
plant. Be sure to cover it with mulch or soil to keep the fertilizer moist
(allowing it to slowly release food to the plant).

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Penny
"Lisa" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I recently received 2 plants - a Gardenia and a red Mum. I was trying
to keep these going inside my house, but they both look kinda peaky. I
have had them about a month now. I am not sure why...they have
adequate water, but not too much. I have also put some fertilizer
sticks in each of their pots. I thought maybe they would fare better
outside, but I didn't know if it is too late to plant them outside.
It's VERY important to me that these plants live. Can anyone here give
suggestions for how to either
1) plant them outside now, if it's possible, and what to do to ensure
their success
or
2) keep them alive inside. They both have leaves that are turning
brown, and the mum's blooms have died. The gardenia is losing some of
its leaves.

TIA!
Lisa